This is not a sponsored post- All opinions are my own. Due to the nature of this industry and uncontrollable environment/inability to control sea life- your experience may vary.
Growing up my father made sure I got a chance to experience a little bit of everything and anything- we went fishing, camping, hiking, skiing, horseback riding, white water rafting…
It’s been a while since I went out on a boat to go fishing and I got the itch to go out… After a few google searches/yelp and trip advisor reviews, I found what looked to be the best company to fulfill my desires- I decided to go with Fishing Headquarters. They are based out of Fort Lauderdale- Contact information is at the bottom of this post. I decided to go with t
his company because of the packages that they offered. I picked the full day of shared sportfishing (pricing is available on their website). If you aren’t comfortable with the idea of being on a boat for 8 hours- they offer half day trips.
What to expect: Their website outlines what they provide- They give you everything you need except food! I would recommend wearing some loose light colored clothes if it is hot out, and/or bringing some layers depending on the forecast. Additionally, hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, water, snacks (nothing prone to upsetting stomachs… think a sandwich)… food depending on how long you will be out, dramamine (if you suffer from motion sickness), a towel that you don’t mind destroying, and clothes you really don’t care about getting fishy. There are plenty of details on the companies FAQ Page! I would highly recommend checking the marine forecast prior to going out you can check it out HERE
What I experienced: Again, experiences may vary because you can’t control the actions of wild animals.
Started off the morning way earlier than needed. I was kind of taken aback by the late start time- we went out at 8 AM, on prior trips with my father things were always the best prior to the sun rising…
I got to the dock way earlier than I had to be. Sat around and waited… struck up a few conversations with strangers, did I mention I went on this trip alone? I couldn’t find anyone willing to come up the money on short notice and spend a day on a boat… so I was in for a day with 5 potential new friends. I didn’t expect to meet so many people from all over the world/U.S. in one day. Because they didn’t have enough people going for a full day, they split the trip up into two half days, I simply boarded the boat again for an afternoon session. Had there been enough people for a full day we wouldn’t have returned until our 8-hour session was up.
But did we catch anything?!?!: YES! The morning trip had more action than in the afternoon (again, your experience may vary). We trolled around the first part of each trip and caught kingfish galore. Now if you aren’t familiar with these…. they are part of the mackerel family- expect a very oily … fishy tasting fish. I have been told that soaking the meat in milk helps cut the fishy taste…. but take it from me… save your time! We ended up saving the large ones for bait later on.
After some trolling we stopped in a few areas and in the morning I got a tilefish (which by the way is one of the most delicious fish I have ever tasted). In the morning one of the youngest out with us caught the largest kingfish with his fathers help.
On the way back in an attempt to make the trip extra special, we managed to snag an 87″ sandusky shark!!! It took close to an hour to pull in and easily weighed 300 lbs.
Overall: I had an excellent experience and look forward to my next charter out. The crew consisting of Captain: Pauly; and Mate: Rodney, were incredibly knowledgeable, helpful, entertaining, and eager to show everyone a good time! I highly recommend you going out for a quick fishing trip if you are ever in the area and can spare 4 hours! There are set sail times so you can’t just show up… but for more information check out this link HERE!!!!!
Fishing Headquarters
301 Seabreeze Blvd.
Ft Lauderdale, FL 33316
P: 754.214.7863