Perfect day, perfect boat, perfect captain, and lifetime memories for the kids!…read moreWe recently arranged a hybrid fishing/boating trip with Captain Pat for our 2 families with children, and our experience was nothing short of amazing! We will definitely make this an annual excursion going forward.
For starters, I have fished with Captain Pat for years. He is an incredible fisherman who consistently catches fish. If they are out there swimming, he'll know where to find them and how to get you hooked up. His boat and fishing equipment are top-notch and impeccably maintained, and Pat has decades of experience and local knowledge.
This particular trip was different than my usual fishing trip, however. Instead of flying kites for sails, deep dropping for swords, or high-speeding for wahoo, I was taking my wife and two young children, along with some close family friends and their three kids for a day of boating and fun. Most of the passengers onboard had limited to no boating or fishing experience. Loading the boat with fish was secondary to everyone just having a great (and safe) day on the water.
From the moment I booked Pat, I knew he was the right person for the job. Pat offered to pick us up dockside from our VRBO in Pompano Beach, eliminating the hassle of having to pack up 2 families and drive somewhere to get to the boat. Everyone was prepped and excited for the day ahead.
Pat takes boating safety very seriously, which is one of the reasons why he is among the few people I trust with our families. Before leaving the dock, he stopped to make sure all the kids had the correct life jacket and were properly buckled in, and off we went. A short ICW cruise brought us to Hillsboro Inlet, and we were met with flat conditions and nice weather. So far, so good.
Knowing that our primary focus was on our children, Pat decided that the best game plan for the day was to stay inshore and chum up the resident reef fish for a few hours. It was the right call. The action was pretty much non-stop! From snappers, to blue runners, to grunts, jacks, parrotfish, filefish, and everything in between, we saw enough variety to start our own aquarium. Everyone on the boat had a crack at as many fish as they wanted to catch, and we all brought home memories of first-ever catches and exactly the type of adventure that can spark a lifelong love of the water and fishing.
We capped off the day wish a fresh dip in the ocean before heading home. On the cruise back, Pat indulged the kids by patiently letting them quiz him about every button on the dash, check out the tower, and pretend to be pirates. Everyone had a fantastic experience.
The trip was the highlight of our entire vacation, and weeks later the kids are still asking us when we can go fishing again with their favorite captain, Captain Pat of the Weekley Rehab.
There are many charter boat options and captains in the area. I stand by the fact that Pat is among the best fisherman around here. If you go with Pat, you can trust that you are in great hands and will very likely catch fish. But beyond that, very few captains have the patience, personality, or versatility to have custom-tailored such an exceptional family day on the water. We highly recommend him!