We rented a pontoon boat today from Twisted Anchor Boat Rentals, and once again, it was a fantastic…read moreexperience! Ann and Patrick are wonderful to work with--communication is always excellent, the booking process is simple and stress-free, and they make all the logistics easy from start to finish. When you arrive, they meet you at the dock with everything ready to go, so you can get out on the water and start enjoying your day right away. One thing we especially appreciate is that you never have to wonder where to go or what to see. Ann and Patrick provide great local recommendations, a detailed boating map, and a Garmin GPS, making it easy to explore with confidence. We've been renting from Ann and Patrick every time we visit Anna Maria Island--about every 2-3 years--for at least the past 10 years. At this point, we wouldn't even consider renting from anyone else. Their customer service, professionalism, and attention to detail are second to none. 10/10 experience every single time. Highly recommend!

I am writing this because I feel a moral obligation to warn any families--especially those with…read moreyoung children--to stay far away from this company. What began as a peaceful vacation ended in a traumatic, profanity-laced tirade from one of the owners, Patrick, that left my entire family shaking and my 6-year-old son in tears for days. We rented a pontoon boat for a family outing. Our group included my 70-year-old mother, my sister (who is 6.5 months pregnant), my husband, my brother-in-law, and three small children (ages 2, 3, and 6). Things started off fine with Ann and Patrick, but the moment there was a minor navigational hiccup, Patrick's mask slipped, and he revealed himself to be completely unhinged. The Incident While heading back to the dock with 20 minutes left on our rental, we unfortunately hit a sandbar. We did the responsible thing and called for guidance. Rather than professional assistance, we were met with a phone call from Patrick that I can only describe as a verbal assault. He began screaming at the top of his lungs, using every profanity in the book, asking us "what the f* we were doing"** and calling us the "most disrespectful renters" he'd ever met. My husband remained incredibly calm, apologized, and asked if we could just get back to the dock to settle things like adults. Patrick's response? "What, you gonna buy me a new boat?!" He then made disparaging, xenophobic comments about us being from New Jersey and told us he should "let us f-ing sit out there and be stuck all night."* When we got to the dock (which took 30 seconds once we were off the sandbar), we didn't say a single word. We were terrified. Patrick continued his tirade, screaming at us to "get the f* out of my boat"** and that he needed to leave "before this turns ugly." This man threatened a group that included a pregnant woman, an elderly grandmother, and three toddlers who had done absolutely nothing to provoke him. To the Owners: Save your breath with the defensive reply. I know you will try to pivot to "rental rules" or "channels." Let me be clear: No amount of "improper navigation" or a 30-second sandbar stall justifies screaming F-bombs at children and threatening a family. You are in the hospitality business, yet you acted like a dangerous maniac. To Families: There are plenty of other rental companies in the area. Do not give your money to someone who thinks it is acceptable to traumatize a 6-year-old child. My son spent the rest of our vacation asking if "the scary man" was going to come find us and hurt his dad. This person is not fit to be around people, let alone young children. STAY AWAY.

As a disclaimer, I'm an enthusiastic participant who's friends with a member of the sailing center…read more As my friend explained, if you take a class and pay an annual fee, then you get access to a fleet of sailboats. The boats hold 1-3 people, and you can check them out throughout the year. Per my friend, the fee is reasonable at around $600. This gets you the class about how to sail, and access to the boats. You can also join the Yacht club, and get this perk. That's obviously more expensive though. We spent about two hours sailing. We didn't capsize, get stranded, or crash so I'd say the lessons are a win. When my friend initially asked if I wanted to go sailing, I was excited. Anything on the water sounds good to me. Plus, I own boat shoes which I haven't used for their actual purpose until now. I forgot that sailing is actually pretty tough and technical. You have to figure out the wind patterns, use about 10 ropes to ensure you don't crash, and tip one side of the boat into the water to catch the wind. It's intense. It was a lot of fun, and I would probably go again. Sailing is definitely a sport, so if you're looking for a relaxing day on the water then this probably isn't for you. The center has free parking and is in a great location. Sail in the morning, and stroll to lunch at one of the fabulous DTSP restaurants.

As a beginner I can't think of a better place to learn to sail. After 1 class I felt very…read morecomfortable going out on my own. Classes are great, staff is very nice and supportive and the "sailing community" they have there feels really good. I come from north Tampa and honestly, I can be there in a boat on on the water in less than 45 minutes. Boats are perfect, already rigged and ready to go. Great valus for the $$!

Couldn't have been more pleased. Lance was so helpful and easy to schedule with and had the boat…read morein the water and ready at the appointed time. We appreciated his easy-going nature and good instructions. The pontoon boat was clean, comfortable, and well-equipped....just what we needed for a half day on Sarasota Bay. We will definitely use Lance again and highly recommend him to others. Couldn't wait to call him back and thank him for a great experience!

My husband and I called Lance to inquire on renting a boat. We were pleased with his prompt…read moreresponse and very personable nature. He made arrangements to meet us at a flexible time for us and was very accommodating on what time to meet up at the end of the day. The boat was equipped with all the necessities for a beautiful day on the water. I would definitely call Lance up again when we are back in the area.

Captain Don is our favorite captain yet! His boat was super clean and he's very polite and nice. We…read morecan't wait to take our 6 year old to Eggmont with him.

We spent another fantastic afternoon with Captain Don, again. He's now our official "go to" when…read morewe want to get out on the water in Anna Maria. He took us to the Island Grill - highly recommend. Found some dolphins to follow us back to the marina! Really, really fun. Captain Don is a great host and the boat is big, comfortable and immaculate. We'll be back!

I was one of four guys that spent a half day off shore fishing with Mark who proved to be an able…read moreand affable captain who "knew his stuff". It's always somewhat of a crap shoot to pick a charter; Mark came through with flying colors. He met us exactly as planned at 0845. His 26 foot boat was immaculate and more than spacious for all four of us to fish comfortably. He has state of the art gps and on board bottom imaging which led us right to the hot spots about 12 miles off shore. Mark was right there with replenishing our bait and helping us land many fish that we caught. He filleted the fish dockside and sent us happily on our way. All in all, one of the best charters I have enjoyed in my many years here in Bradenton. If you're looking for a great time and excellent fishing, call Mark and you won't be disappointed.

An exceptional charter ... Captain Mark provided everything our group needed. We left at 7:45 and…read morewas fishing in less than one hour. Captain Mark knew exactly where we needed to be to catch fish. Previous to this our group went zero for three with regards to bringing home anything other than a burger. Thank you Mark for a great trip and getting the fish ready to eat. The wife loved it! We will be back and I recommend Bradenton Charters to anyone with or without fishing experience. This is a turn-key operation ... bring nothing but yourself for a fun day.

My husband and I went fishing today, August 29th, 2016. I've never been fishing before, so I…read moredidn't really know what to expect. My husband went 3yrs ago on another charter when we were visiting Anna Maria. Capt. Kyle is a 4th generation charter captain. His charter is super nice and clean. He has a live well for bait and knows where to take you to get all the fish you can possible catch. Check out his website - lots of pics. Capt. Kyle is professional, knowledgable and friendly. He's got two big yeti coolers on board for your drinks and food. You are guaranteed a good time. As soon as a reeled in my line, he had another one baited for me and my husband. It's was non stop action! I couldn't believe how many fish I was bringing in. We tossed the small ones back, but they were even fun to catch. We ended up with red fish, trout, snapper and mackerel. Had a great time and now it's time to have The Sandbar Restaurant cook them up for us. Kyle filleted the fish for us right after we were done. Call him, you'll have a blast !

5 stars for Captain Kyle! We've been on a ton of charter trips and he is now our go-to guy for…read moreinshore and Tarpon fishing. He is a pro and will put you on the fish!

We had a fun day with Captain Morgan and first mate Brandon. Would definitely recommend fishing…read morewith these two. We had an enjoyable ride 9 miles out into the gulf to fish and came back to the dock from the other end of the island so we got to see all of Anna Maria. They cleaned our fish and the restaurant at the dock cooked it immediately and we enjoyed a wonderful meal. It was an incredibly great day!

Guy knows how to get you on the giants! His second mate really earns his keep! They literally…read moretake care of EVERYTHING, all you have to do is HOLD ON and let those huge Grouper and Snapper beat you up!! Prices are very reasonable! Will be returning soon!!!

Was in town for a wedding and was looking for something to do , was a beautiful Sunday day and we…read moredecided to go fishing , my wife and I and two friends stubbled upon captain Frankie Diaz on a Google search and we are so glad we did , we had such an amazing day from the moment we met Frankie at the dock til he dropped us at a local restaurant he recommended, Frankie was such a professional and probably the most educational captain I've ever met , he taught us about every fish we caught 8 different species, even taught us about all the birds we saw ! I will recommend Frankie to all my friends who live down here and will definitely be back again !

This was one of my most favorite experiences in Florida with my family (January 2021). Captain…read moreFrankie is truly a good person who is working his tail off in trying to make a great experience for his customers while carving out an income for him and his family. He made it work and we caught LOTS of fish! It was my first "White Glove" experience with fishing. I NEVER had to touch the bait or fish because he was there helping everyone with all of that. In the end, he quickly cleaned each fish we kept and we had an amazing dinner with our catch. The boat was new condition and well maintained. I felt like everyone was safe and he displayed excellent knowledge and experience throughout the day. We are looking to book our next trip and will definitely hire Captain Frankie again! Yes, give him a try!