Has anyone here worked on a charter boat, maybe even run one? I want to get started in the business but dont really know how to get my foot in the door. I'd love to move to the keys and work out of there but I'm sure there is a lot of competition for jobs on boats there. If anyone has any knowledge of how to go about this the right way or knows of any opportunities I'd love to hear from you. I think the saying goes something like, do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life.
I've been doing it full time for 14 years.
How to get into it? You need to mate on a boat for a full season to really understand the whole formula/seasons in whats going on when and where. You can do it the expensive way, and just get a boat and fish as much as possible...but it can get really expensive because you have to fish even on the bad days when you know its going to be tough, customers dont know about moon phases or choppy seas, you have to produce regardless and it can get stressful.
My best advice-- The small boats are making the money. Big sportfishers are fun, but with fuel prices getting crazy you cant make a living with them. Big boats are becoming extinct for a reason. If you like fishing the flats, get a flats boat. If you like bigger game, get a 25-29 foot center console with 4 strokes. If you plan on making this your main gig for money, put away enough money to support yourself for 2 years because you wont be busy right off the bat.
When you're ready to go full bore into it, find a good dermatologist that is overly aggressive, prepare to look 20 years older and accept the fact that you'll never be rich. The positives are awfully high, but the negatives are much much lower than people would imagine. I'm not saying I regret my decision, because I still think I have the dream of all dream jobs, but you need to look at the negatives, too.
I wanted to start by working as a mate. Thats more the direction I was intending this post to be. Don't really know how to get my foot in the door. Thanks for the advice.
I wanted to start by working as a mate. Thats more the direction I was intending this post to be. Don't really know how to get my foot in the door. Thanks for the advice.
Start by calling captains and asking if they need a mate. I dont know how much knowledge you have on it, but if its limited, tell the captains you'll work cheap. If you're relatively young....move to the keys, get a job waiting tables at night and work your way up the food chain on the boats. You might have to start on a party boat, but everyone has to start somewhere. Best of luck to you!