Guide:

Pricing Matrix

	6 Hours	4 Hours
4 People	$990.00	$880.00
3 People	$935.00	$825.00
2 People	$880.00	$770.00
1 Person	$880.00	$770.00

Pay 50% of the price as a deposit today, with the balance due on the day of the trip.

You're in good hands

Book your trip with confidence — We only work with the best local guides that know where to put you on fish.

About Your Trip

Water Type

Inshore, Flats

Skill Levels

Advanced, Beginner, Intermediate

Weather

You won’t lose your deposit if the trip is canceled due to weather

About Your Trip

Boca Grande is home to many fish species, but there's no doubt which one rules the water when it comes to action and excitement. Tarpon are Florida's premier inshore gamefish for a reason, and there's no better place to catch one than here with Captain Chris!

Captain Chris has dedicated most of his life to helping people catch Tarpon. Targeting the "Silver King" has been a family tradition for a long time, and Tarpon fishing runs in his blood. At the age of five, Chris caught his first Tarpon, weighing around 80 pounds, in the deep waters of Boca Grande Pass with his father Mark. Even before that, his mother Cynthia was fighting Tarpon in Boca Grande Pass while pregnant with him. Captain Chris uses traditional live bait methods for catching Tarpon on his fishing charters. The most common live baits used include Blue Crabs, Pass Crabs, Squirrelfish, and Jumbo Shrimp.

Live baits are drifted along the bottom of the pass, as well as other water columns where Tarpon can be found, using a transducer bottom machine. This method requires constant adjustment of the line depth to keep the baits within the “strike zone”. The live baits are presented as naturally as possible by using extra long leaders, heavy lead weights, and constant maneuvering of the boat by the Captain. Using these methods, Captain Chris consistently gets his clients on the fish, and—although there are no guarantees in fishing—has a better than 90% success rate when it comes to his Tarpon trips.

Captain Christopher operates out of a custom built 21’ Clearwater 2000CC bay boat, built to the Captain’s standards in 2019. This modern vessel allows for a comfortable drift and great manueverability. There’s a lot of fishing space and also shaded T-top for hot summer days. The boat also has a Bluetooth stereo, so feel free to bring your favorite playlist!

Captain Chris will supply everything you need, including rods, reels, bait, and tackle. All you need to bring along is some sunscreen (no spray please!), proper clothing, a cooler with some snacks and drinks, and a smile!

Amenities

Water Type

Inshore, Flats

Skill Levels

Advanced, Beginner, Intermediate

Tackle

All rods, reels, and tackle are included.

Beer

Feel free to enjoy responsibly, but please no glass.

Live Bait

Yes, Included

Location

This trip has multiple pickup locations.

Weather

You won’t lose your deposit if the trip is canceled due to weather

Fish Cleaning

No cleaning service provided.

Boat Restroom

No, this boat does not have a bathroom on board.

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About Your Guide

Captain Christopher

Independent Guide 16 yrs of exp.

Veteran

Talkative

Laid-back

Instructional

Beginner Oriented

Comfortable

Quality

Captain Chris is a proud Florida native, International Game Fish Association (IGFA) certified captain, and is a member of the Boca Grande Fishing Guides Association (BGFGA). In addition to spending considerable time on the water guiding groups around Tampa Bay and the Boca Grande area, Captain Chris is also an accomplished outdoors writer for a variety of well-respected publications. Captain Chris is an easy-going charter captain who enjoys fishing with families, beginners, and experts alike....

About Your Guide

Captain Christopher

Independent Guide 16 yrs of exp.

Captain Chris is a proud Florida native, International Game Fish Association (IGFA) certified captain, and is a member of the Boca Grande Fishing Guides Association (BGFGA).

In addition to spending considerable time on the water guiding groups around Tampa Bay and the Boca Grande area, Captain Chris is also an accomplished outdoors writer for a variety of well-respected publications.

Captain Chris is an easy-going charter captain who enjoys fishing with families, beginners, and experts alike. He is generous with his vast knowledge of the area and looks for to sharing a great day on the water with you, your family and your friends.

Check out Captain Chris' open dates to get in on the action!

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Rapid Fire Guide Q & A

What’s the biggest fish you’ve caught?

220 pound Tarpon

If you were cooking for all your friends what would you cook?

Smoked Prime Rib

Rapid Fire Guide Q & A

What’s the biggest fish you’ve caught?

220 pound Tarpon

If you were cooking for all your friends what would you cook?

Smoked Prime Rib

Whats your favorite band?

Chris Stapleton

Whats your favorite movie?

Jaws

Whats your favorite sports team?

Tampa Tarpons

Whats your drink of choice?

Miller Lite

What was your last halloween costume?

I try to play off the ghost thing but I can’t pull it off.

What do you want for Christmas this year?

Side console Jon boat that I can take my son duck hunting, and fishing in the lake.

How did you get started guiding?

My dad took me Tarpon fishing as a kid every year and since I was six I wanted to be a charter captain.

What makes you different from other guides?

A great dad makes a great guide, plus losing is for quitters.

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Start Location

Your guide can be flexible with your start location.

You can work with your guide after booking to set a more specific start location in the area.

The Innlet, 12th Street East, Boca Grande, FL, USA

Areas Fished

Boca Grande Pass

About Your Boat

Boat Type: Center Console
Boat Manufacturer: Clearwater
Year Built: 2019
Boat Length: 21'

About Your Boat

Boat Type: Center Console
Boat Manufacturer: Clearwater
Year Built: 2019
Boat Length: 21'
Engine Manufacturer: Suzuki
Total Horsepower: 115
Number of Engines: 1
Additional Amenities: GPS, Fishfinder, Live Bait Well, Ice Box

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Trip Details & Amenities

Water Type

Inshore, Flats

Skill Levels

Advanced, Beginner, Intermediate

Tackle

All rods, reels, and tackle are included.

Beer

Feel free to enjoy responsibly, but please no glass.

Live Bait

Yes, Included

Location

This trip has multiple pickup locations.

Weather

You won’t lose your deposit if the trip is canceled due to weather

Fish Cleaning

No cleaning service provided.

Boat Restroom

No, this boat does not have a bathroom on board.

Potential Target Species

Tarpon

Techniques

Heavy Tackle Fishing
Light Tackle Fishing
Live Bait Fishing
Sight Casting
Topwater Fishing

Packing / Extras

Hat, sunscreen, polarized sunglasses, food and water. Rods, reels, tackle included.

You're all set! You don't need to buy a license for this trip.

We use a cashless autopay system. We'll send you a boarding pass, and on the day of the trip, your guide will scan your boarding pass to automatically transfer the remaining balance. The only cash needed is to tip your guide (we recommend 20%).

Cancel for free up to 30 days before the trip and receive credit back to your account.

If the weather doesn’t cooperate you’ll be covered by our 100% weather guarantee and you won’t lose your deposit.

Reviews

4.8666666666667

based on 30 reviews

Brad

Verified Review

March 29

Chris is a great guy. Easy to talk to and very helpful. Fishing was a little tough, but not for lack of effort on his part. Caught a dozen Sea Trout, but no luck on the targeted Snook or Reds.

Trip: Tampa Bay Fishing Classic

John

Verified Review

March 21

Chris did a great job putting us on the fish. He toikbus to all the hot spots and gave us 4 hours of action packed fishing. Me and my son enjoyed fresh fish immediately after our trip. Great time!

Trip: Tampa Bay Shark Fishing

Robert

Verified Review

January 18

Captain Chris was a awesome guide 5 star

Trip: Ruskin Fishing Classic

Keith

Verified Review

December 31

It was enjoyable

Trip: Tampa Bay Fishing Classic

Kamal

Verified Review

December 30

Captain Chris is a real bad ass, he is very professional and knows his stuff! Boat very clean and fishing rods are nice!

Trip: Tampa Bay Shark Fishing

Nicolas

Verified Review

December 21

Chris was an absolute blast to be with. He made our trip very special as I decided to propose to my fiancé on his boat. He also has a lot of insight of the fish in the area and even if it’s not the season for the fish he will ...Read More

Trip: Tampa Bay Shark Fishing

Quan

Verified Review

December 23

Next time I will catch fish.

Trip: Tampa Bay Shark Fishing

Ron

Verified Review

November 19

MY SON HAD THE TIME OF HIS LIFE

Trip: Tampa Bay Shark Fishing

Galen

Verified Review

October 21

Trip was fun. Thanks

Trip: Tampa Bay Shark Fishing

Nick

Verified Review

October 14

We went out with captain Chris and had a BLAST. Great time great vibes, Chris is a hell of a guy and knows what he’s doing do a T, he put us on tons of fish between the both of us we probably caught around 30 fish in 4 hours!

Trip: Tampa Bay Fishing Trip

Camecia

Verified Review

October 8

He was so freaking awesome! This was a great experience and I would recommend him to any and everyone!

Trip: Tampa Bay Fishing Trip

Harry

Verified Review

July 15

We had a great time. Chris was a great captain/fishing guide. We had a hookup on the first cast fishing near the mangrove trees. Took home two good sized red fish, a snapper and a spotted trout. Had a few got aways and a couple throw ...Read More

Trip: Inshore Family Fun Fishing

Rod

Verified Review

May 27

Although the captain did a decent job trolling over hundreds of tarpon, we failed to hook up one tarpon. Not sure if it was the bait, surf or what?? The captain didn’t have an explanation either.

Trip: Boca Grande Trophy Tarpon Fishing - 95% Success

Lesley

Verified Review

May 19

Excellent captain and we had a good time

Trip: Boca Grande Trophy Tarpon Fishing - 95% Success

Brian

Verified Review

May 11

Chris was excellent. Great knowledge nice boat had a fantastic time. Thank you so much.

Trip: Tampa Bay Fishing Classic

Rylee

Verified Review

May 4

Captain Chris was friendly, funny, and very informational. We reeled in a trophy sized tarpon. A fantastic experience!

Trip: Boca Grande Trophy Tarpon Fishing - 95% Success

Denise

Verified Review

April 22

We had a wonderful vacation at Clearwater Beach Florida. So many memories. The totally enjoyed fishing with Captain Christopher, he was knowledgeable and easy to talk with. Good time for them. Only comment was a little larger boat for the four of them. But then they like to move around…thank ...Read More you for the memories. Denise

Trip: Inshore Family Fun Fishing

Laura

Verified Review

April 23

It was a blast! Chris knew where the fish were biting. And I caught my first hammerhead shark! Overall 10/10!

Trip: Tampa Bay Fishing Classic

Walter

Verified Review

April 14

Bad weather plagued our trip. A big fog bank rolled in on us. Caught a few but it could have been better. I saw no other boats catching fish either. Chris knows his stuff and I'm booking a Tarpon trip with him next month.

Trip: Tampa Bay Fishing Classic

Michael

Verified Review

April 8

Had a great time! Caught a lot of fish! Would recommend!

Trip: Tampa Bay Fishing Trip

Madelyn

Verified Review

April 7

Captain Chris put us on some fish and made us laugh!!! Made a good experience out of a hot day! 10/10 recommend! We had a blast

Trip: Tampa Bay Shark Fishing

Julian

Verified Review

April 6

Christopher was an excellent captain and fishing guide who gave me and my buddy a memorable trip across tampa bay! We caught many shark, and other fish at our stops. If you’re anywhere near the Tampa area it’s worth the drive and Captain Christopher will make the experience a life ...Read More long memory!

Trip: Tampa Bay Fishing Classic

Larry

Verified Review

April 2

A good day on the water with Captain Chris. Plan to go back out on the water with him soon.

Trip: Tampa Bay Fishing Trip

Landen

Verified Review

March 30

Went fishing for my bachelor party. Chris was super cool. We had a great time laughing and joking the whole time. He was able to put us in fish and keep things lively. Excellent experience. Will be back again eventually.

Trip: Inshore Family Fun Fishing

Brian

Verified Review

March 26

Great time! Something that the kids will remember for a lifetime. Captain will go out of his way to accommodate to your needs.

Trip: Tampa Bay Shark Fishing

Johnny

Verified Review

March 23

We had a Great Time. The Captain was a very nice guy made the experience worthwhile.

Trip: Tampa Bay Fishing Classic

Real

Verified Review

March 16

Two Canadians wanting to learn about local fishing and fish. Christopher was more interested in politics. We understand that we don’t always catch fish on a fishing trip, but he didn’t move the boat to try other areas the entire 4 hours.

Trip: Inshore Fishing Slam

Erika

Verified Review

March 12

What a great experience! I booked this trip for my husband, my son (12), and myself. Captin Chris was very knowledgeable, had some great spots for us to fish and my son had a shark on in the first 5 minutes of our fishing trip. We all had a great ...Read More

Trip: Tampa Bay Fishing Classic

Connor

Verified Review

March 9

Chris was awesome we did an inshore fishing trip and caught a bunch of hammer head sharks and catfish!! Lots of fun, definitely recommend, really nice guy.

Trip: Tampa Bay Fishing Classic

Peng

Verified Review

February 26

Captain Chris was great. He showed up on time answered any questions my wife and I had before the trip. I caught my first shark and snook with him as our captain. He shared good stories and we had a great time.

Trip: Tampa Bay Fishing Classic

First Time Booking with Us?

Captain Experiences is the home of over 1500 Damn Good fishing and hunting guides. Our mission is to unlock the outdoors for everyone, and we want to help you get out there through our no-hassle online booking experience and our team of outdoors experts.

We vet our guides to make sure they are the best of the best. We want guides who not only put you on 'em, but show you a great time, keep you safe, and give you a memorable experience with your group.

Once you've paid your deposit at checkout, we'll send you a boarding pass. Just show your guide your boarding pass on the day of the trip, they'll scan it, the remaining balance will transfer automatically, and you'll be all set to get out there. Just make sure you bring a cash tip for the guide!

In the case of inclement weather, our guides will make the call and we'll work with you to reschedule your trip or issue a credit for the full deposit of the trip to be used on any of our trips across the country. Your safety is our top concern.

Each trip’s price is set by the guide and factors in all of their costs. A big determinant of cost is often the type of boat and associated fuel costs, but other guide costs include leases, marina / slip fees, bait costs, and the cost to provide and maintain all of the gear you’ll need on your trip.

Once you book the trip, we will connect you directly with the guide to go over any additional details. In the meantime, our team is always available to answer your questions via email, text, chat, or call!