Group fishing charters are shared expense fishing trips made up of a group of strangers. Each angler, or group of anglers, books their trip separately, but within the same time slot.
On many group charters you’ll be fishing on a specific boat of your choosing, and with a smaller group than you would on the larger “party boats”.
The average group trip typically runs offshore for either 6 or 8 hours, and carries anywhere from 12 to 50 anglers. These trips will cost you anywhere from $90 to $200.
You’ll usually be fishing for bottom dwelling reef fish, such as snapper, grouper, triggerfish, and whatever else bites. Some boats will also do some trolling for king mackerel and other such speedsters.
The majority of charter trips that I’ve been on have been between Gulf Shores and Destin, so that’s where this article is focused. However, I’ve also been on offshore trips out of South Carolina and the Florida Keys, and most of the concepts here are the same.
Let’s check out…
- the differences between a shared and a private charter
- how to book one
- what you’ll catch
- how to deep sea fish
- what the various charter boats charge
- what to bring
- how many people will be on the boat
- if you’ll get seasick
- how far out you’ll go
- what to tip
- do you keep your own fish
- do they clean your fish
Group Charters vs Private Charters
Basically, there are 2 general kinds of deep sea fishing charters available along the gulf. The first is the more expensive private charter option, and the other is a “group”, or shared charter. From my experience, as long as you check reviews, you can find quality boats and captains with either option.
| Aspects Of Each | Group Charters | Private Charters |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $$ | $$$$ |
| Number Anglers | 12-100+ | Often 1-12 |
| Boat Size | varies; usually larger | varies; usually smaller |
| Amenities | often more amenities | good amenities |
| Fishing Types | Bottom fishing. Sometimes trolling. | Anything |
| Time Fishing | less | more |
| Time Moving | more | less |
| Boat Speed | often slower | often faster |
| Trip Lengths | usually 6-8 hours | 4-12 hours or overnight |
| Day Selection | specific days | more options |
| Cancel Policy | may be cancelled if too few people | proceeds, barring dangerous weather |
| Public Spots | often fishing high pressure public reefs | more likely to fish some "private numbers" w/ less pressured fish |
Shared “Group” Charters
- Share Expenses With Strangers
- Cheap Way To Fish The Gulf
- Usually 6-8 hour trips; sometimes 4 hr. or 10 hr. options as well
- May get cancelled if not enough anglers (usually 12 min.)
- Sometimes feels crowded
- Bottom fishing mostly, sometimes trolling
- Shared trips often occur on the same boats as private charters do
Fishing With Strangers
As described above, a group trip consists of a collection of individual anglers that have been grouped together to fish a certain day and time slot. Your group will consist of multiple smaller groups of family and friends, and other random individuals that booked on the same day as you.
Are You A Cheapskate?
If you’re on a budget like me, a shared charter is a great budget friendly option for experiencing deep sea fishing. While not as customizable as a private charter, the price is far cheaper. You can get an even cheaper price by booking with a “party” boat fishing charter, which just means a larger vessel that has a larger carrying capacity. A 6 to 8 hour shared trip is going to be significantly cheaper than the equivalent private trip.
The Crowd
Just know that going on one of these trips during peak fishing season likely means the boat will be near capacity. I personally think they do a pretty good job of allowing enough space for each angler, so I don’t think it’s a problem. As long as you are ok with having an angler on either side of you all day, you’ll be just fine. There will be some tangles with your fellow anglers, but it’s not a huge deal
Move It Along
Larger boats are almost always slower which means you will more likely spend more time moving and less time fishing over the course of a day. When going on a shared charter, it’s my preference to stick to those carrying around 40 passengers or less.
The terms “Head boat” and “Party Boat” both refer to larger fishing vessels that typically carry out larger groups, or “parties”, of fishermen.
“Party Boats”
- Just a larger version of a “normal” group charter
- Cheapest option
- Most crowded option
- More tangles with fellow anglers
- Largest boats
- More time moving; less time fishing
- Bottom fishing
*PRIVATE* Deep Sea Fishing Trips
- Most expensive option
- Most customizable option
- You might know everyone in the group
- Only gets cancelled for dangerous weather
- Boat may be smaller (and faster)
Private Charters Are Pricey But Customizable
If money is no object, and you have time to plan in advance, private trips are the preferred option. A private trip gives you the option of requesting a custom trip to get exactly what you want.
You Might Know Everyone On A Private Booking
If you can find a decent number of friends to split the cost, it can be reasonably affordable to book a private charter. Otherwise, you’ll pay a great deal more than you would for an equivalent group charter.
Some private boats are capped at 6 anglers, whereas others will take up to 12 or more. The closer you get to the maximum capacity, the more affordable it will be. I find it to be more enjoyable if you know at least 1 other person on your trip. If you know everyone, well, that makes it even better.
Small Private Charters Are Fast To The Spots
Most of the smaller private charter vessels will be faster to the spots than large slower moving boats that tend to carry larger groups of anglers.
How To Book A Shared Charter
There are different ways to book charters. Now days you can often handle it completely online with no phone conversations needed. If you would rather call, that is usually an option as well.
- Call a booking agent
- Use the boats website
- Contact a captain directly
- Online Booking Services
Call A Booking Agent
There are booking agencies that handle bookings for multiple boats. They will pair you with a boat appropriate for your group and that is available in the time slot you need. When going this route, you may not be guaranteed the specific boat you want to go out on.
Directly Through The Boat’s Website
I booked my last shared Pensacola fishing charter directly through the boats website. It was quick and painless. They had a calendar of all available time slots, and you just picked what worked for your schedule, I paid with a card and they sent a confirmation email. They even sent a reminder email the day before my trip. It was a very streamlined process.
Online Booking Services
Another popular way to book these types of charters is to go through an online service such as fishingbooker.com. This site seems to operate similar to the popular hotel booking websites we are all familiar with. They have a good interface to allow you to search a specific area for available boats. This is a good choice if you don’t already know what boat you want to use. It should be noted that not all boats in an area will be listed on a site like this. You’ll have to dig a little deeper to find all the options. Google is your friend 😉
Emerald Coast refers to the stretch of Northwest Florida coastline from Pensacola Beach to Panama City
What You’ll Catch Off The Emerald Coast
- Red Snapper
- Vermillion Snapper
- Triggerfish
- Grouper
- Various Other Snappers
On these charters you’ll generally be bottom fishing using 2 hook rigs with circle hooks. The baits will vary, but you can definitely expect to use squid at some point, and probably some cut up fish. The target will usually be bottom dwelling species such as snapper, triggerfish, grouper and whatever else is down there. On an average day, you can expect to load the boat, mainly with various snapper species.
Red Snapper
One of the most common reef fish out there seems to be the red snapper. When in season, that’s great. When out of season, the game is to run away from them. If you’re lucky, your captain will quickly find a new spot where the red snapper aren’t too thick, so that you can catch something you can actually keep.
Red snapper have a compressed season, so the competition can be fierce when booking a spot for a snapper trip, especially on weekends. You’ll need to plan in advance if red snapper are what you’re after.
How To Deep Sea Fish On A Charter
- Claim a spot at the back of the boat
- Accept that you will get tangled up some
- Run your hook through the bait twice
- You will get dirty
- Reel up a few turns off the bottom
- Set the hook quickly
- Check your bait often b/c it’s likely gone after a bite
Claim Your Spot Early! The Back Is Better.
On any charter, you’ll want to stake your claim towards the back of the boat. The back of the boat doesn’t necessarily offer better fishing, but there are other advantages.
- Less rocking
- Better communication
- Fishing around more experienced anglers
Less Movement
The back of the boat will have less felt movement and rocking than the front of the boat. Therefore, I believe you have less of a chance at getting seasick. Regardless, I think it’s a more comfortable fishing area on a large charter boat.
You Can Hear What’s Going On
Besides the comfort level, you’ll also be able to better hear what’s going on in the back of the boat. Also, any caught fish will usually be tossed in baskets or coolers in the back, so you’ll be able to also see what’s happening at all times.
Conversations between the captain and deckhands also mainly occur to the rear of the boat. You’ll definitely be more plugged in to what’s going on when fishing along the rear of the boat.
Experienced Anglers Fish The Back
Generally, people will claim a certain fishing position at the start of the day, and that’s where they fish the whole trip. Experienced anglers know this and will transition towards the rear of the boat once they board. It’s best if you claim your desired spot early. Otherwise, you’ll get stuck with the leftover spots all day. Get back there with the more experienced fishermen and just maybe you’ll have fewer tangles throughout the day.
You Will Get Tangled Up
Most likely the pre-trip breakdown from the deckhand will cover this, especially on any full capacity trip. If the boat is full, you will be fishing near other anglers, and you will get tangled with them. It’s just better that you understand that going in so you don’t get frustrated.
The motion of the boat, combined with current, combined with fish on the lines ensure some tangles throughout the day. The deckhands will typically work quickly to get you back fishing asap. It’s not really a big deal, just be patient.
Baiting Up
All bait is provided on these trips. Usually you will have your own bait bucket, or perhaps you will share one with another angler. This could be some type of cut up fish, and oftentimes will be squid. Rest assured, whatever it is, the reef dwellers will often hammer it as soon as it’s dropped to the bottom. That’s, of course, when the fish are biting. Hopefully they will be on your trip.
Run your hook through the bait twice for a more solid hold, and be sure you have plenty of hook point exposed.
Dropping Your Lines
Listen to whatever the deckhand or captain tells you to do when you stop at your first spot. Usually they will tell you to keep your thumb on the spool and drop to the bottom, and then reel up 3 reel turns from the bottom. This ensures that your line is tight so you can feel the bite. They will know where the fish are holding, so just do whatever they say.
Set The Hook Quickly
Be ready for when your bait hits the bottom and forget what you’ve heard about circle hooks. Set that hook as soon as you feel a hit! I suppose it’s the deep water combined with the thick monofilament line, but by the time you feel the hit it seems like they have it inside their mouth. Perhaps I’m exaggerating, but it does seem like you will need to tighten down on a fish much more quickly than you normally would with circle hooks. It might take you a few hits to figure it out.
Make no mistake, if you feel two good thumps when fishing for snapper, both baits on your 2 hook rig are probably completely gone. Just reel up and re-bait. From my experience, you have to be pretty fast on the hook set when fishing deep for reef fish.
Go For Doubles
When you get the feel of things, you can actually target 2 fish at once before reeling up. If you set the hook on the first thump and you can tell it isn’t a huge fish, just let your line stay down for a moment longer. Oftentimes you can pick up that second fish so that you can reel up 2 at a time.
Crowds Attract Fish
While it may seem counterintuitive, the crowd of a big charter can actually work to your advantage. With so many baits in the water at once you will sort of chum up the fish. Lots of bait in the water attracts lots of fish. So, don’t let a seemingly over-crowded vessel discourage you.
Fishing Charter Prices – How Much Deep Sea Fishing Costs
- $90
- $150
- $170+
The price of a group fishing charter will vary, but you can expect to pay anywhere from $90 to $200. The last group charter I took was out of Perdido Key, Florida. I paid a total of $170.25 after tax for an 8 hour trip, PLUS I paid the customary 20% tip to the deckhands. This particular boat was full on the day I went out, and it fished somewhere around 40 anglers.
For boats that carry more anglers, you can expect to pay less. For boats that carry fewer, you can typically expect to pay more.
| Boat | Length & Capacity | 6 hrs. | 8 hrs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emerald Spirit Orange Beach, AL | 65'/15-50 | $100 | $150 |
| Native Sons Pensacola, FL | 37'/20 | $105 | $120 |
| Vera Marie Destin,FL | 70'/40 | $88-$99 | N/A |
| Good Times Destin, FL | 45'/20 | $155 | |
| Outcast Orange Beach, AL | 65'/40 | $125 | $149 |
| Swoop II Destin, FL | 65'/15-40 | $100 | $120 |
| Destiny Destin, FL | 72'/56 | $95 | $110 |
| Destin Princess Destin, FL | 65'/42 | $95 | $110 |
| Entertainer Pensacola, FL (Perdido Key, FL) | 65'/49 | $130 | $150 |
What To Bring On A Fishing Charter
- Sunblock
- Hat and Sunglasses
- Cold Drinks
- Food
- A cooler to take your catch home
- Cash for tips
- Perhaps some nausea medicine
You will of course need to bring all the standard items for a long day on the water, such as sunscreen, sunglasses, cold drinks and food. For me, a hat is also a must. If you plan to keep your catch, you’ll also need to bring a cooler to transport it from the dock.
Do You Need Cash On A Deep Sea Fishing Trip?
- 20% deckhand tip
- fish cleaning
- purchase items on boat
- big fish contest
- live bait
You definitely should bring plenty of cash on deep sea fishing trips. Besides paying for the 20% deckhand tip and a potential fish cleaning tip, there are a few other reasons you want to have plenty of money on hand.
I have used cash before to purchase items on the boat, as well as pitched in on a big fish contest.
On one group charter the captain actually gave us the option to stop on the way out to buy live bait from one of the bait boats anchored outside of the pass. The standard bottom fishing baits, such as cut fish and squid were included in the trip price, but live bait increases your chances at catching something good.
It’s never a bad idea to have some extra cash on hand so that you have options.
How Many People Are On A Group Charter Boat
- 12-100 people, depending on the boat
You can expect that there will be a minimum of 12 anglers on a group charter, but it 100% depends on what boat you go out on. It also depends on when you go, and what the weather is like.
Many charter boats have a minimum number of anglers they must book in order to proceed with the trip. So, you won’t likely get lucky enough to go with an extremely small crowd. I would say you can expect there to be a minimum of 12 fellow anglers, but that’s only if you are lucky.
The Initial Ride Out
- Deckhands will brief you on the day ahead
- Deckhands will prepare bait and tackle
- Enjoy the sunrise
- Perhaps you will see dolphins
On the ride out you can expect to see your deckhands preparing tackle and baits while you sit back and relax on the way to the first spot. Don’t be surprised if this initial boat ride is an hour or more. Keep your eyes peeled for dolphins, and be sure to stay out of the deckhands way as he moves around the boat.
My personal preference on a group charter is to make my way downstairs and take a nap, if the boat has nice air conditioned sleeping quarters. This wouldn’t be my recommendation if you think you might get seasick.
If you’re a morning person and are more of the social type, there will be plenty of people to strike up conversations with.
Will I Get Seasick On A Deep Sea Fishing Trip?
- 1 in 12 people get seasick on deep sea charters (very unscientific)
It is very possible that you could be one of the unlucky few that do suffer seasickness on the open seas. From my experience, you’ll have about 1 in 10 or 12 anglers go down from seasickness. That is my ultra non-scientific observation! This ratio is based on “normal” weather days. The rougher the seas are, the more likely you will get sick.
Preventing Seasickness
I have personally never gotten sea sick, but I have used Dramamine on every offshore trip. I take 2 tablets before going to bed and then 1 additional tablet when I wake up the morning of the trip. I really don’t think I need it, but at this point I’m afraid to stop doing something I know works for me. Bodine is another effective drug option for preventing seasickness without the downside of dramamine’s drowsiness.
Dealing With Seasickness On Deep Sea Charters
From what I’ve heard from various captains and deckhands over the years, it helps to stay on the deck if you feel sick, rather than retreating inside to the A/C. You should also stare at a stable object in the distance. Oftentimes your only option is to stare at the horizon.
With that said, almost all of the seasick individuals on the charters I’ve been on ended up writing off the trip and retreating to the cabin down below to sleep off the remaining hours of the trip.
How Much To Tip Deckhands
First of all, your deckhands start their day very early and work their tail off for you all day. They prepare baits and gear on the ride out, and make themselves available for anything needed throughout the trip. They also have to clean up and put things away at the end of the trip. Trust me, they earn their money.
Your deckhand may also be the ones who clean your fish at the end of the day. So, you can see how a tip is typically well deserved.
As your deckhands clean your fish, you’ll need to hunt down some cash for the customary 20% tip. Sometimes an additional tip is also expected for fish cleaning. You’ll need to ask about that in advance. Sometimes the expected tipping protocol is laid out on the boats website or Facebook page, so check there first.
How Many Miles Do Group Fishing Boats Go Out
I would say in general, you might go anywhere from 12-25 miles offshore on a 6 to 8 hour group charter. I believe we went out 24 miles on my last 8 hour party fishing boat. it really depends on the conditions the captain encounters on a given day. Also, some boats are much faster than others, and thus can travel further in the allotted time slot.
Because deep sea fishing trips consist of extended boat travel times, you might get less fishing time that you would expect. Going in, you should know that as much as half of your allotted trip time may be consumed by just getting to the spots. You’ll have a much better attitude if you just expect that up front.
Do You Keep Your Own Fish On A Group Charter?
I suppose this varies by boat. The last trip I went on out of Pensacola they labeled fish baskets with you or your group’s name, as can be seen above. So, if you were fishing with 2 other family members or friends, they put a name on the basket along with a number of anglers for that basket, ‘3’ in this case. Every time someone caught a fish they dropped it into the allotted basket. At the end of the trip they split up the fish in the basket between the group on the basket’s label.
In my case, I was fishing alone. So they put my name on the basket and a #1. To be honest, that was very motivating. I was quite determined to fill up my own personal basket 🙂
Do They Clean The Fish For You?
Yes, typically your deckhands will clean your fish for you and bag it up into cheap plastic bags. You will usually want to transfer your fish into better quality storage bags and in the serving amounts you prefer before actually freezing it.
Is Fish Cleaning Included In The Price?
Sometimes fish cleaning is included in your charter price, but sometimes they expect an extra fish cleaning tip on top of the regular 20% tip. It just depends on the boat you go out on. You should check their website, Facebook page, or just email the captain and ask.
Get Ready To Wait!
Once you arrive back at the dock, prepare to wait a bit. The deckhands, and possibly the captain, will all pitch in to clean your catch as soon as possible. However, it’s probably gonna take a while, if you had a good day. The last group charter took 1.5 hours from the time we docked to when they handed me my fish.
Conclusion
Going deep sea fishing on a shared group charter is a great way to experience deep sea fishing on the cheap. You’ll usually be fishing with a very experienced captain that can put you on the fish. You’ll also meet like-minded fishing fanatics from all over the country.
I have been on many private charters, and can honestly say I truly do enjoy the group charters as well, and will continue to use them. With that said, if you have the funds to swing it, and can scrape together enough friends to split the cost, a private charter is even more fun.
If you do decide to try out a group charter for yourself, I highly recommend the Entertainer out of Pensacola, FL. Actually, you’ll find them docked in Perdido Key, just a short drive away.
Have fun out there!
Augustus Clay
