Why do fishing charters cost so much?
I hear this question all of the time. Most people are unaware of the costs a charter captain must pay to stay in business like:
1) Monthly Boat Payments
2) Monthly Insurance Payments
3) Annual Licensing Costs
4) Annual Maintenance Costs
5) Tackle and Bait Expenditures
6) Fuel Costs
7) Business Marketing....
I am an INSHORE FISHING GUIDE on the Treasure Coast of Florida. I have been fishing the grass flats, mangroves, beaches and docks all over the state of Florida for more than 40 years.
In the article below, I will answer many of the cost related questions about hiring a fishing guide for a fishing charter in Florida. Let's get started.
I hear this question all of the time. Most people are unaware of the costs a charter captain must pay to stay in business like:
1) Monthly Boat Payments
2) Monthly Insurance Payments
3) Annual Licensing Costs
4) Annual Maintenance Costs
5) Tackle and Bait Expenditures
6) Fuel Costs
7) Business Marketing....
I am an INSHORE FISHING GUIDE on the Treasure Coast of Florida. I have been fishing the grass flats, mangroves, beaches and docks all over the state of Florida for more than 40 years.
In the article below, I will answer many of the cost related questions about hiring a fishing guide for a fishing charter in Florida. Let's get started.
Monthly Boat Payments
The costs of a no frills technical poling skiff like the one that I use (above) can cost around $30,000 for an entry level skiff. Once you add the electronics, trolling motor, engine upgrades..... then you might pay $60,000 for a shallow draft skiff similar to mine.
Depending upon your financing costs you might have a $700 plus monthly bank note to cover for your boat.
Monthly Insurance Payments
You will need liability insurance for your boat just in case someone gets hurt while fishing with you. You might also want a theft or damage protection policy too.
This can run another $500 or more depending upon the value of your boat and the amount of liability insurance you want to have.
Annual Licensing Costs
Captains will have renew their Basic Life Saving certificates every couple of years. They also have to pay for random or annual drug testing. Every 5 years they have to renew their captains licenses. This can cost you another couple hundred dollars.
Annual Boat Maintenance Costs
The annual boat maintenance costs are roughly 10% of the value of the vessel that you are using.
Example: You can expect to pay $5,000 a year in maintenance costs for a $50,000 boat.
Want to book an inshore fishing charter with me? Click Here
Tackle and Bait Costs
Decent rods and reel combinations will cost you $400 or so. Live bait can cost you $50 for each charter.
Fuel Costs
Fuel costs keep on going higher and higher. A lightweight skiff like mine with a 40 hp engine will get about 7 miles to the gallon but larger charter boats with bigger engines will only get 1 mile to the gallon or less.
An offshore charter captain might spend $500 or $1,000 in gas depending upon the size of the boat and how far they are travelling.
Business Marketing
It costs a lot of money to show up on the top of Google's search query list. Many captains pay $600 or more a month to show up in the top of the google ads for a search query.
Many also pay listing websites like Fishingbooker a percentage of their charter costs. Captains can pay up to 30% of their charter costs to these listing sites.
Example: Let's assume and offshore charter costs you, the consumer, $1,200. That charter captain might have to pay $360 in commission out of the $1,200 if the charter was booked through Fishingbooker or another listing company.
That's only $840 in revenue to the captain before his hard costs to run the charter boat. Gas, bait.......
*Many captains don't make a profit from the cost of the charter. Their profit margin is the tip amount given to them at the end of the fishing trip.
A 15 to 20% tip is the normal rate.
How much do fishing charters cost along the Treasure Coast of Florida?
The average inshore fishing charter will run you about $100 an hour plus or minus, depending upon the boat and the captain.
The average offshore fishing charter will run you about $250 an hour plus or minus depending upon the size of the boat, the distance travelled and the type of fishing.
Drift fishing and bottom fishing use less gas than trolling for your target species of fish will.
Are fishing guides worth it?
In my humble and completely biased opinion, YES.
Guides fish their local waters all of the time so they know exactly what species of fish should be in a certain place during a certain time of the day and year. You are paying for their local knowledge to increase your chances of catching the fish of a lifetime.
A good fishing guide will also teach you the proper techniques, tackle and tactics to use for each individual fish species that you are targeting.
Example: Tarpon like a very slow retrieve when using a lure to catch them. Large jacks, bluefish, speckled trout and mackerel usually like a fast and erratic retrieve better. A good fishing guide will impart this critical fishing knowledge to his clients to help them become better fishermen.
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