Charter Captains does and don'ts

[Laurie-Jean]

I am a new charter boat out of charleston SC. I was wondering if the seasoned fellows could offer any advice. Is their some things not to say or do that can prevent a bad trip. Is their some things like free bottled water that will make the people happy.
I had one trip where I pulled out the bait cutting board and it was an old construction sign from a friends jobs site. I could see the couple looking at eachother like "What the heck". I am low priced, and I do not need to do this full time currently. If their are big areas that I can improve on. (besides catchting big fish) to improve customer satisfaction please share them with me. I am new to charters but not new to fishing. My clients have a pretty good chance at landing a nice one every trip.

[fishnutz]

I'm not a charter captain, but I have been on plenty of charters...If I may make two suggestions: Stowage. Knowing where everything goes and putting it there is important on any boat, especially one that regularly has inexperienced guests. Also, as with any boat, you can't have too many rod holders!
That's something I have noticed on the charters I have been on....If a guy keeps a messy boat and fumbles around for gear when he should know where it is, it's a pretty good bet I won't be back.

Also: Having quality gear is a must...I don't mean you have to have custom stand ups with 80 wides if you're fishing for sea bass, but don't let someone leave the boat and tell his friends about the one that got away because you handed him a rod with 2 guides missing and drag that wouldn't tighten over two pounds!

[Tireless]

If you put people on the fish your job is 90% done.

Be willing to cancel trips if you are 90% confident your clients will be uncomfortable and barfing.

I have only been on two charters in my life and I was pissed on one trip when the capt. made us spend 2 hours catching friggin bait. I didn't expect to waste that time loading the livewell. The next trip we were on a single screw fishing boat and our trip was out to the deep water......I had no idea a boat could go that slow......we spent 2/3 of the trip chugging along on a stinkboat. Had I known we were going to take that long to get to and from the fishing grounds, I wouldn't have gone on that trip.

[matt_unique]

I don't run fishing boats but as the Captain I would make sure you demonstrate your knowledge and confidence with a safety briefing, where necessary safety gear is located, suggestions on how to avoid getting seasick (looking at horizon, light breakfast if speak to them prior to trip, etc.), and describe in general terms the plan for how the day will go.

This would go a long way in providing a professional experience.

Also, there are several little/inexpensive things you can bring to add to the "charter" nature of the trip including a few pb and j sandwich wedges, slice up some fruit in the morning and keep it in a container with lemon juice for example (Admiral taught me that one), and a few bottles of water. Hydration is important to avoid seasickness and other issues on a warm day so this benefits the Captain too

One observation from your picture....if you are going out in any kind of sea I would stow that anchor/rode differently. At the very least it of course needs to be secured to the deck.

Good luck.

[RI Builder]

I have done my share of charters, both for hardcore fishing, and for the BS wine and dine, and for each I use different charter boats.

Here are a few tips I offer.

1) Be honest with your customers and know your customers. If you are the type of charter that is hardcore and putting people on the fish is all you care about, tell your customers that up front. You may not appeal to the guy taking clients out for the day who only want to reel the fish in and not bother with baiting the hook, setting the hook, or even landing the fish to the boat.

2) Have the bait up front and do not waste the clients time in catching it, unless of course they want to.

3) Let people know the alcohol policy up front

4) Be clear to your clients as to what you expect from them. There is a local charter guy here who can be pretty harsh on his clients, BUT, he tells you up front, he expects you to work, he puts you on fish, and if you want to learn, he is your guy.

5) Be clear as to who cleans the fish. I have seen a few charter boats that do not clean the fish - this makes zero sense to me, but hey, if it your policy, tell it up front

6) Offering free water is a great idea

Okay, I could go on, but hope these help.

[Jamisjockey]

Come up with a back up plan.
I'm not a charter, just an occasional customer.
Last year we were in Hawaii. Took a charter boat, and he drove us around into 8-10' seas on the NE side of the island. 5/6 of us were barfing. The fish weren't biting. There was no tip. He could have motored us back around to the leeward side and we could of at least been comfortable there.....
Most people just want to catch fish. If you're not catchng anything, have a back up plan and go somewhere else and put your clients on fish.

[big money]

I am not a charter guy, but have taken a fair number charters and try to take at least one a year to learn something new. The best advise I can give is similar to what RI Builder said. Make sure to communicate to everyone what is expected of them and what they can expect from you...before you get on the boat. The thing that I have seen the mose is when people expect to fish here, with this bait, or this close in or that far out, who cleans fish.....etc. and then they are pissed if they get something different.

[wmalloy382]

Also a customer....

BE CALM.... I have been on a lot of charters and would say that some guys that I have chartered from are just panicky people. Everything is a big deal. When the captain is jumpy, so is everyone else. If you can keep a level attitude and even when things go wrong. ... Keep calm. You will do much better in the long run and referrals will go a long way.

Just my Opinion

[yzfpilot]

I think most folks are hitting the nail on the head...the trip will go much better for captain and customer if there is good communication. The whole bait thing is a prime example. Some folks get mad if you "waste" time catching it. Some get mad if you ask them to buy if from a bait boat. (In our area it is darn near impossible to have it ready for them beforehand - if you put traps out to catch your own they get stolen EVERY day and with fuel prices and other expenses pinching your profits already it is not easy to justify paying for the bait out of boat money.

I think the best captains ask the customers what they want to do when it comes to these issues and then go from there. At least then everyone knows what to expect.

It is going to get harder and harder to get people to pony up for a charter trip with expenses going up and the daily bag limits going down. If you are lucky enough to get a group of good customers you better do all you can to keep them happy and coming back.

[rwidman]

This may or may not help. One of my neighbors runs a company which books charters. It's based in North Charleston, SC. Her husband is a charter captain. You may be able to get with them and network with other, more experienced charter captains. It's worh a call.

http://www.usobe.com/

[roo2]

I like your boat! Who built it?
I have never been on a charter but I have seen captains who yell alot and don't enjoy their work.... don't be that way.

[RussH]

I've been on lots of charters, here is what I have to say:
-Be organized, put everything away. Make an attempt to try to keep the boat cleaned up.
-Explain what you expect from your guests, boat rules so to speak. Remind your guests to stay seated as much as possible.
-Be optimistic about the upcoming day, nothing worse than hearing "fishing has been awful and I'm not expecting it to get any better"
when you first step on the boat.
-Remember, to you it's a day of fishing, a job, to those that are paying it could be a trip of a lifetime. Keep this in mind in your 1st year
of chartering or your 20th year.
-It's OK to apologize for the fishing not being good. I like to hear "Sorry guys but the fish just don't want to eat" -vs- "somedays you
get them, some days you don't". The worst response was when my buddy asked why the fish aren't hitting "$hit happens, what do you want me
to do about it?"
-Don't be a clock watcher, this is a big one for me. If I spend several thousand dollars to travel somewhere to go on a charter
I don't expect you to roll them up at 3:00 or 4:00 right on the nose. If the fish are biting or you are close to your limit stay out
a little longer.
-Help those that are less experienced, be patient with them, they are trying to do everything right.
-Don't piss & moan about how bad business is, how you don't make any money, how tired you are of fishing, etc. My favorite line
from a charter captain was "can you believe I get paid to do this!"
-Know something about current events so you can have a conversation when the fishing is slow.
-Don't assume you can eat everything your guests bring. I always bring an extra lunch for the captain and mate but that is because
I've been on many charters so I know how it works. I don't have a problem if the captain want's to grab some food that we have out
but it's nice if he asks first.
-If something is broken on the boat fix it, I hate being on a boat where half of the stuff is broken or non functional. One guy that we
regularly charter with complained for 3 years about his washdown pump not working very well. After hearing this for 3 years I brought
him a new pump on our next charter. He got the message and gave me $100 on my next charter.
-As others have mentioned, few people want to spend 25% of their day getting bait, your guests come to fish, not catch bait. If
it takes a long time to get bait, add more fishing time at the end of the day.
-Explain how marine toilets work, trust me, it will save you a lot of clean up at the end of the day.
-Try to remember your guests names, when you introduce yourself repeat their name back to them it will help you remember.
Guest: hello my name is Rob You: hello Rob very nice to meet you. It will also make the day go much smoother if you can tell people
what to do by their name. Like, "hey Bob can you grab that rod."

I will PM you if I think of any more.

Russ

[SeaJay]

Is that an Eastern Hull?

Also don't forget to tell your customers upfront that they will not be travelling to the fishing grounds in a quad powered 60mph cruiser, at least the ones that can't figure it out for themselves anyway.

[Jamisjockey]

RussH - 1/30/2009 11:07 AM


-Don't be a clock watcher, this is a big one for me. If I spend several thousand dollars to travel somewhere to go on a charter
I don't expect you to roll them up at 3:00 or 4:00 right on the nose. If the fish are biting or you are close to your limit stay out
a little longer.
-
Russ

Conversely, out here on a local web board there is a big pissing match over some of the charter guys rolling up as soon as they limit out....going back in and then calling their local clients for walk ons.

I understand its a hard biz to make a buck in, but if you're paid to fish a full day, keep your clients out until they cry uncle!!

[BIGnUGLY]

As said above, communicate. Ask the client whether they'd like to buy bait, use your frozen, or catch bait. My wife considers catching bait the best part of the day.

As far as going into the lee for comfort, I know plenty of guys that wouldn't be happy pulling off from the troll to go to the lee and catch a few amberjacks. Ask your clients if they'd like to keep pounding away at the original plan, or chase something easy to bend the rod. You should already know what they want to fish for.

Bring some ginger ales and crackers for the barfers - tell them it's the miracle cure. They'll feel better just knowing you pulled out your "best" for them.

Be nice.

Ask if they want help, and recommend the right way, do not tell them your way is the only way. Nobody likes fishing under Capt Ahab, and guys that know what they're doing don't like to be told to do it differently. The customer is always right unless they are endangering someone.

You should talk to your clients. I've been on several boats where the capt hardly says a word. A good mate can save you here.

Good luck, it's a tough business right now.

[SandlapperGT]

Communication and setting expectations-

On a charter last summer we were on the dock waiting to take off and another boat came in with a load of nice snapper and other fish. However our captain took us to a different spot and while we were catching fish, the fish were so small fo rthe tackle that you could barely tell if you had a hook up.

I kept waiting/expecting the captain to offer us the option of trying a different spot, but never happened. Now I could and should have asked, but....

Needless to say we were disappointed. If the captain had asked if we wanted to stay or try a different spot it would have been okay. My impression was he didn't want to burn the fuel to go to the different spot.

[yamahafan101]

not in the biz, but...

become friendly with your clients...talk to them like people and even if they're novices, don't treat them like knuckleheads...try to educate!

as for not going to a good 'spot' and wanting to move, that's not up to the clients...the captain is in charge and if the fishing is sub par or not very good it is up to the captain to make the decision to move

good captains want you to catch fish as much as you want to catch them, and if they feel a better bite can be had somewhere else, they won't hesitate to make a move...shouldn't be a need to ASK!

[Laurie-Jean]

Jeezz guys, thanks a million for all the excellent input there. I feel like printing out this whole thread so I can refer back to it frequently. Heck I think I will do that!!!
I have spent too much time chasing bait before. I need to have a stash on hand. I think I need a bait freezer in the garage so my wife won't find the squid next to the ice cream.
The boat is a 22' sisu built in Dover NH. I was having problems with getting my knots and shackles through my small deck pipe thats why I left the anchor on deck. I put a larger oval deck pipe on and it is much easier to stow the anchor properly now.
I think I will take a note pad and write down all of these suggestions and type them into a nice format that will be my business philosophy.
1. I vow to keep my boat clean and organized.
2. I vow to give a saftey drill and discuss the fishing plans at the start of each trip.
3. I vow to introduce myself and try to remeber everyones name....that's gonna be a hard one!!!
4. Ect... Ect...
Thanks again for all of the great responses.

[TerryS]

Dont BS about how big how many or how much, keep you rates inline with everyone else. Dont be afraid to say fishing sucks and cancel a trip. keep your boat clean and gear in proper order. They become friends not clients. Tight lines best of luck to you.

[Harpoon]

Keep back up option open should the weather or passengers have a change of heart.