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The Art of Negotiating a Raise

April 21, 2022 By InTheBite Editor

captain and crew talking at dock

By Jan Fogt

After talking to owners and captains about the best way to ask for a raise, we came away with this startling conclusion: most captains rely on their boss’s goodwill to provide cost of living and merit raises even though such raises usually are negotiated upfront in the business world.

Considering the majority of big game captains today manage hard assets costing well over a million dollars we think being a licensed sportfishing captain should be considered a professional occupation. Yet few captains and owners see the owner-crew relationship quite that way.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Advice, Careers, Featured Stories Tagged With: boat crew pay, boat owners, captains pay, negotiating a raise, offshorefishing

What it Really Takes to be a Captain

April 6, 2022 By InTheBite Editor

Sport fishing captain at work By Dave Ferrell

Taking the helm of a sportfishing boat, traveling the world’s oceans in pursuit of billfish, represents a “dream job” for a whole lot of people…many of which have never spent much time offshore. The image of a tanned captain, beard wagging in the sea breeze, steering the boat over the horizon with nothing but freedom and fishing on the calendar for the days ahead, fuels a lot of daydreams in corporate boardrooms all across America. It’s like being a quarterback for the Dolphins (Give me a break, I’m from Florida!)…you just can’t imagine having a bad day at the office!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Advice, Careers, Featured Stories, General News, News Tagged With: captains jobs, fishing jobs, sport fishing captains, Sport fishing jobs

Life After Being the Big Skipper

February 23, 2022 By InTheBite Digital Editor

the big skipper

By Captain Scott “Fraz” Murie

What is life like after being the “Big Skipper?”

What do captains do when they want to quit traveling and spending many months each year away from home? Well, I have observed that many captains who have been at the helm for 20 or 30 years, have changed careers so they can stay at home and do things they never had the time to do as a traveling captain. Things that may seem simple to people in other professions—like spending time with family and friends, personal travel, and attending some sporting events—are sometimes not possible for traveling captains.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Advice, Careers, Featured Stories Tagged With: boat captain, boat owner, fishing career, offshore fishingl, retirement

Something’s Running: Crew Turnover

December 7, 2021 By InTheBite Digital Editor

boat crew headed out to sea

By Captain Scott “Fraz” Murie

I’ve witnessed a few crew changes over the last several months on some pretty nice sportfishing boats. Let’s face it, crew turnover is inevitable. Sometimes a mate will take a job opportunity to try his luck at the helm. Other times a mate will be fired or quit for one reason or another. Maybe an owner will fire his captain and mate at the same time hoping for a fresh start. Whatever the circumstance, it is a small world in this business. At times like these, it seems everyone has an opinion or theory on why so-and-so got fired or quit. It becomes quite dramatic, akin to the Housewives on the Waterfront with all the dock talk.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Advice, Careers, Featured Stories, Fishing Tagged With: boat owner, crew turnover, fishing crew, fishing jobs, sportfishing

Boat Driver or Captain?

November 24, 2021 By InTheBite Editor

boat captain

By Capt. Scott “Fraz” Murie 

It seems like everyone wants to drive the boat these days. The mentality of a lot of crews these days is that the captain has the easy job. So why not get a captain’s license and be the captain?

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Advice, Careers, Featured Stories, General News, News Tagged With: boat driver, captain, captains jobs, captains license, sportfishing captain

The Pay Scale for Sportfishing Captains

October 11, 2021 By InTheBite Editor

pay scale for sportfishing captains

By Scott “Fraz” Murray 

So many times, I’m asked about how much a captain should get paid. Sometimes, I’m asked by the captain and sometimes I’m asked by the owners. There seems to be no rhyme nor reason on what a captain should or shouldn’t make.

Back in the day, there was an unwritten rule that a captain should make a grand per foot. I don’t know who came up with that…but it was ignorant.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Advice, Careers, Crew, Featured Stories, Fishing, General News, News, People Tagged With: center consoole, Fishing Tips, kite fishing, kite spread, pay scale

Dometic Marine Steering Technology Critical to Fishing Success

September 14, 2021 By InTheBite Digital Editor

hang em high sportfishing

Clay Shidler’s Hang ‘Em High Sportfishing fleet runs 1,400 charter days per year, taking anglers from across the U.S. and around the world out to enjoy the epic variety of fishing opportunities found off the Florida Gulf Coast. They fish inshore waters for popular species like snook, redfish, tarpon and speckled trout, hit offshore wrecks and reefs for big grouper, mutton snapper and cobia, and chase pelagic wahoo, dolphin and blackfin tuna offshore.  During the months of August and September, they switch to fishing out of Marathon in the Florida Keys. Thousands of hours on the water, thousands of miles traveled and enough fishing action to keep hundreds of customers happy each year.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Advice, Careers, Charters, Fishing, General News Tagged With: boat steering, dometic, hydraulic steering, Offshore Fishing

Hiring the Right Boat Captain

September 9, 2021 By InTheBite Editor

captain driving a boat

By Dale Wills

Hiring a boat captain is easy. Hiring the right boat captain is another story. Whether you’re succeeding in business or putting together a heavy caliber fishing team, one common thread is this: you’re only as successful as the people you surround yourself with. The process of hiring the right boat captain and crew is no different.

One question that’s frequently posed to me is, how can we as an industry better educate the new boat owner so the enjoyment of their purchase leads to a longer-term passion for boat ownership and sportfishing. We’ve all heard the worst case scenario of an owner selling the boat after two years due to the unforeseen (and often arduous) task of managing a revolving or dishonest crew?

Whether you are a mate or captain, understanding what it means to be a true professional is an integral part of our sport not only for your own career but the bigger picture of a thriving industry. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Advice, Careers, Crew, Featured Stories, Fishing, Owners Tagged With: boat captain, boat owner, Charter Fishing, fishing jobs, Offshore Fishing

Keeping the Boss Happy: Advice from Veteran Captains and Owners

August 17, 2021 By InTheBite Digital Editor

By Jan Fogt

When it comes to pleasing the boss, all the usual applies. Like keeping the boat clean and well maintained, keeping meticulous maintenance records, reigning in any bad behavior on the part of the crew, being prepared for travel and trips, tournaments, etc. In other words, when it comes to the boat, the secret to longevity on the job would seem to be to keep the boss’s life as hassle free as possible while watching out for the bottom line. As most captains will attest, if you can manage all of the above while taking care of fishing, you’ve got a job for life.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Advice, Boats, Careers, Crew, Featured Stories, Operations Tagged With: advice, boat captain, boat jobs, boat owners, fishing jobs

Confessions of a Charter Boat Captain

July 16, 2021 By InTheBite Digital Editor

The Excel heading out of Kailua Kona to fish the Golden Marlin tournament. The team caught a small marlin on day two of the three day tournament and won a little money for the captain and crew. Photo courtesy Jim Callas

By Capt. Jim Callas

Forgive me Father for what I’m about to write. Many people that acquire the honor of driving a boat for a living start out with their dad, or uncle, or their friends dad or uncle and begin by simply messing about in boats as they say. They may be fishing, or water skiing or in some places engaging in some form of trade or commerce to help out with the family’s bottom line. For me, it started out with my dad, and the Nancy J. The Nancy J was a small wooden boat that dad bought for the express purpose of chasing salmon around the Pacific Northwest. He kept it in our carport of our family home, and I would sit in it for hours pretending I was out at sea conquering hordes of invaders or catching monster fish. Next it was a seven-foot plywood pram that I would row all day long in Puget Sound, if the folks would let met.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Advice, Careers, Featured Stories, Fishing Tagged With: boat captain, Charter Fishing, fishing careers, hawaii fishing, Offshore Fishing

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News

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    Elizabeth Arn To Achieve Junior Blue Marlin Record

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  • It Just Takes Time Three-Peats as 2022 MGCBC Champion

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  • 2022 Georgetown Blue Marlin Tournament Results

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