Bay Finatic with Captain Experiences

About Your Guide

Joe Guerra

Independent Guide 19 years of exp.

Captain Joe offers Matagorda fishing charters for Speckled Trout, Redfish, and Flounder across East Matagorda Bay and West Matagorda Bay. With over 20 years of experience fishing Matagorda Bay, he's excited to show your group where to fish and how to catch!

Your fishing trip starts aboard Captain Joe's 2018 23’ Shoalwater Cat boat. This bay boat can accommodates up to 4 guests and is powered by a 250 HP Suzuki engine. Fully equipped with navigational and safety gear, a live well for bait, and an ice box for drinks and food, this Shoalwater has everything you need.

Live bait is not included, but Captain Joe is happy to purchase ahead of time with advanced notice.

Casting light tackle with a popping cork and drift fishing or bottom fishing, you’ll target Texas inshore species including Redfish, Speckled Trout, Flounder, Black Drum, and Sheepshead. After your trip, Captain Joe will clean and fillet your fish so you're all set for dinner.

Captain Joe has children's life jackets aboard and loves showing kids the ropes.

Be sure to purchase your Texas saltwater...

About Your Guide

Joe Guerra

Independent Guide 19 years of exp.

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Recent Reviews of Bay Finatic

4.0

based on 3 reviews

Fred

Verified Review

Captain Joe worked hard for our group and put us on some quality fish despite very windy adverse conditions.

Would love to fish with him again

Fred

Verified Review

Captain Joe worked hard for our group and put us on some quality fish despite very windy adverse conditions.

Would love to fish with him again

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Marche

Verified Review

Joe was extremely knowledgeable about spots to hit. Even when other captains weren’t catching anything, he found a way to get us to spots where we, not only caught 3 large redfish, but quite a bit of other fish. The tour was extremely enjoyable and a lot of fun. I would highly recommend Joe. A Great a time!!

Marche

Verified Review

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Richard

Verified Review

Richard

Verified Review

Captain Joe runs trips out of Matagorda bay TX. He's been fishing the area for over 15 years and he's on the water year round. Instead my guide was 26 year old. He had one spot, we fished for 3 hours (5 Fish) finally moved, picked up 4 more for a limit. Problem is our guide and I use that term loosely caught 7 of the fish. he knew that I two boys that I wanted to catch fish it was their first salt water trip. He never offered any instructions to them other than just watch me. He seemed more interested in catching a limit, than his clients catching anything. I could have stayed home saved $1,000 and watch someone catch fish on TV. Nice enough guy, I tipped him, but only because that is the type of person I am. My boys were very disappointed, as was I. Not to mention I wanted to try some top waters as I mentioned in my request when I was booking. pretty much wade or not catch fish. He had no spot for reds or flounder to fish, spent his time talking to other captains asking for help. I would not recommend your service. I feel a victim of bait and switch. Then to top it off, he said 'Oh we can't count my limit it will got against yours' so he had a good trip based on me paying for it.

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Response from Joe:

Richard, I am sorry you had a bad experience, and do apologies. my company is growing and yes I am trying to grow my company bigger like everyone else. Im up to three Captains and 3 boats. I only bring on the best I can.

My very first text message to you explained that Captain Chase was going to be your guide for this trip. If you had a problem with that I wish you would have expressed your concerns at that time and I could have cancelled your trip or rescheduled you. Richard you responded by "Fine, hope we can catch on artificial but we will do what is necessary. My grandson and his friend are accomplished bass fisherman, this will be their first saltwater trip" My next text message was would you like to try wade fishing, I expressed that its not for everyone but that we have been catching fish with live croaker wading. You agreed, and even wanted to try some top water lures. I also explained to you that this is more advanced technique but since your group was accomplished bass fisherman they should catch on quickly. The age of my Captains has nothing to do with how good of a captain he is, We are both coast guard certified, both have captain licenses. When your in the water its hard to hold an accomplished fisherman hand while wading. you have to listen to the captain and use your fishing abilities to catch the fish. You even caught the first trout of the day, the area Captain Chase took you too had fish, yall just had trouble hooking up, as a guide we have to ask you to watch the way we cast and work the bait in the water, also we use fish bags so the fish that everyone catches can be measured and either kept or released. Why would you move fishing spots if the fish were in the area, you cant get upset for not being able to catch fish when other are able to catch. Your boys were casting next to captain Chase and still couldn't hook up. Chase was saying watch how I am working the bait and rod, they just couldn't get it down. I believe you tried top water off the front of the boat while Captain Chase and your boys were already in the water. Also once yall saw Captain Chase hooked up on fish everyone quickly changed to live bait. Fishing in the bay is much different than a lake or bass fishing, we have to deal with wind, tide and water clarity. Due to the large area we fish, we rely on our teammates to help each other get on fish. That is nothing new. it's called networking.

Also, your comment of you feel victim of bait and switch is not true, I explained everything every step of the way and even the morning of our trip, and you texted back and never mentioned you didn't agree with any of the information I sent you.

We as guides can help you catch your limit but can't count our limit as part of your catch. That is a rule by Texas parks and wildlife not us.

Richard, I believe you would have been disappointed either way and your expectations were just not realistic, If Captain Chase wouldn't have not fished and stayed next to you and your boys and pointed out everything you were doing wrong or how to improve your cast and technique you wouldn't have had any fish to take home. Its hard to try something new and expect to catch everything out there. It doesn't work like that. Chase was able to catch a 4 man limit of trout with no help, and yall are complaining fishermen and should have caught fish. Also, everyone knows if your catching fish you don't leave, you stay catching till the bite turns off, you don't leave just because someone cant catch fish.

I wish you would have voiced your issues with using a different guide when I texted you, when you mentioned that yall were accomplished bass fisherman, wading should have been a breeze. that bait and switch goes both ways. Please don't tell people yall are accomplished bass fishermen then complain you cant catch fish. then complain you want to catch fish with plastic but couldn't catch fish with live bait.

I do apologies for taking you at your word and you using the word accomplished loosely. I back up my Captains and only hire the best that can put customers on fish and help customers catch fish when they are struggling. Thanks for the opportunity you gave me and sorry you were disappointed. We try to make every trip the best we can. Thanks.

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Response from Captain Experiences:

Hey Richard, we’re really sorry to hear about your disappointing experience. It sounds like your guide didn’t provide the hands-on help your boys needed, especially for their first saltwater trip. We understand how frustrating it must have been to see the guide catching most of the fish instead of focusing on helping your sons, especially when your booking expectations weren't met regarding topwater fishing and targeting different species. We’ll be addressing this directly with Capt....

Response from Captain Experiences:

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Potential Target Species

Color-coded seasonality below is based on .

	January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December
Black Drum	Good	Good	Good	Great	Great	Great	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good
Blue-Winged Teal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Good	Great	Good
Bluebill	Great	Great	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Good	Great	Great
Canvasback	Great	Great	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Good	Great	Great
Flounder	Good	Good	Good	Good	Great	Great	Great	Great	Good	Good	Good	Good
Green-Winged Teal	Good	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Great	Great	Good	Good
Northern Pintail	Great	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Good	Great	Great	Great
Northern Shoveler	Good	Good	Good	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Good	Great	Good
Redfish	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Good	Good	Great	Great	Good	Good	Great	Good	Good	Not Ideal
Redhead	Good	Good	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Good	Good	Good
Sheepshead	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good
Speckled Trout	Good	Good	Good	Great	Great	Great	Good	Good	Great	Great	Good	Good
Wigeon	Good	Good	Good	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Not Ideal	Good	Great	Good