A mixed bag here. The whale watch I went on wasn't very fruitful. There were only a handful of whales and no dolphins. And the whales that we did we see weren't very close. Apparently, there was a school of tuna close by, and the whales were feeding on them below the water according to the shipmates. Now, that isn't exactly something within their control, and it's not like I was expecting the whales and/or dolphins to pose for pictures. Nonetheless, I was hoping for a little better of an experience. It's about a 4.5-hour experience with about 45 minutes of actual whale watching and the rest of the time spent getting to the spot and back. You can't really here anything the captain is saying unless your directly under the speaker. The trip could be a little better if they played some music on the way and back, but again, you wouldn't be able to really hear it that good. Having said all that, all staff encountered were pleasant and friendly and it was a pleasant ride to and from. Overall I would say it probably wasn't worth the price ($70). If I had seen more whales/dolphins I'd probably feel different. And again, I realize it's not something they can control, but it does have to factor into the rating. read more

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We are on our way back to the dock. I was pleasantly pleased it was not over-crowded. The captain and crew were great! We saw many whales, dolphins and birds. Very exciting for my visiting family! read more

Frances Fleet - Whales - Boat Charters Near Me - Narragansett, Rhode Island

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They aim to please. Burgers cooked on the boat! Plenty or room, I have been fishing the Frances Fleet since the 1970's and plan on fishing it for at least 20 more years. Ted Richard Norwich Ct. read more

I took advantage of the half day fishing trip for this Labor Day Monday and I'm glad I did!! This was my second time fishing with the Frances Fleet and I really can not say enough about the awesome crew members aboard! Whether I tangled my line or snarled my reel - any of the guys were happy to assist. When I caught my fish they took it off the hook for me! At the end of the trip all of our fish were filleted and bagged to take home. As an amateur angler I highly recommend this half day trip for anyone who wants to try salt water fishing without the usual huge price tag. Don't forget to bring cash for snacks, having your fish filleted and to tip the crew!! read more

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Went on a half-day Summer fishing trip yesterday- the boat left at 1 and came back back at 6. I caught zippo, but quite a few folks pulled in fluke, sea bass, and very strange looking sea robins (which look like some prehistoric thing out of Jurrasic World). The three mates were outstanding -running around the ship baiting hooks, untangling lines, and sprinting to some lucky angler when the crowd yelled "Fish On!" Baiting the hooks was pretty cool- you get one 2-3" strip of calamari and you put the hook through the top, then hook a tiny fish or two through its eyeball, so you have a mini three piece streamer. Fluke and seabass are bottom feeders, so you drop your line all the way down until it hits bottom, flip the bale and wait. They have a grill onboard and cooked up dogs and burgers for the customers. They have a tiny bathroom too. read more

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Went out on the Gail Frances for an afternoon 1/2 Day Fluke Fishing about a week back. Black Seabass season had just opened, and much of the catch was large and short sea bass. The boat provided rigs were set up for drift, 8oz and 10oz weight bouncing squid strips and and frozen silversides (spearing) along the bottom in 60+ feet of water. Bigger fluke were being caught with brought on board equipment, jigging bucktails and soft plastic baits, often tipped with spearing. Crew were really great. Had the gear ready and bait available well before the lines were in the water, expert at sorting tangled lines and backlashed reels, and quick to the spot with the landing nets. All in it was a fine afternoon, brought a couple of nice keepers home to boot. read more

Frances Fleet - Fluke Fillet Station - Boat Charters Near Me - Narragansett, Rhode Island

I did a full day fluke trip. Unfortunately, the fish weren't biting much and the seas were rough but that's not the captain's fault. Bring cash for any transactions on board (filleting your catch or buying food). I can't say enough good things about the crew, who constantly walk around the deck ready to offer help. They don't stop working. They untangled my reel, got me unstuck from someone else's line, helped me disgorge hooks from fish mouths, measured their length, and refilled our bait without us having to ask. At the end of the day, on the way back to port, they'll fillet your catch for $2/fish and put it in a plastic bag. Be sure to tip the crew $20 to $30. More if you're in a group. You can bring your own food or buy it on board, cash only. Prices range from $1 to $5/item for drinks, chips/snacks, hot dogs ($2) or burgers ($4) cheese is an extra buck. You can bring reasonable amounts of beer in cans, no glass. There's a small restroom on board, it's about the size of an airplane bathroom. It takes 90 minutes to get out, followed by several hours of fishing, about 90 minutes back. Sometimes the captain moved the boat to a different spot. read more

Frances Fleet - Boat Charters Near Me - Narragansett, Rhode Island

Had a great time today on the whale watching excursion! We were able to see several whales including a mom & calf. A great value for the fare! I highly recommend the tour. read more

Great whale watching trip out of Narragansett!! It is a very long trip out to the feeding grounds, but the crew found whales!!

Do not ever go here to buy bait and / or tackle. The selection is ok but small. The help are poorly trained and rude. The owner is truly an idiot. I recently purchased several items, including a knife. I saw a knife I thought was better for my purpose and asked that it be exchanged for the substitute. The clerk was not trained to complete the transaction. It took the owner 12 minutes to arrive to perfect the refund. He was rude, abusive and frankly, an a hole. Do not EVAH! patronise this business. ZERO STARS!!! read more

Awesome day on the 4 hour fluke trip!! My fiancé decided he wanted to go fishing for his birthday so we ended up making an online reservation for a 1pm Sunday trip. The boat we were on holds about 75 people and was only 2/3 full so there was plenty of space. We moved around to a few different spots and at the third spot everyone's lines were jerking. I think nearly everyone caught as least one fish and we went home with 3 sea bass. The crew is fantastic and was always nearby to net your catch or help out with any tangled lines. Be sure to bring cash to tip these awesome guys & if you want them to filet up your catch (only $2). We will definitely do this again! My fiancé and I had a blast and it made for a pretty relaxing afternoon. read more

Frances Fleet - Half day fishing boat - Boat Charters Near Me - Narragansett, Rhode Island

I've called and spoke with employees at Frances Fleet for 5 days straight. Everyone promised to call me back to confirm my reservation for a private fishing charter for a dozen anglers in mid-July. No one has called me back....they are leaving all this money on the table. I'm disappointed. We just wanted to go fishing! read more

I signed up for a 4 1/2 hour whale watching trip. I arrived to find they have 1 bathroom and there were 10 people standing in line to use it. We were late boarding the Lady Francis because they were hosing the clam bellies and fish slime off the decks. Rods still in the holders. We boarded and they had a full boat. There were small children including a screaming infant. Seas were forcast for 1 to 2 feet. The captain informed us that it would be an hour and forty five minute ride out to the whales. No idea it was so far. They were doing 15 mph, so pretty far. The boat was rocking and bouncing along. The parents of the screaming baby had it standing holding the railing rocking back and forth with every wave. Terrifying! People walking like drunks on the rolling deck. I watched a small child hit the deck and come up with 2 bloody knees. A couple teenage boys were using the overhead metal rack as monkey bars, and also doing pullups. They were also down in the pulpit bow riding, which is illegal! During the fun, a woman staggered across the deck and stepped on my ankle and almost fell. More than a couple seniors looked like they grabbed a rail at the last second before falling. I saw a kid come up the ladder holding a hamburher in one hand, a hotdog in the other, and a cup of coffee in his teeth. Look ma, no hands! The boat moved way more in calm seas than I expexted. Long ride out, we saw a pod of dolfins for a couple minutes, spent a fruitless hour motoring around, and went back. We all got coupons to go back out again. They let people do some dangerous stuff, and I was constantly expecting people to fall. It was hard to watch. read more

FRANCES FLEET IS RACIST after paying $200 for tickets and sitting and enjoying my breakfast for a half an hour my black fiancé came to sit next to me after setting up our poles by the car. My fiancé went to check in at the office( in ny they just check tkts on the boat) and then came back on the boat, now I've been on the boat 40 minutes and a man comes up to me and says I've been sitting in his spot says the rag on the floor marked it, the captain says that we are in the mans spot the whole white boat watched as the captain and this man continued arguing with me in a ridiculous condescending unending circular style until we were so uncomfortable we had no choice but to get off the boat we went into the office where a pudgy white man with "impeccable" eyebrows yelled at us for not allowing them to accommodate us and we were given a refund WEIRDEST RACIST EXPERIENCE IVE EVER HAD. read more

Enjoyed a really solid trip fluking on the Gail Frances earlier this month. As usual, the Frances Fleet crew provided tackle and plenty of advice. Really impressed with their professionalism and knowledge of early season fluking tactics. My group nearly limited out, with fish up to 24" and a handful of sea bass, which aren't in season yet. Glad to see the Fleet is back to work and practicing appropriate Covid precautions. Looking forward to a return trip in July. read more

All employees that we met were friendly... From the parking lot attendant to the deckhands. Boat was clean and stocked. Either side of the boat is perfect for viewing the whales as the captain makes sure of that! read more

Did a winter cod/seabass trip with these guys in dec 2011. Overall it was a pretty good trip. The mates were a little overwhelmed by the # of tangles in the back of the boat, so they didn't make it to the front of the boat as often to net/gaff our fish. They filleted all our seabass. Did an admirable job. A little more attention to the customers than other boats I'd been on, and nothing to complain about. Captn put us on black seabass, which was all I wanted. Did a cod trip spring of 2013. Was a tough day with very few fish biting. Captain tried hard to get fish in the boat and stayed out a couple extra hours, steaming 15 miles further to get some fish in the boat. Words of advice: get there 2 hours before sailing to get good fishing spots, and a seat inside the cabin. They serve food and drinks onboard, but we usually bring sandwiches and stuff. read more

Frances Fleet - Head Boat - Boat Charters Near Me - Narragansett, Rhode Island

Went whale watching on a whim while I was in Rhode Island with my wife. The whales we found were "Fin Whales" which apparently are not as interested in people as other species. The captain spent extra time though making sure we saw as much of them as we could. The crew were very friendly. Great way to spend an afternoon. read more

Great morning trip for fluke and Black Sea bass. Crew was friendly and helpful. Even gave my kid some help with technique. We came back with three keepers and lost track of how many we actually caught, it was more than 10. Snacks, drinks, sandwiches also sold on the boat. $2 per fish to have them filleted on the boat during the ride in. I've also been out with Seven B's and these 2 operations are very similar. I think it's really what you make of the trip and what your expectations are. I can't understand how anyone could give a fishing trip one star, for lack of catch.... Be prepared and bring a cooler and snacks and proper gear in case weather isn't great. This is s big boat with quite a few people aboard - not a private charter. My family will definitely be doing this again, maybe the sunset trip next time. read more

Frances Fleet - Boat Charters Near Me - Narragansett, Rhode Island

The trip went pretty well. Some decent sized fluke and some nice size sea bass were caught. My friend won the pool with an almost 9 pound fluke. At the end, he was giving the one mate, Chris, $60 for himself. He was also going to give the other mate $60 since the trip went pretty well. But, before he could even say anything the Mate Chris, said that wasn't enough because he thought the 60 was for both mates. He insulted my friend, and lost out on extra money. He stated that the ticket said that 20% must be kept to the mates on the pool, but it said 15%. Chris was very rude and disrespectful. However, the other mate Connor, was outstanding and a standup guy. Needless to say, if the fishing wasn't good, I would have gave them one star. Beware of an asshole mate. read more

Worst charter experience on Frances fleet on November 14 2020. From the beginning they started charging for sinkers now. Which would of been helpful to know before the trip so that we could have brought our own. The mate were cool about it so give us a few. 2 hour ride to the first spot and barely anything hooked up. Second and third spots same story just a few black fish here and there. The fourth spot where the fish were biting good and the boat became so active everyone was catching fish. We were there for about 20 mins before the captain moved us again. The final spot nobody was on fish. Everyone on the chapter was starring into the water waiting for a bite. Gave the mates $5 for being helpful . Honestly felt robbed being on this vessel. The website reported great fishing but wasn't the case today. read more

Big group of us did the night striper fishing. Granted, half of us got seasick (very high seas), but no one caught anything (well, one person got one bluefish). Also, others on the boat did catch some fish, but probably less than 1 fish per person on average. The crew was working hard, and I am sure the captain as well, just go into it with appropriate expectations. Our group paid over $1000 collectively and we came up empty handed. I have been on a cod trip out of Plymouth, similar style, and everyone was reeling in something (whether it be dogfish or otherwise). Came away from that at least having had much more fun than this trip. read more

My husband and I had an amazing experience on Frances Fleet. The crew could not have been accommodating and knowledgeable! We were both impressed with Frances' ability to make everyone feel safe in a post Covid-19 environment, while also maintaining a fun atmosphere! read more

Younger crew were cool and helpful, but the captain wasn't very good. we would stop, captain would say drop lines then a minute later he would move a bit and get everyone's lines tangled. We were at a good spot with calm waters and people were catching fish then Captain would move 10 minutes later to a worse spot were lines would all get tangled up. Think if he stayed in 1-2 spots It would have been a much better trip. Felt like we were wale watching more than we were stopped long enough for fishing. I would definitely not charter this one again...I'm sure there are better options. read more

Best day ever! Took an 8am Family Day trip. It was such a great time! Parking was easy , and staff was so helpful and kind to us and our kids. It was a nice relaxing trip. Can't wait to do it again!! read more

I was on it for black fishing and probably not going back. Captain has his loyal clients which he served them better then others. We were catching fish on our side first. Then it dies down and the other side started to catch continuously. It happen three times on this trip. Finally the last drop, our side was catching it again. I got snagged on the bottom but the guys besides me were still catching. My snagged line went underneath the boat. This means that the captain moved the boat for the other side. I don't mind if both sides get a fair share. No! The other side limited out already. They all had least a dozen each. Well if you go, put a rod on each side when going on this party boat. read more

This was my second attempt at a Whale Watching tour. I understand that nature is unpredictable but I have a feeling no one sees whales on these trips. If you are here for only a week, don't waste your time. It is hard to give up a nice day when you are staying for one week. The crew was very nice and did seem to be trying really hard. We did see dolphins on both trips. Also, if you have kids under the age of 6, don't take them on this trip. You are on the boat for 5hrs and kids cannot run around on the boat obviously. There were a couple of screaming 3 yr olds and it was not fun to be around them. read more

FANTASTIC AFTERNOON OF FISHING!!! My 10 year old son and I just did a 4 hour Fluke fishing trip with Frances Fleet. Having never fished before, I was a little leery of getting the hang of it - especially with my son. However, the Captain and deck hands were very helpful and were always there to help of answer any questions we had, help bait the hook and show us how to cast. We seemed like old pros within 10-15 minutes. It also helped that they seemed to know exactly were to go - because we ended up catching 12 fish - which thrilled my son. They even cleaned and packaged the fish - which we ate that night - absolutely delicious. Thanks for a great memory!!! read more

Do not fish with the Frances Fleet. They make no effort to get you near the fish and want you to catch little just so you will be back sooner. Its too expensive to be taken for a ride. Watch the boat come after the days fishing and see most people with no fish at all. read more

Went in a whale watch for 4.5 hours and saw nothing. Not the fault of the crew but for the price ($50/person) they should be more positive on where to go I order to see something. Multiple people became ill on the ship which also hurt the experience. Would consider doing it again but would prefer a 2 hour trip. read more

I've done the whale watch twice on this boat. The first time we saw a pod of dolphins and three whales which was pretty amazing! The second time, just a week or so ago we took it again but sadly (no fault of the captains) there were no whales. The reason I am giving this three stars is that the boat was absolutely FILTHY! It looked like there were dried up fish blood and parts in one area of seating! There was all other sorts of who knows what on the seats as well. It needs a good washing down after every fishing trip. Pretty gross! read more

I didn't give 5 stars only because the whales were totally uncooperative. One showed us his back which was awesome cause I've never even seen that. Did see several spouts and the Captain chased after them, but they were very elusive today. Saw a few dolphins too. The ride was great. Eight to ten foot swells made for a roller coaster ride that was great fun. Got soaked and salt covered. The crew was wonderful. Decent food at a decent price too. Won't break the wallet. The gift shop at the dock also has some nice souvenirs and again, they weren't outrageously priced. I bought a bracelet and a glass dolphin for less than a trip to McDonald's. My only issue is people who get seasick. In some cases, these were young children...about 10-13 years old. If you haven't taken your child out in a boat, try something shorter than a five hour ocean trip. And for anyone, if you're going to vomit, spend your time at the back of the boat. Not in the front where the wind carries it to your neighbor. Maybe the crew could suggest that? Or put it on the website? But overall, we had a great time and would do it again. read more

Very helpful crew. Friendly staff. Enjoyable experience was enjoyable, would go on trips again in the future.

Here are some tips for the whale watch... 1. Bring a padded seat, it's a long 2 1/2 hour ride to the whales ( and 2 + hours back)& the seats on the 1st level outside are the continuous wood bench type, VERY uncomfortable. There are tables inside with padded seats, BUT you can't see out side as the windows are very old and clouded up! Talk about silly! Go on a boat ride & you can't see the water outside! 2. Sit on the left side, that's where all the action will be. 3. Bring your own BARF BAG! yes they have them, but not to grab quickly, on our trip about 2 hours in, all of a sudden 4 kids and 2 adults got sick.vomit was all over the place! The deck hand just dumped a pail of water on the vomit and it spread it over the whole floor on the left side of the boat...Nice! The parents at least cleaned up their kids mess, & the wife had her own! 4. bring a change of cloths, esp. if you sit towards the front bow, the sea was kind of ruff going out & we got wet. The drive home was uncomfortable at best. 5. bring sun screen, if you're outside you're in the open. I was actually able to wear a baseball cap without it flying off, though I kept making sure it was secure. 6. Bring a coat & or small blanket, there might not be a breeze when you leave, but the boat really speeds along and it feels like 25 mph winds. 7. If you want to hear the captain over the loudspeaker, find the speaker & sit near it, we couldn't make out ANYTHING he said! They need a better PA system! 8. Once you get to the whales, keep your video/phone recording as you won't have time to start & stop it, when they come up they are only in view for 3 seconds! On cameras, keep it wide as you never know where they'll pop up, you can always zoom in later to view it. 9. Bring your own food & drink, it's a 5 hour trip. 10. wear non slip shoes 11. bring binoculars if you have them 12. Find a place on the main drag in town to go to the bathroom before you go to the boat, there is a bathroom on board, but you can't use it till its out of the port & there is no bathroom at the Frances Fleet office. read more

Ive been on the Lady Frances two years in a row, for a night-time fishing trip. It was around $100 per person and there were 37 occupants on the boat. Last year, only 2 of us caught a fish. NO other bites at ALL in the whole 6 hours. This year, there wasnt even a single BITE. Nevermind a fish caught.6 hours of dropping your lines......only to reel them up and move to a different spot. Nothing. All night. A $100 boat ride. These both were outings for my company. My boss paid $1300 last year and a grand this year for us to all go on a boat ride. :( read more

Drove up from VA. I love the frances fleet fishing report, honest, even if it is not a good report. On the full day trip. We first tried deep, problem was that it was blowing to hard, as the capt was saying, trolling for fluke, needed 16 ounces to hold bottom. We decided to go in towards shore with less wind. Batteries died, took them an hour to fix, we fished why we drifted. We get going, head to an inlet, get on the drift, still running hard but fishable. Crew was great, on top of everything, netting fish, undoing tangles, assisting when needed. At 1PM, Capt says the alternator is not holding the charge, we need to go in. I have learned, especially through owning my own boat, that two things you cannot stop, mother nature and weather and mechanical issues (safety always first). We got back in at 1:40, at the dock, someone from the front desk was handing out free cert for a free full day trip, no questions, no hesitations, doing the right thing to make sure people are happy. Even though we did not get a full day of fishing, without question or hesitation, I would go out with them again. read more

We had quite an experience Whale Watching ! It was incredible ! We saw everything whales do: Breeching, fin/tail slapping, feeding straight up in the air, mother and baby, rolling, noises, etc. It was terrific ! Although it was a chance taking a whale trip in this area, we were VERY lucky and had a great day ! Lot's of pic's and memories. Thanks Frances Fleet ! read more

Night Striper fishing was a disaster... 2 years in a row now. My family and I spent $475 for 5 people, and we caught 1 striper and 1 bluefish. Last year we did the same and caught the same amount, 1 striper. We were lucky, too. Most people left with just a bluefish. Of the 40+ people (over the 25 person limit they set) there was 4 stripers caught. The boat was far too crowded, the lines got crossed every time, and the crew were chain smokers who smoked inside the cabin. Overall very dissapointing. Don't go striper fishing! read more

horrible told on arrival the boat was running a little late, that our trip would go about 30 min later than scheduled boat returned from morning trip 30 mins later than our trip was supposed to leave, after morning trip passengers were offloaded, they loaded up us cattle, and then we sat there for another 20 or 30 mins at the dock until they shut the engine down and told us the trip was cancelled because they had some kind of breakdown they knew all along the boat had some problem, that s why it was late returning from the morning trip so through all the time from when we arrived there nearly an hour early as they tell you to do and all the extra time waiting for a late return and the time it takes to disembark all those people with all their coolers and gear then all the time to load us on, and then sitting there for a half hour thinking why haven t we shoved off yet through all that time, when they knew there was a problem and a chance the trip might be cancelled, they said nothing stringing us along with boats running a little late and about 30 minutes, when they knew it would be 45 till the boat returned and close to an hour past scheduled departure time at the earliest before we could possibly leave then to top it all of they load us on the boat to string us along more, then nearly an hour and a half after our scheduled departure time they finally come clean and tell us the trip is cancelled they did all of this purely out of GREED, they could of and should of notified all of us upon arrival that there was a problem, the boat is running late, and they re trying to fix it, but there s a chance the trip may have to be cancelled instead they sell you your ticket, and mention offhandedly that the boats running a little late when they knew long before that something serious was wrong, thats why the boat was late, because it was going so slow running on only one engine of the 50-60 people on the boat, i know at least 20 of us came down from MA, and there were plenty of people there that came in from CT so more than half the boat travelled and hour or two or more to get there then if you got there an hour early as they tell you to, you wasted another hour, plus another hour and a half while they strung us along with lies and their feeble last gasp attempt at fixing the boat while all of us sat there on the boat at the dock for a half hour then waste another half hour with all those people crowding into the office to get their refunds along with a piddly gift certificate equal to about a third of the cost of a similar trip with my my family and many times me and a group of fishing friends have taken several trips a year on the gail frances and lady frances and others for many years now all the crew on the boat have always been great but the people in that office, owners and management are all rude, condescending, and treat customers like sheet, all they care about is getting your cash, other than that you dogsheet to them in the last 2 or 3 years there have been 4 times that a trip we were going on was cancelled last minute, twice for other breakdowns and twice before this they ve cancelled trips at the last minute because there wasn t enough people to go even though I called the day before and the trips were reservations required cod and striper trips that left early in the morning, when I called late afternoon the day before they said the trip was definitely going. LIES, all GREED driven lies they dont care that you re getting up at 3 am to get ready then drive an hour and half, they just figure if they tell everyone that calls the trip is definitely on that there s a chance they might get a few last minute sales to make the trip worth going. And if it doesn t happen, they could give 2 sheets about your wasted time, just give you an insincere apology and act as if they re doing you a favor by refunding your money read more

Went yesterday on a cod trip. The boat was clean and comfortable. We had a very slow start and then the captain made a move away fro the herd. When we got to the new spot it was game on. There were seven of us in the stern and within 3 seconds we all hooked into fish. Nice keeper cod coming over the rail, and they kept coming all day. The crew literally ran to help us bring them over the rail. Teddy, one of the mates, gaffed my friends fish, then ran to gaff another, then ran back apologizing that he couldn't help get the hook out right away! What crew does that, real first rate customer service. This was my first time on the Francis Fleet. I have never been on a vessel with a more helpful or pleasant crew, and I go out on trips 25 to 30 times a year. I made a point to let the captain know, and yes we'll be back. Now to the reviews on not catching fish. Watch the reports and call the boats before you go. They will tell you if the fish have been biting and I have found them all to be quite honest. The fishing boats are not responsible fr the fish biting or not....it's fishing not catching! This is a good boat with a great crew....period. read more