Why Hire A Charter Captain?

If you own your own boat it is a rewarding experience, you are the captain and have the option of fishing when and where you want. For many people, owning a boat is not an option for a variety of reasons. And trying to justify owning a boat with the dollar value of the fish you expect to catch in a season is a lesson in bad economics.

A research survey of the Great Lakes Charter Fishing Industry found that the average charter operator had to make more than 41 trips per year just to break even. For Salt-Water Charters the break even point will be much higher because of the need to use larger boats, heavier gear and longer travel time to the fishing grounds.

If we examine the cost of ten six-passenger charters which would be divided among you and five other anglers. One share of these ten charters would not come close to the cost of docking a boat at a marina for one season. After farther examination, the value of experience gained in boat handling and angling that is provided by a charter captain is priceless due the amount of time he or she puts onto the water. Yes it is hard to argue that owning your own boat has a lot of personal advantages and rewards that are difficult to place a dollar value on, however, the cost of a fishing charter is truly a real bargain.