Do I need a fishing license?
- NOPE! As a fully licensed charter boat in Islamorada, all customers are covered under an umbrella licensed offered by the FWC to charter boats for their customers!
Do You have a Bathroom?
- Yes! We have a clean working head. Marine heads are very sensitive. We ask you to PLEASE never flush anything down the toilet that has not gone through your body, or is not toilet paper. Please be extremely mindful of the amount waste going into the toilet. We suggest an extra flush or two more than you’d typically use at home.
Motion Sickness
- We kindly suggest that everyone on board take some sort of motion sickness prevention. There are several options, including pills, patches, and bracelets. If you’re taking a product like Dramamine, we’d like to suggest a dose before bed, and another when you wake up before your morning fishing charter. For your afternoon charters, we suggest your first dose when you wake up, and again before you head to the boat. You’d be surprised how easy it is to become motion sick while fishing. Waves affect everyone differently, and there is no way of knowing who has the potential for getting sea sick. Some people are fine in waves well above our heads, and others become ill with just a slight chop.
- If a trip has to be cancelled due to illness we will not refund the cost of your trip. We always feel extremely bad for those becoming sea sick, and although we cannot offer a full refund, we may be able to charge for a shorter day than originally booked dependent upon circumstances.
- The captain will NOT fish in unsafe conditions.
How Should I Dress?
- Sunglasses and sunscreen – Maybe the most important item! We do request rinsing your hands after applying the sunscreen. Sunscreen is known to keep fish from biting lures, and killing live bait. Sunscreen can also be very harsh on items like upholstery, windows, fishing gear, and furnitire on the boat. Those using spray sunscreen, we kindly request to step outside of the salon, and spray into your hands before applying.
- Raincoat – We do fish in the rain. Especially during the summer months, rain can pop up at any time. While we do have plenty of space to hide from the weather inside the boat, the fish don’t care that it’s raining! They’re already wet!
- Jacket or Sweatshirt – This is advised during the winter months. Although it is much warmer than many of the northern states, It can still be a bit chilly early in the morning.
- Soft soled shoes/proper footwear is very important. Please do not wear footwear that could leave marks, rip upholstery, or cause damage to the vessel (work boots, cowboy boots). If you wear shoes that could damage the boat, you will be asked to remove, or change them before being allowed to board the vessel.
What else should I bring?
- Coolers! Please bring a small cooler with you packed with your choice of food for your trip. We will provide an iced down cooler with plenty of water for your trip. You’re more than welcome to use this cooler for other beverages you may bring.
- A Camera! We want your trip to be as memorable as possible! Feel free to take pictures of everything
Alcohol/Drugs
- While alcohol is allowed, we ask that you please be respectful. Please refrain from glass bottles. Any trip can, and will be cancelled for any persons becoming “out of control.” If a party member is beginning to get out of control, he or she will be reminded of the policy several times before the trip is cancelled. We will immediately cancel any trip that we feel someone is being put in danger. NO REFUND
- Absolutely NO drugs of any sort are allowed on the vessel. Although different states may allow controlled substances, our licenses are Federally issued and we are not allowed to have any Federally Illegal Substances on board. Possession of any drugs will result in a cancelled trip with no refund.
Medical Conditions
- Please make us aware of any medical conditions that anybody in your party may have. There will be times that it could take well over an hour to return to the dock from our fishing grounds. While both Captain TJ, and all first mates are certified for CPR/First Aid, it is in the interest of safety that we require you to tell us of any existing medical conditions.
Will you clean our fish?
- You betcha! We will clean and bag your fish free of charge.
- Although there is absolutely no guarantees in the amount of edible fish you may catch, we will never keep fish that will go to waste. If you’re looking for just enough for dinner, please let us know before your charter.
- For those trips where fishing is phenomenal, there are options to ship fish back home thru 3rd party companies.
Are there additional costs?
- A 3% credit card processing fee will be charged for all transactions involving a credit card.
- It is customary to tip the crew for great service. Remember, we can’t control the fish, but we can control how hard we work!
- Gratuity is ALWAYS left up to the customers discretion, and while the vast majority of customers tip 20% or more, this is not a minimum.
- Our main objective is for you to enjoy your trip with Bout Time Sportfishing.
