About Your Guide

Profile photo of Captain Experiences guide William Phillips
A Certified Damn Good Guide is someone who goes above and beyond to show you an incredible experience on your trip. Guides earn this badge through quality reviews, quick and responsive communication, and low cancellation rates.

William Phillips

Certified Damn Good Guide
A Certified Damn Good Guide is someone who goes above and beyond to show you an incredible experience on your trip. Guides earn this badge through quality reviews, quick and responsive communication, and low cancellation rates.
Independent Guide
US Veteran Veteran
Instructional
Quality
Beginner Oriented
Adventurous
Laid-back
Talkative
Take a trip with Captain Bill and experience Sarasota bay at its finest! Our business is veteran-owned and operated by Master Captain Bill in the Tampa Bay area of Bradenton, Florida. He is passionate about fishing and he looks forward to guiding you across the local waters and sharing with you his experience and enthusiasm for fishing.

Hop aboard Captain Bill’s 22’ bay boat for a great day of fishing! His vessel is outfitted with up-to-date fish-finding technology, a livewell, and a wireless trolling motor. There is also a toilet for your convenience. There’s plenty of room for 4 anglers to fish at the same time with ease. Captain Bill welcomes everyone to join in on the fun!

About Your Guide

Profile photo of Captain Experiences guide William Phillips

William Phillips

Certified Damn Good Guide
Independent Guide
Take a trip with Captain Bill and experience Sarasota bay at its finest! Our business is veteran-owned and operated by Master Captain Bill in the Tampa Bay area of Bradenton, Florida. He is passionate about fishing and he looks forward to guiding you across the local waters and sharing with you his experience and enthusiasm for fishing.

Hop aboard Captain Bill’s 22’ bay boat for a great day of fishing! His vessel is outfitted with up-to-date fish-finding technology, a livewell, and a wireless trolling motor. There is also a toilet for your convenience. There’s plenty of room for 4 anglers to fish at the same time with ease. Captain Bill welcomes everyone to join in on the fun!
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Skyway Fishing Tours Trips

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Damn Good
Certified Damn Good Guides offer 10/10 trips. Guides earn this badge through quality reviews, quick and responsive communication, and low cancellation rates.
Fishing in Destin
Fishing in Destin
Fishing in Destin

Inshore, Nearshore, Flats in Sarasota

Private 4 Hour - Sarasota Bay

83% (6)
25 ft 1 - 4 People From $550
Damn Good
Certified Damn Good Guides offer 10/10 trips. Guides earn this badge through quality reviews, quick and responsive communication, and low cancellation rates.
Fishing in Destin
Fishing in Destin
Fishing in Destin

Inshore, Deep Sea, Nearshore in Sarasota

Prestige Anna Maria Sound

83% (6)
25 ft 1 - 4 People From $650

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Recent Reviews of Skyway Fishing Tours

4.4
based on 5 reviews

Andrew

Verified Review

Good time! The boat ride was fabulous. We were able to assist a boat taking on water. We call the Coast Guard.

Andrew

Verified Review

Good time! The boat ride was fabulous. We were able to assist a boat taking on water. We call the Coast Guard.
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Lindsay

Verified Review

It was a wonderful fishing trip with an experienced and helpful crew!

Lindsay

Verified Review

It was a wonderful fishing trip with an experienced and helpful crew!
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Andrew

Verified Review

Captain William’s boat was amazing!
We had a late start, not at our doing, but powered through and he was congenial from start to finish.

However, the fishing failed to impress. We only ended up with one fish worth keeping, which wasn’t enough to bring any home. Comically, the best fish came from the gas station upon our return.

His time in NH unfortunately did not deliver in FL. The fishing experience we believed we paid for came...

Andrew

Verified Review

Captain William’s boat was amazing!
We had a late start, not at our doing, but powered through and he was congenial from start to finish.

However, the fishing failed to impress. We only ended up with one fish worth keeping, which wasn’t enough to bring any home. Comically, the best fish came from the gas station upon our return.

His time in NH unfortunately did not deliver in FL. The fishing experience we believed we paid for came
from an AI app that did not deliver.

Great for a sunset cruise, but not a fishing charter.
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Response from William:
Hi Andrew, Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the boat and the overall atmosphere on the water. That said, I’d like to clarify a few points from your review. First, our delayed start was due to unavoidable traffic, and we communicated the timing as best we could. As for the fishing, while results can vary day to day, it’s worth noting that there were multiple...

Response from William:

Hi Andrew,

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the boat and the overall atmosphere on the water.

That said, I’d like to clarify a few points from your review. First, our delayed start was due to unavoidable traffic, and we communicated the timing as best we could. As for the fishing, while results can vary day to day, it’s worth noting that there were multiple
bites and near catches during your trip—sometimes that’s just the nature of fishing.

You mentioned being from Kentucky and that this was your first time on the water or fishing. With that in mind, it's important to understand that expectations for a fishing charter should consider the many variables involved. My time in New Hampshire has no bearing on the quality of charters offered here in Florida, and I’ve run many successful trips in both regions.

Finally, it was clear during the trip that seasickness played a major role in your experience, which can certainly affect enjoyment and perception. I always encourage guests to try a few charters before making sweeping judgments.

We wish you all the best in future fishing adventures, and if you're ever up for another try—perhaps with calmer conditions—we’d be glad to have you aboard again.

Captain William
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Response from Captain Experiences:
Hey Andrew - we're sorry to hear the trip didn't live up to expectations. We've reached out to see what we can do to make it up to you on a future charter!

Response from Captain Experiences:

Hey Andrew - we're sorry to hear the trip didn't live up to expectations. We've reached out to see what we can do to make it up to you on a future charter!
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Sandra

Verified Review

Had a great time with William. Clean boat, solid gear. Pleasant to have on the trip.

Sandra

Verified Review

Had a great time with William. Clean boat, solid gear. Pleasant to have on the trip.
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Tim

Verified Review

Fantastic trip, thanks

Tim

Verified Review

Fantastic trip, thanks
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Response from William:
Thank you Tim, It was a great day to go fishing!

Response from William:

Thank you Tim, It was a great day to go fishing!
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Potential Target Species

Color-coded seasonality below is based on .
View Full Species Seasonality Chart »
  • Get it while it's HOT!
  • This species is in play.
  • You might get lucky (as long as things are in-season).
  • Couldn't tell ya! (no data)

Techniques

Types of Fishing

Skyway Fishing Tours Photo Gallery

Prestige Anna Maria Sound
June 2nd, 2025
Sarasota, Florida
Prestige Anna Maria Sound
May 25th, 2024
Sarasota, Florida
Private 4 Hour - Sarasota Bay
May 25th, 2024
Sarasota, Florida
Private 4 Hour - Sarasota Bay
March 6th, 2025
Sarasota, Florida
Private 4 Hour - Sarasota Bay
May 25th, 2024
Sarasota, Florida
Prestige Anna Maria Sound
June 2nd, 2025
Sarasota, Florida
Prestige Anna Maria Sound
May 28th, 2024
Sarasota, Florida
Private 4 Hour - Sarasota Bay
March 6th, 2025
Sarasota, Florida
Private 4 Hour - Sarasota Bay
May 25th, 2024
Sarasota, Florida
Prestige Anna Maria Sound
June 2nd, 2025
Sarasota, Florida
Prestige Anna Maria Sound
May 25th, 2024
Sarasota, Florida
Private 4 Hour - Sarasota Bay
March 6th, 2025
Sarasota, Florida
Prestige Anna Maria Sound
May 25th, 2024
Sarasota, Florida
Prestige Anna Maria Sound
June 2nd, 2025
Sarasota, Florida
Private 4 Hour - Sarasota Bay
March 7th, 2025
Sarasota, Florida
Private 4 Hour - Sarasota Bay
May 25th, 2024
Sarasota, Florida
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