$99 Sportfishing Charters

The housing bust and the subsequent recession took a big toll on many Florida fishing charter operations. A decrease in disposable income led to a decrease in tourism and fishing charters are one of the top tourist attractions Florida has to offer. The decline of the fishing business led some charter operators to offer $99 fishing specials to get customers in the door, but unfortunately, many consumers are misled by this offer.

The $99 fishing offer is confusing because it differs from the typical flat rate structure that private sportfishing boats operate on. With most fishing charters, you pay a flat rate to charter the entire boat, and you can usually have up to 6 people, with no additional per person charge.  In this new structure, the $99 is a per person charge and does not guarantee the boat to yourself. Instead, the charter operators hope to fill the boat to capacity as a shared charter. If things go well, they'll end up making more on 6 individual people paying $99, than on a private charter for the same boat. And typically, if they don't get at least 4 they won't go out at all, which means you'll be stuck on the dock looking for other options.

Call me a traditionalist, but I'm personally not a fan of the $99 thing and I try to talk most of my friends and customers out of it. We as a company have made the decision not to refer business to any of these operators. I will admit I do know a few people who have been happy with their experience and I know a few more that haven't. Our business is based on providing referrals to the best operations, and for us mixed reviews don't cut it. But, as with anything, there are pros and cons of this structure and ulitmately, each angler must decide whether this works for them or not.  Just remember caveat emptor ("buyer beware") and at the end of the day, you get what you pay for.