General Information
Captain Hunter Brown is a fly fishing and light tackle guide who specializes in fishing the flats and backcountry of Charlotte Harbor and Boca Grande. Captain Hunter is able to accommodate up to two anglers per charter. Young children are welcome on charters at their parent’s discretion. Guided fishing charters run from 4 hours (half day) to 8 hours (full day). The waters that you will fish are generally calm and protected, however, there can be occasional choppy water crossings. Please let Capt. Hunter know if you have any physical limitations and he will work with you to work around them and get you on the water. Fishing licenses are provided under Captain Hunter’s guide license. The starting time of your fishing charter will depend on your schedule, the time of year, the tide, your target species, and other factors.
What Will You Catch and How
Captain Hunter specializes in guiding anglers to the biggest gamefish deep in the backcountry on fly fishing and light tackle gear. The most common fish targeted and caught on fishing charters with Capt. Hunter are redfish, snook, trout, and tarpon, however, you may also encounter mangrove snapper, jack crevalle, bluefish, and other inshore species on your charter. Your fishing charter will be tailored to your experience level as an angler. Experienced anglers using light tackle with artificial lures may spend the day chasing fish in situations where long casts or technical casts are necessary while less experienced artificial anglers will fish areas that offer more forgiving conditions. Fly fishing anglers can choose from the variety of fishing situations that Charlotte Harbor has to offer, sight fishing any gamefish from redfish to tarpon.
Catch and Release
Capt. Hunter Brown is a 100% catch and release guide. Capt. Hunter believes that our gamefish are too valuable to be caught only once and that it is our duty to ensure that our fishery remains healthy and productive for future generations.
About Capt. Hunter Brown
Capt. Hunter is a native Floridian who was raised fishing the flats of Sarasota Bay and the Boca Grande backcountry where he now guides. In addition to inshore and offshore fishing, Hunter is also an avid archery hunter and outdoorsman. He has always had a deep appreciation and respect for the natural environment and enjoys sharing this perspective with his clients. Hunter graduated from Vanderbilt University where he studied economics, anthropology, and business.
What's Provided
On an inshore flats fishing charter Capt. Hunter provides the following items
- All necessary tackle (spinning rods, fly rods, reels, lures, flies, etc.)
- Water bottles and ice in a cooler
- Safety gear
- Fishing licenses
What to Bring
When planning a backcountry fly fishing or light tackle charter to Boca Grande, Charlotte Harbor, or Placida, you should bring the following items
- A good hat
- Sunscreen (please no spray sunscreen, it leaves residue on the deck that can create a slip hazard)
- Good polarized glasses (brown or amber colors are best)
- Buffs/neck gators are recommended to keep the sun off of your face/neck
- A rain jacket or windbreaker for summer showers and winter temperatures (even if the forecast looks good)
- Lunch and snacks for longer trips (full days)
Water and ice are provided in a cooler. Alcoholic beverages are welcome in moderation.
Where to Meet
At the start of your charter Capt. Hunter will pick you up at the Pink Elephant Docks on Boca Grande, centrally located at the end of 5th street, where it turns into Bayou Ave (directly across from the Pink Elephant restaurant). Anglers can also arrange to be picked up at any private dock where they live or are staying on Boca Grande, Little Gasparilla, and other nearby locations. Morning charters will often start around daylight and afternoon charters generally start around noon or 1 pm.