Guide:

About Your Trip

Water Type

Inshore, Flats

Skill Levels

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Weather

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

About Your Trip

Have you ever wanted to do battle with a prehistoric apex predator with razor-sharp teeth and pounds of lean muscle? How bout an overgrown Gold Fish weighing in at 100lbs+ of straight muscle? With Captain Eric, you can have the opportunity to do both in the same afternoon! Your Shark/Tarpon evening adventure will begin at the dock as Eric explains what you can expect on your trip. No detail will be left out or question unanswered in order to make your trip exciting, educational, and memorable.

If you are ready to be put through the paces, clamp down on your rod, and haul in one of these beasts. Islamorada is one of the Tarpon and Shark Capitals of the world, and this unique trip is for the angler looking for a thrilling excursion.

Possible Species: Tarpon, Bonnethead Shark, Nurse Shark, Bull Shark, Blacktip Shark, Lemon Shark, Spinner Shark, Hammerhead Shark, Tiger Shark, Barracuda, Jack Crevalle, and others

Amenities

Water Type

Inshore, Flats

Skill Levels

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Tackle

All rods, reels, and tackle are included.

Fish Cleaning

This guide will clean your catch for you.

Beer

Feel free to enjoy responsibly, but please no glass.

Live Bait

Live bait is included for this trip.

Weather

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

Kid Friendly

This trip can cater to kids.

Flexible Cancelation

This trip can be canceled for a refund up to 7 days before the trip.

Boat Restroom

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

Disability Friendly

This trip is not suited for those with disabilities.

Lunch

Please provide your own food / snacks.

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Pricing Matrix

	4 Hours	6 Hours	8 Hours
1 Person	$650.00	$750.00	$900.00
2 People	$650.00	$750.00	$900.00

Pay 10% 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.

Reserve Your Trip

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94% (16)

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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 Guide

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

Eric S.

Certified Damn Good Guide

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

Independent Guide 28 years of exp.

Talkative

Laid-back

Instructional

Beginner Oriented

Adventurous

Quality

About Your Guide

Eric S.

Certified Damn Good Guide

Independent Guide 28 years of exp.

Captain Eric is the "Son of a Son of a Fisherman." Being a fifth-generation Conch gives Capt. Eric unparalleled knowledge of the Florida Keys Waters! Capt. Eric is born and raised in Islamorada Florida. He has 25 years of personal experience fishing the Florida Bay and Offshore waters. Islamorada Charter fishing at its best! Capt. Eric has fished the Redbone Celebrity tournament, Taking Stock in Children, The Back Country Challenge, Specializing in Fly Fishing and Light Tackle Fishing. All with great success!! His experience is not limited to the Keys. He does lots of traveling to the Bahamas on private boats. He knows how to navigate through those waters and has fished them for many years! Also has knowledge in many different fishing techniques. Which can only come from years of experience!!

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Rapid Fire Guide Q & A

What’s the biggest fish you’ve caught?

Blue Marlin

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

Fish fry

Rapid Fire Guide Q & A

What’s the biggest fish you’ve caught?

Blue Marlin

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

Fish fry

Whats your favorite band?

Country

How did you get started guiding?

Passed down from my grandfather and father

What makes you different from other guides?

I am 5 generations born and raised in the Florida Keys ,,My son’s are 6 generations

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Start Location & Lodging Options

Islamorada, Florida

Areas Fished

Florida Keys
Duck Key
Key Largo

About Your Boat

Boat Type: Skiff
Boat Manufacturer: Hewes
Year Built: 2021
Boat Length: 18'

About Your Boat

Boat Type: Skiff
Boat Manufacturer: Hewes
Year Built: 2021
Boat Length: 18'
Engine Manufacturer: Yamaha
Total Horsepower: 115
Number of Engines: 1
Additional Amenities: GPS, Live Bait Well, Ice Box, Fishfinder

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Trip Details & Amenities

Water Type

Inshore, Flats

Skill Levels

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Tackle

All rods, reels, and tackle are included.

Fish Cleaning

This guide will clean your catch for you.

Beer

Feel free to enjoy responsibly, but please no glass.

Live Bait

Live bait is included for this trip.

Weather

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

Kid Friendly

This trip can cater to kids.

Flexible Cancelation

This trip can be canceled for a refund up to 7 days before the trip.

Boat Restroom

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

Disability Friendly

This trip is not suited for those with disabilities.

Lunch

Please provide your own food / snacks.

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

Artificial Lure Fishing
Cut Bait Fishing
Fly Fishing
Light Tackle Fishing
Live Bait Fishing

Everything Else to Know

Bring food and drinks. Pack sunblock, a cap, sunglasses, and light clothes. And don’t forget your camera. Fishing License, Ice Box, 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 7 days before the trip and receive credit back to your account. Cancelling within 7 of the trip will forfeit your deposit to the guide. Day-of cancellations and no-shows will be charged the full balance of the trip to their card.

In the event of inclement weather you'll be covered by out 100% Weather Guarantee and will not lose your deposit.

Reviews

4.9

based on 16 reviews

Gary

Verified Review

July 9

Had a great trip with Capt Dylan. He worked hard for us and he delivered. Super perfessional, easy going and fun. Couldn’t have asked for a better time! We will definitely be back!

Gary

Verified Review

July 9

Had a great trip with Capt Dylan. He worked hard for us and he delivered. Super perfessional, easy going and fun. Couldn’t have asked for a better time! We will definitely be back!

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Trip: SALTWATER SAFARI REEF TRIP

David

Verified Review

February 16

Very good trip. Well worth it. Slow start on the bite, but Capt was persistent on got us on some good fishing. Great guy, hope to do it again.

David

Verified Review

February 16

Very good trip. Well worth it. Slow start on the bite, but Capt was persistent on got us on some good fishing. Great guy, hope to do it again.

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Trip: SALTWATER SAFARI REEF TRIP

Kevin

Verified Review

January 19

Fishing trip was a lot of fun, Captain Dylan was a true gem. Captain was very informative on fish and fishing techniques, not to mention the number of different species he helped us catch. Captain was a lot of fun while still being very professional, would definitely charter with Dylan and Blackwater Fishing Charters again.

Kevin

Verified Review

January 19

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Trip: SALTWATER SAFARI REEF TRIP

Brian

Verified Review

October 17

We had a blast. Dylan took care of us. Caught lots of fish and Dylan is good dude to just hang out with. Thanks for the fun bud!!!

Brian

Verified Review

October 17

We had a blast. Dylan took care of us. Caught lots of fish and Dylan is good dude to just hang out with. Thanks for the fun bud!!!

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Trip: Flats Backcountry Quest

Stephen

Verified Review

July 24

Five Stars!!!! We had a wonderful fishing experience. We fought one large, 100 pound Tarpon and caught and released one 80 pound Tarpon. What a great experience!! We also caught 3 Nurse Sharks. They were fun too!!
Thank you for a wonderful time!

Stephen

Verified Review

July 24

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Trip: Monster Hunt: Shark & Tarpon

Jon

Verified Review

March 28

Very good experience. Caught red snapper, grouper, and snook. Also saw dolphins. Overall good experience, Captain Dylan was great.

Jon

Verified Review

March 28

Very good experience. Caught red snapper, grouper, and snook. Also saw dolphins. Overall good experience, Captain Dylan was great.

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Trip: Flats Backcountry Quest

Stewart

Verified Review

March 6

Stewart

Verified Review

March 6

Eric was concerned about us going out because of high winds but we were here for a special occasion so his partner Dylan persevered and took us out in a bigger boat. The conditions were indeed challenging but Dylan worked extremely hard to see that we had a good time. His love of the area and the nature around was obvious and we benefited from it. My wife caught fish for our lunch and a really nice grouper that we were unable to harvest due to seasonal restrictions. We had a lot of fish on and boated, had a great chat, saw beautiful nature and even had two birds, an osprey and cormorant, go after our baits. It was a wonderful adventure. We’re going out with Eric or his crew again tomorrow. It was an awesome morning! Highly recommend them.

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Trip: Flats Fury with Captain Eric

John

Verified Review

June 13

Fantastic guide! Friendly and helpful. Had a great time.

John

Verified Review

June 13

Fantastic guide! Friendly and helpful. Had a great time.

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Trip: Flats Backcountry Quest

David

Verified Review

March 30

Good effort in pleasing the client. Weak bait preparation. Had to return to the dock for bait.
Repeatedly removed the pole from experience fisherman's hands and cast the line. Short with instructions, long with distgust in not following instructions.

David

Verified Review

March 30

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Trip: SALTWATER SAFARI REEF TRIP

Response from Captain Experiences:

Hey David, thanks for this feedback. Captain Eric's number one priority is always safety, but I am sorry if anyone in your party was made to feel uncomfortable in any way. I'd love to offer you a coupon for another trip with us in hopes that you'll give Captain Experiences another shot!

Response from Captain Experiences:

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Bob

Verified Review

March 21

Had two great days on the water with captain Eric. Even though it was pretty windy Captain Eric put me in fish. Enjoyed the fishing and enjoyed my time on the water with captain Eric. Next time I'm in the Keys I will be looking forward to fishing with Captain Eric.

Bob

Verified Review

March 21

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Trip: Flats Fury with Captain Eric

Gerald

Verified Review

March 4

Had a great time.

Gerald

Verified Review

March 4

Had a great time.

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Trip: Flats Fury with Captain Eric

Michael

Verified Review

January 31

Cold front moved in fishing not great . Eric worked very hard and tried all kinds of fishing styles. We caught fish and had a great time. Will definitely go out fishing with him again.

Michael

Verified Review

January 31

Cold front moved in fishing not great . Eric worked very hard and tried all kinds of fishing styles. We caught fish and had a great time. Will definitely go out fishing with him again.

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Zach

Verified Review

January 19

Captain Eric was awesome. Had a wealth of knowledge of the area. Got us to a spot where we were able to catch some smaller species, and got us a shark as well. Great experience!

Zach

Verified Review

January 19

Captain Eric was awesome. Had a wealth of knowledge of the area. Got us to a spot where we were able to catch some smaller species, and got us a shark as well. Great experience!

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Trip: Monster Hunt: Shark & Tarpon

Matthew

Verified Review

June 28

Great trip. Capt Eric knew where the fish were and made sure we had a great time. Would do it again.

Matthew

Verified Review

June 28

Great trip. Capt Eric knew where the fish were and made sure we had a great time. Would do it again.

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Trip: Flats Backcountry Quest

Jay

Verified Review

June 9

friendly. good stories. good fisherman

Jay

Verified Review

June 9

friendly. good stories. good fisherman

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Trip: Flats Fury with Captain Eric

Sean

Verified Review

February 14

We had a great time. Through windy conditions we were still put on fish and enjoy the overall experience. We will be back.

Sean

Verified Review

February 14

We had a great time. Through windy conditions we were still put on fish and enjoy the overall experience. We will be back.

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Trip: Flats Backcountry Quest

First Time Booking with Us?

Captain Experiences is home to 1,600+ quality, vetted fishing and hunting guides across the US and beyond. Our mission is to Unlock the Outdoors by making it quick and easy to book the trip of a lifetime every time with our Damn Good Guides.

We vet our guides and only partner with the best of the best. Our guides do their very best to keep you safe, show you a great time, and send you home with a memorable experience shared with family and friends.

Once you've paid your deposit at checkout, we'll send you a QR Code 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 event of inclement weather, our guides will check the conditions and make the final call on whether its safe to go on the trip. If they decide the trip needs to be postponed, we'll work closely with you to reschedule or provide a credit for the full deposit, which can be applied to any of our trips in the US and beyond.

Each trip's price is determined by the guide and reflects all associated costs. A significant factor in pricing is often the type of boat and the corresponding fuel expenses. Additional costs may include leases, marina or slip fees, bait, and the expenses involved in providing and maintaining the necessary gear for your trip.

After booking your trip, we'll connect you directly with your guide to discuss additional details. In the meantime, our team is here to answer any questions via email, text, or phone.