By Terry Gibson
 

You will enjoy great service and fishing on most of Florida’s charter boats and party boats. In June, some friends from the northeast and I enjoyed an epic day with the Black Dog Fishing Charters team, out of Jupiter. Owner/operator Capt. Bill Taylor is a longtime friend, but strangely we’ve never had the chance to fish together.

Bill is a trained marine biologist, and he has spent about 20 years under and on these waters, so he knows the area reefs like the back of his hand. He took us out to reef in about 90 feet, and quickly a smorgasbord of reef fish started coming over the side. We were thick into a bunch of snappers, including yellowtail, mutton, mangrove and lane snappers, not to mention Florida kingfish, plus a variety of grunts and triggerfish.

I fell victim to bait stealers on my first couple of drops, and every time I reeled back up there was Bill, or his mate, Andrew, standing there ready to bait my hooks. I was like, “Guys, come on. I do this for a living too.” But Bill politely dismissed me, saying, “Enjoy your day off.” The level of service was superlative, and I’ve heard the same from every angler that I’ve ever referred to Black Dog Sportfishing Charters.

I was also struck by the quality of the tackle, and the obvious care it is given. The Black Dog team only uses graphite Shimano rods and Shimano reels. This tackle is very sensitive, so even novice anglers can readily feel the bites. It is also strong enough to wrench a grouper from a hole, but light enough that a 3-pound yellowtail is still tugging away all the way to the top.

Everywhere we dropped our lines inside Jupiter coral reef, we caught fish, one known advatage of Florida fishing. And as we ran from spot to spot, Bill regaled the crew with stories about the area’s unique ecology. Parents, if you want to get your kids curious about marine biology while hooking them on fishing, take them fishing with Capt. Bill.

Back at the dock, Andrew filleted our fish and divided the bounty neatly into Ziplock bags for easy transport. Teresa and I enjoyed snapper five ways for three days after that trip.

If you’re in the vicinity of Jupiter, don’t miss out on the Black Dog Fishing Charters experience. Bill’s prices are almost too reasonable for the high level of service and expertise. Tell them I sent you.

 

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