The Captain Experiences Story

Our History

Made by outdoorsmen for outdoorsmen

Captain Experiences was born out of need; it's the product of dozens of years spent in the great outdoors and countless hours spent trying to book fishing and hunting trips.

Back in 2019, our Co-Founder, Jonathan Newar, was working in oil and gas finance in his hometown of Houston. Looking to book a fishing trip for his team, he was reminded how painful it is to find quality fishing guides—from phone tag with captains to outdated charter websites with no price transparency, he knew there had to be a better way…

Fast forward to 2020, when Jonathan teamed up with Co-Founder Attison Barnes to launch Captain Experiences—an online platform that helps people find and book fishing, hunting, and other outdoors trips quickly, easily, and with a process they can trust.

captain experiences founders attison and jonathan holding queen snapper

Our Process

Search It, Book It, Live It

The idea is simple: an online platform making booking outdoor sports guides seamless. Our Damn Good Guides are quality, vetted guides, and we know them all on a first-name basis. You can preview the specific details of a trip from target species or skill level down to whether the boat has a restroom or air conditioning. We even back your trip with a 100% Weather Guarantee for your peace of mind.

Our growing network of Damn Good Guides spans across the globe and each one is handpicked by the Captain team. Booking with Captain is so quick and easy, you won't even have time to think about us...until you want to book your next trip.

dog with duck in south texas

“Fresh air is good for the soul, and stepping away from the office for just one morning or afternoon can be the best few hours of your month. It's our goal to Unlock the Outdoors for everyone by making it easy for you to get out there with our Damn Good Guides.”

Jonathan Newar, Co-founder

Our Passion

Minimizing screens and maximizing life

We're avid outdoorsmen, and we're proud to help support and protect the lands we love. We're not just selling trips—we're empowering people to connect with the outdoors and with each other.

We're a new twist on an age-old pastime, blending the excitement and nostalgia of time spent outdoors with cutting-edge tech to make booking a breeze. We're passionate about the outdoors, and about empowering people to find the perfect-match guide for the trip of a lifetime, every time.

boating a large marlin in hawaii

We Cast a Wide Net

1,000+
Destinations
2,500+
Quality, Vetted Guides
270+
Unique Target Species
344,786
Hours Enjoyed
6,000+
5 Star Reviews

Captain in the News

Captain Experiences in Forbes
Captain Experiences in USA Today
Captain Experiences in Outdoor Life
Captain in Field and Stream
Captain in Texas Monthly

Our Team

jonathan newar photo
Jonathan Newar
Co-Founder & CEO
Bucket list trip: Flats And Backwaters On Artificials
attison barnes photo
Attison Barnes
Co-Founder & CTO
Bucket list trip: Tavernier Backcountry Fishing
trey niedzielski photo
Trey Niedzielski
Senior Customer Success Manager
Bucket list trip: North Texas Noodling Trips
scott stockdale photo
Scott Stockdale
Senior Guide Onboarding Manager
Bucket list trip: Marquesas Atoll Light Tackle

We're not blowing smoke

  • ★★★★★
    Great trip! Had a good time! Caught lots of snapper. Augustin was awesome! Cool dude! Will be calling him again for another trip!

    Chad J. | December 13, 2025

    Trip: State Water Snapper!!

  • ★★★★★
    Lifetime memories. Thankful for all the hard work to give us a banging good time! yeaaaa schunnn!

    James B. | December 13, 2025

    Trip: Premier Sandhill Crane Hunting

  • ★★★★★
    Epic fun.

    James B. | December 13, 2025

    Trip: Night Time Thermal Hog And Varmit

  • ★★★★★
    Had a wonderful time! Captain Ron is very friendly, knowledgeable and professional! Hope to go out with him again soon

    Christopher C. | December 13, 2025

    Trip: Epic Islamorada Inshore

  • ★★★★★
    Great trip!!!! Guide and the fishing was amazing. Taylor was a great guide and very knowledgeable.

    Jerrion C. | December 12, 2025

    Trip: Bay Fishing Trip

  • ★★★★★
    Josh is a fantastic captain he makes it feel like you’re fishing with your buddies. Can’t recommend him enough. He will get you on the fish!

    Ryan L. | December 12, 2025

    Trip: Key Largo Mix-It-Up

  • ★★★★★
    Awesome trip. Had a blast. Communications were outstanding and a great time had by all

    Michael S. | December 12, 2025

    Trip: 1/2 Day Family Friendly To Expert

  • ★★★★★
    Top notch trip. Non stop on the fish. Leonard definitely knows his stuff. We had a great time and will do it again!!!!

    Jeffrey A. | December 12, 2025

    Trip: Fishing Biloxi And Barrier Islands

  • ★★★★★
    Great experience. Slow day, only had one "big fish" in the boat which made the day, we had the option to stop trolling and get little fish so overall fun day great experience

    Noah R. | December 12, 2025

    Trip: Trolling Trip - 30' Dusky

  • ★★★★★
    Amazing guide!!!

    Tina E. | December 11, 2025

    Trip: Peacock Bass Puerto Rico

  • ★★★★★
    Dominic was great. He really knew his way around.And we saw very many iguanas. We shot about twenty five and recovered eighteen of them. A third SCOPED rifle would have been perfect.But we had a great time nonetheless. I would definitely do it again.

    Anthony M. | December 10, 2025

    Trip: Iguana Hunting Boynton Beach

  • ★★★★★
    World Class 5 Star Experience! The guide was considerate, friendly, and knowledgeable! The pastrami sandwich was delicious and high quality! It was a fun and successful fishing trip with lots of sunshine. The lake was beautiful.

    Mark | December 9, 2025

    Trip: Lake Casitas Bass Fishing Trip

  • ★★★★★
    Had a great time.

    Jason L. | December 9, 2025

    Trip: Cape Coral Iguana Hunt

  • ★★★★★
    We had an amazing day with Justin, he ensured we had everything we needed and found the fish we were after. We even caught dinner!

    Myers M. | December 9, 2025

    Trip: 3/4 Day Inshore Trip

  • ★★★★★
    My kids and I had an excellent day hunting iguanas with Dominic. 100% recommended. Hope to book him again on my next visit to South Florida .

    Miguel M. | December 9, 2025

    Trip: Iguana Hunting Boynton Beach

  • ★★★★★
    We had a fantastic day of fishing and exploring with Billy! He knows where to go for the best fishing. Super fun guy! Thanks Billy!

    Tony R. | December 9, 2025

    Trip: Ten Thousand Islands Like A Local

  • ★★★★★
    Captain Jay is absolutely amazing! My husband and I just got home from our 5hr trip and we couldn’t be more pleased. Jay is informative, funny, and makes you feel incredibly comfortable on the water. His vast knowledge of fishing left us with new techniques that we’ll be able to use from here on out. If you’re looking for a stellar guide for you or your family/friends, don’t look any further. Jay is definitely your guy. We will absolutely book with him again! -Anna and Cian

    Anna C. | December 7, 2025

    Trip: Wade East Matagorda

  • ★★★★★
    Dedicated, energetic, resourceful, safety focused guide. Clearly invested in respectful relations with landowners and clients. Limited out by 9am. Great affordable hunt.

    John J. | December 7, 2025

    Trip: Premier Sandhill Crane Hunting

  • ★★★★★
    Zack and his deckhand was amazing we will be back to go with Zack

    Donald C. | December 7, 2025

    Trip: Crushing Clearwater Offshore

  • ★★★★★
    My son in law and 2 grandsons booked Captain Mike for a 6 hour trip. All of us had a great time. The Fishing was off but Mike found the fish and we came back with 3 big red grouper. Mike has good equipment and I would recommend him to anyone. Hopefully we can go with him again.

    John W. | December 7, 2025

    Trip: Sarasota Offshore W/ Capt Mike

  • ★★★★★
    Chris, we had a great time on a cloudy December morning. Thanks so much for spending extra time teaching. Best.

    Michael C. | December 6, 2025

    Trip: Chattahoochee River Drift Boat

  • ★★★★★
    Todd and his crew did a great job, I really enjoyed myself and if I go out again, it will be with Todd!!!

    Steve R. | December 4, 2025

    Trip: 1/2 Day Fishing Adventure

  • ★★★★★
    Great time iguanna hunting with Dominic. Kept it safe and fun. I would highly recommend

    Matthew A. | December 3, 2025

    Trip: Iguana Hunting Boynton Beach

  • ★★★★★
    Brett did a great job putting us on iguanas and making it a great experience.

    Tim J. | December 3, 2025

    Trip: Iguana Hunt In South FL

  • ★★★★★
    Mark was very communicative and helpful and a really great guy to spend the day fishing with! My family had a wonderful time and would book again.

    Daniel C. | December 3, 2025

    Trip: Coastal Bend Live Action!

  • ★★★★★
    Scotty is a great guy and worked hard to catch fish. He was also easy going and friendly to fish with. I’ll be booking another trip soon.

    Rocky G. | December 3, 2025

    Trip: Steelhead Hook-Up

  • ★★★★★
    Was a great trip

    William B. | December 3, 2025

    Trip: Fishing Biloxi And Barrier Islands

  • ★★★★★
    A wonderful trip with a true professional. It was the blight of our trip.

    Mark N. | December 2, 2025

    Trip: Port Aransas Inshore

  • ★★★★★
    Had the best fishing experience with Brad and Ben put us right on the fish

    Justin V. | December 2, 2025

    Trip: Clearwater Offshore Reefs & Wrecks

  • ★★★★★
    Most thrilling moments of my fishing career. Thank you Captain Javier :)

    Jared B. | December 1, 2025

    Trip: Backwater Tarpon, Snook, & Jacks

  • ★★★★★
    Fantastic experience with Ethan. Professional operation that got us in to a lot of fish!

    Daniel M. | December 1, 2025

    Trip: 4-6 Hr Inshore Trip

  • ★★★★★
    We had a wonderful day out on the water. Jason put us on fish and we couldn’t be happier with our experience.

    Pamela M. | November 30, 2025

    Trip: 10 Hour Trip – Snapper/Grouper

  • ★★★★★
    It was a really nice experience we had with Wade. It was a windy day, but we were lucky that day so we caught a lot of crabs. He is a very friendly and knowledgeable person.

    Ly B. | November 30, 2025

    Trip: Oregon Crabbing Trip

  • ★★★★★
    We had a great trip with Capt. Buddy!

    Chad B. | November 30, 2025

    Trip: Offshore Fishing, Panama

  • ★★★★★
    We had a great day on the water with Captain Phil. I took my 16 year old out with me who has little experience and Captain Phil was very attentive and made it a great experience for her. I would recommend Captain Phil for your next outing. They worked hard to ensure we had a great time.

    Brad C. | November 29, 2025

    Trip: Naples Backcountry Trip

  • ★★★★★
    We had a great time! We would highly recommend Captain Nick!

    Sid W. | November 29, 2025

    Trip: Port Orange Offshore Adventure

  • ★★★★★
    Unguided hunt - Captain Mac was very professional. His airboat looked sharp and was safe. The blind was in good shape with plenty of blocks in the spread.

    William W. | November 29, 2025

    Trip: Semi Guided Duck Hunts

  • ★★★★★
    Had a great time on the lake. The weather was a little off but Capt. Joe knew all the right spots to go. We will definitely go again when the weather gets better.

    Pravin K. | November 29, 2025

    Trip: Lake Ray Hubbard Bass Trip

  • ★★★★★
    Michael and Terry were excellent.

    Richard M. | November 29, 2025

    Trip: 4 Hour Inshore/Near 1-5pm

  • ★★★★★
    My wife and I and 13 year old son went on a six hour spearfishing tour with Torre and it was by far the highlight of our trip to the Keys. We ended up with a fridge full of lobster, snapper, cero mackerel and yellow jack and we turned it into sashimi, ceviche, lobster macaroni and beer battered fish. We saw hammerheads, goliath groupers and sea turtles. My wife and I had never spear fished before but we had a great time; much better than fishing. Torre was an amazing guide and clearly knew where to go and what to look for. Next time we’re in the Keys, this will be our first stop.

    Anna C. | November 27, 2025

    Trip: 4-6 Hour Spearfishing/Lobster

  • ★★★★★
    Had an amazing day on the water with Captain Joe! His deep knowledge of local fishing and boating made the trip so fun. Highly recommend his charter for a great day out!

    Dan E. | November 27, 2025

    Trip: 4 Hour Trip Inshore

  • ★★★★★
    Wonderful trip, they made it so easy to enjoy ourselves, crew was inviting and welcoming. will definitely be booking again

    Heather W. | November 27, 2025

    Trip: Key West Nearshore/Offshore Trip

  • ★★★★★
    Capt. Rafa is a great guy and he brought us right to the tarpon.

    Alex K. | November 27, 2025

    Trip: Puerto Rico Inshore Adventure

  • ★★★★★
    Capt Justin knows what he's doing. If you're in the Keys and looking to catch fish and have a great experience, call him!

    Dale S. | November 27, 2025

    Trip: Key West Fishing Adventure

  • ★★★★★
    We had a great time with Captain Mark and his deckhand Chris!! Got on some fish right away and then headed offshore and got into some great mahi fishing. Had so much fun we are going out again on Wednesday!!!

    Tom R. | November 27, 2025

    Trip: 4-8 Hour Fishing Trip

  • ★★★★★
    Great time enjoyed it !

    James R. | November 26, 2025

    Trip: INSHORE/NEARSHORE FISHING

  • ★★★★★
    Captain Kenny will put you on the fish! Great experience! Definitely was great fishing

    Shane G. | November 26, 2025

    Trip: Half Day Melbourne

  • ★★★★★
    Captain Eric was awesome, great trip, I would highly recommend him !!!

    Jacob D. | November 26, 2025

    Trip: 4 Hour Trip - 32' Scarab

  • ★★★★★
    Best trip ever, two of us are around 80 . He work well with us cought lost of fish.

    Harry D. | November 26, 2025

    Trip: Clearwater Nearshore - 22’ Dusky

  • ★★★★★
    Great guy. Easy going. Can tell he’s seen it all. Was great with the kids.

    Gregory A. | November 26, 2025

    Trip: Orange Beach Catch

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