Pro Staff

All
Alabama
Alaska
California
Florida
Georgia
Louisiana
New Jersey
New Zealand
North Carolina
South Carolina
Texas
Trinidad & Tobago
Virginia

Capt. Stephen “Bama Saltwater” Franklin

Alabama
Roy Mattson

Daytona Beach, FL
Barry Croneberger

Flagler - Palm Coast - St. Augustine, FL
Capt. Larry Schults

Perdido Key, FL
Brian Demo

Navarre, FL
Gary Kemsley

Napier, North Island
Capt. Randy Sperco

Palm City, FL
Sean Lawless
Paul Vancelette
Para Ou
Capt. Jody Waldorff

Alabama
Travis Potts

Texas
Bunn Khiev

Alabama
Capt. Finn McCusker

Florida
Erik Jarvis

Florida
Capt. Allan McCoy

South Carolina
Blane “Perdido Blane” Roberts

Florida
Terrie B. Huffmaster

Florida
Courtney Woznek

Florida
Steven & Madden Forrest – VA

Virginia
Nick Thompson

Florida
Alex Swanson

Florida
Nick Heid

California
Brant Peacher

Florida
Ibrahim Wadi

Trinidad & Tobago
Captain Mike Wilson

Alabama
Captain Anthony Diaz De Leon

Texas
Captain Jennifer Diaz Deleon

Texas
Diane Pollock

Georgia
Theresa Southerland

Texas
Blake Hunter

Florida
Ben Hervey-Murray

California
Dusty Hayes

Alabama
Lukas Brickweg

Florida / Alaska
Abram “Tarzan” Miller

Florida
Chip Wingo

Florida
Carl Hartmann

New Jersey
Jesse Walker

Florida
Dale Reed

Florida
Chip “The Sinker Guy” Brundage

Florida
Scotty Roe

Florida
Allison “Reel Love” Stattner

Florida
Buzz Brannon

Florida
Joe Ezell

Louisiana
Von Hall

North Carolina
Will Nieman

Florida
Mark Gibson

Florida
Paul Sperco

Florida
Noel Kuhn

Florida
Ty Southerland

Texas

Capt. Stephen “Bama Saltwater” Franklin

Alabama

Captain Stephen Franklin is mostly known as “Bama Saltwater” on YouTube. He’s an Army Infantry Veteran, born and raised in Alabama who graduated from Gulf Shores and now lives in Orange Beach. He has been fishing the Alabama Gulf Coast most of his life. Fishing is his passion and he loves to do it all – pier, surf, kayak, fly, boat. His favorite type of fishing is from the bank. He has a full size bay boat yet still enjoys the thrill and peacefulness of walking the bank with a bag of lures in his pocket and seeing if he can catch dinner. Now, he’s a licensed OUPV Captain, YouTube video creator, and ties his own surf fishing rigs! Bama Saltwater’s favorite Fishbites baits are the Fishbites Fight Club 5″ Dirty Boxer and the Fish N Strips Sand Flea.

Roy Mattson

Daytona Beach, FL

Roy Mattson was born in Daytona beach and has been a Florida native all his life. He grew up in a troubled home and decided he had to get out and do what he loved – Fishing. Roy’s been in the fishing industry all his life and is currently a commercial fisherman, a beach charter guide for surf fishing and he makes his own brand of rigs & jigs. Roy is a pro-staffer for both Fishbites & Okuma USA. He also puts on the “SURF FISHING CHALLENGE” twice a year at Lost Lagoon in New Smyrna Beach – www.surffishingchallenge.com. Roy’s theory is, “Teach a kid to fish” and get them outside, off technology, and enjoy the beautiful state we live in.

Barry Croneberger

Flagler - Palm Coast - St. Augustine, FL

Barry of “B.S. Surf Fishing” grew up in New Jersey and developed an early love for fishing while chasing Bass and Flounder with his Grandfathers. As he got older he discovered surf fishing and fell in love. He quickly developed a passion for surf casting and decided to learn all the he could about this different kind of fishing. From learning how to read the beach and ocean he was soon able to determine the best approach for targeting fish from the sand. Over the years Barry has developed wonderful relationships with anglers from New York to Florida and enjoys learning new techniques from different areas that he can apply to whatever water he finds himself fishing. These techniques and relationships have afforded him opportunities to catch fish such as 90lb Black Drum in New Jersey to 45lb Redfish of the beaches of Ocracoke Island in North Carolina. In 2015 Barry and his wife made the move to Florida. The move provided him with completely new aspects to surf fishing and new species to target as well including Pompano, Tarpon, Snook and Black Tips. As his excitement grew so did his passion for teaching others all that surf fishing has to offer. Barry now provides guided surf fishing trips under the name “B.S. Surf Fishing Charters” in the St. Augustine and Flagler Beach areas. Barry’s favorite part of his service is the kids. Barry tells us “For me it’s not just putting kids on fish, it’s about teaching them the tools they need to go out and do this on their own.” Barry has enjoyed learning all that he has so far and excited about becoming a larger part of the surf fishing community. He’s proud to not only introduce friends and family to surf fishing but anyone who’s eager to participate and learn more. If you’re looking for a surf fishing service in the NE Florida area, check him out or if you happen to be walking the beach and see a guy with the biggest surf cart you’ve every seen while flying the Fishbites flag high, stop by and say hello. Whether you hire him or not he’s always happy to talk fishing and give you a few pointers for the next time you’re on the sand!

Capt. Larry Schults

Perdido Key, FL

Captain Larry Schults grew up fishing the waters of northeast Pennsylvania fishing for trout and bass. He was an avid bass fisherman until he found the thrill of saltwater fishing after moving to the great state of Florida. Larry soon became hooked on saltwater fishing and sold his bass boat to purchase his first offshore vessel in 2010. After pursing the saltwater lifestyle, Larry retired from a 31 year career with the government to become Charter Captain in the Pensacola area. While fishing almost daily, Larry enjoys taking people on both offshore and inshore charters where they target a variety of species such as Red Snapper, Triggerfish, Amberjack, Mackerel, Mahi-Mahi and Tuna offshore while targeting Redfish, Trout and Flounder inshore. Bass fishing was his first love, after divorcing that first love of freshwater fishing, he is now deeply committed and in love with all the opportunities saltwater fishing provides along the gulf coast. You can find Larry at www.twistedpalmssaltyadventures.com and he would love to get you out to fish in the Gulf of Mexico.

Brian Demo

Navarre, FL

Brian Demo was born in Connecticut and traveled the country as a military kid. At 18, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps and was stationed on Camp Pendleton, California where he worked on H-1 attack helicopters. After retiring from the Marines in 2016, he traveled the country with his wife and daughter in their RV for two years until they finally settled in Navarre, Florida after a stop over in Destin for Thanksgiving really stuck out to them. A couple beach fishing days and several party boat trips, Brian fell in love with the fishing and his wife fell in love with the beaches.

After moving to Navarre, Brian immersed himself in the surf-fishing world and quickly learned success. He studied under several YouTube and locally seasoned pros where he picked up many new tricks and tips that have made each trip a successful outing. He has also traveled the Atlantic side of Florida and learned fishing from several locals and Fishbites Prostaff that has significantly helped him learn how to better read the beaches and plan his fishing adventures for more success.

While all of this happened, he found that the information sharing aspect of our sport was good and wanted to add to the flow. He started writing reviews, articles, and reports on surf fishing & equipment. As things developed more, he started the Finding Demo Surf Fishing Podcast where he interviews local fishing charter Captain’s through the USA & small businesses in the surf fishing industry to bring knowledge to people that might be traveling to a new place to fish.

Gary Kemsley

Napier, North Island

Hi, I am a lifelong fisherman and have cast a line around the Pacific Ocean waters. I live in New Zealand (just right of Australia). My home is in Napier on the east coast of the North Island.

I have tried all types of fishing and worked as a fishing guide at Lake Taupo for many years. I really enjoy sharing my fishing with others, new comers and experts alike. I have had ten books on fishing published which is one way to spread the word. I have represented New Zealand at the World Fly Fishing Championships in Wyoming USA, and the Salmon Fishing World Championships in Vancouver island in Canada. I host trips to Christmas Island (south of Hawaii) to fish for bonefish, Giant Trevally and a number of other species including sailfish and tuna. I am a keen fly fisher and have, and have had several New Zealand and world records fly fishing. The outstanding one which has since been defeated was for a Mako Shark of 53lb on an 8lb tippet.

At home my chosen sport these days is surfcasting. Taking my 4 wheeel drive up a lonely beach and camping out overnight is the greatest experience. We have a number of species of fish here including Trevally. Snapper, kahawai, kingfish (yellowtail), gurnard and moki. All these, and others, love Fishbites! I am learning fast how effective these baits are. Most species respond well to Fishbites fished in a similar way to pompano fishing in the US.

The exciting thing here is that Fishbites are unknown and introducing Fishbites to new anglers is a thrill. For them and me.

Capt. Randy Sperco

Palm City, FL

“Capt ” Randy made the permanent move south to Palm City, Florida, six years ago. Randy joins his Dad, “Capt” Paul Sperco on our pro staff. He spent many of his younger years fishing with Paul and catching bluefish, striped bass, fluke, and seabass on the inshore grounds off of Brielle, N.J. As he got older he expanded his fishing area to the canyons 70 to 100 miles off of New Jersey and targeted bluefin, yellowfin, and longfin albacore on overnight trips , both trolling and chunking for these gamefish. Randy now spends his days and nights pursuing and catching snook, bluefish, spanish mackerel, tarpon, and big jack crevalle from the bridges and catwalks in the Jensen Beach area. His main love is fishing the surf, like his Dad, and he has become an expert surf angler along the beach accesses in St. Lucie and Martin counties along the Treasure Coast. Pompano, whiting, croaker, bluefish, tarpon, snook, bonefish, and permit are all included on his catch list. He has also become a presenter and contributor on the seminar circuit with his father and is also guiding and doing surf charters in his local area.

Sean Lawless

Sean Lawless, known better for his YouTube Channel “The Lawless Tide”, was born and raised in landlocked Tulsa, Oklahoma. He didn’t make his first trip to Florida until 2017 and before that trip was over he and his family decided to move to Santa Rosa Beach, FL. Sean immediately fell in love with saltwater fishing and it became somewhat of an obsession. He has worked hard in his 5 years vacationing here learning the different techniques it takes to catch a variety of species from land, kayak and offshore. In 2021 Sean retired from the Fire Department and made the move permanent. Early on in his Saltwater excursions Sean began to document his adventures through his YouTube channel “The Lawless Tide”. To our knowledge it is the only Saltwater fishing channel ran from Oklahoma in YouTube history. Now that he permanently resides in Florida, Sean is able to get on the water 5-6 days a week and produce content at much greater pace. Sean loves all types of Saltwater fishing but his favorite is Kayak Fishing. Sean says “You get such a personal experience with the ocean when only have a small piece of plastic between you and the water and everything that swims beneath”. With that said, Sean does it all from Surf Fishing, Kayak Fishing, Bridge Fishing, Pier Fishing, Offshore or Inshore Fishing. Sean loves it all!! From catching Pompano on the beach to Black Fin Tuna in his kayak and Bonita off the jetties, Sean YouTube channel shows his viewers everything Florida’s fishery has to offer. Be sure to check him out and follow his adventures!

Paul Vancelette

Growing up in upstate New York and moving around a lot as a kid, Paul learned to fish for local species that ranged from brook trout in mountain streams to big fluke in the marshes of coastal New England. After graduating high school, Paul enlisted in the U.S. Navy which provided the ability to fish around the world. Paul finished his college education after being discharged from the Navy, earning a degree in Computer Science. This led to a long career in programming and technical implementation of embedded firmware in both military applications and consumer products.

Paul continued to fish as a weekender and on vacations, but the desire to fish full-time was a strong force that had to be dealt with. Paul took to being on his own boats which led to many adventures from dense fog encounters, stormy seas, and island camping. Paul later signed up with Sea School and earned his 50 ton OUPV Master’s license. After outfitting a brand new boat, Paul left his “day job” to become a full time charter captain in St. Augustine, Florida. 10 years of offshore charters made many locals and visitors quite happy with their offshore excursions. Paul was a force to be reckoned with during offshore blue-water tournaments having won first and third place trophies in local tournaments. Now retired, Paul is taking on a new challenge with surf fishing and inshore fishing aboard his 14’ Jon boat, named the Mud Minnow II.

Paul has always been an advocate to social media groups and friends, and shares his knowledge with anyone who seeks feedback and guidance. From tying rigs to gear selections, hunting fish to outfitting kayaks and small boats, Paul has a wealth of knowledge and experience that is here for the taking. Follow Paul’s prowess for fun and adventure on his “Inshore Headshakers” YouTube channel, and read about his experiences in life in his published auto-biography “Fishing as I Lived It”.

Para Ou

Para Ou aka the “Cambodian Angler” grew up in California targeting Largemouth Bass. At 14 years old he moved to Massachusetts and continued fishing the freshwater for Large Mouth Bass in the local reservoirs. After placing placed 1st and second place 2 years straight fishing a Youth Back to School Bass tournament in Lynn, Mass he was hooked. Para followed those wins up with a 1st place finish 4 times out of a 16 week season fishing local largemouth Bass tournaments. It was fishing for bass that Para fell in love with throwing artificial lures. He moved to Florida when turned 21 and has spent the last 20 years targeting Flounder, Pompano Sheepshead and Redfish in the Jacksonville area. Para is a local legend and runs the North Florida Inshore Slayers group on Facebook. This grassroots organization puts on several events throughout the year in an effort to keep anglers engaged with each other throughout the year. Kids are always welcome so check them out if you’re in the NE Florida area and are looking to get involved with the local fishing community.

Capt. Jody Waldorff

Alabama

Hello. I’m USCG licensed and insured Captain Jody Waldorff, I own and operate Bayou Bandit Charters guide service, as well as my fishing YouTube channel (Bayou Bandit Charters). My love for saltwater started at an early age fishing and flounder gigging with my dad in Apalachicola Bay, Florida. I have a deep-rooted passion for adventure with saltwater running through my veins! I fish the Alabama and Mississippi coastal bays, bayous, and marshes targeting flounder, redfish, speckled trout, triple tail, and sheepshead. Being a charter Captain, you really must make every cast count! Flounder fishing is my passion, Fishbites products have dramatically increased my numbers and confidence level targeting flounder while also allowing me and my clients to catch quality redfish and trout in the same areas!Fishbites products will defiantly take your fishing game to the next level!

Travis Potts

Texas

Born and raised in Houston Texas, Travis spent his childhood chasing fish in the creeks and waterways that surround the bayou city. Everything from largemouth bass, alligator gar and fresh water drum peaked his interest at an early age and his love for fishing flourished. In his high school years while working at a local tackle store, he combined his love for fishing and passion for the ocean together and became serious about saltwater surf fishing. Now in his mid 30’s, he will tell you that it is a full blown obsession. He has fished just about every stretch of sand up and down the Texas coast but calls Matagorda Beach home. Spending many days and nights throughout the year camping on the sand he targets big sharks, huge redfish, tarpon and large black drum. He participates in the Texas Shark Rodeo as the captain of team Matagorda Legends where sharks are tagged and DNA sampled for scientists at the Harte Research Institute in Corpus Christi, Texas. Conservation minded, Travis continues to put big fish on the sand and has the time of his life doing it!

Bunn Khiev

Alabama

Bunn is originally From Cambodia, but moved to the United States in October of 2003. He and his family first settled in Seattle, WA. It was there that Bunn fell in love with fishing, targeting salmon and steelhead in the local rivers. Bunn moved to the gulf coast of Alabama in 2016 and started saltwater fishing. It was a big change from Seattle, with a completely different fishery. Many different species and techniques. He started out surf fishing for pompano, whiting, redfish and soon tried his hand at many other types of fishing including kayak fishing and even learning to fly fish. Bunn has learned so much in the past 18yrs of fishing in the US, but there’s still so many other challenges. His favorite species to target are pompano, steelhead and flounder. Bunn has become a local legend in the Orange Beach, AL area and owns a couple Poke Bowl restaurants in the area that are incredible. Bunn says “Fishing is my true passion, so I always make time for fishing regardless of how busy I am with work. I love sharing my passion for fishing with family and friends and will always help other learn along the way.”

Capt. Finn McCusker

Florida

Captain Finn McCusker grew up fishing the Chesapeake Bay for Rockfish as well as Cobia, and off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland for Pelagic Species. His passion for fishing comes from his grandfather who was an Avid Tournament Fisherman. “The first time I used Fishbites was when I was about 7 or 8 years old and they were the classic red bloodworm scent. The pack was given to me by my grandfather who told me to ‘try ‘em out’. Later that day I caught more croakers, jacks, sharks then I ever have on the deck of my grandpa’s boat tied up in the marina. Sure is one way to spark a smile in a young man’s face. Ever since then, I have not had a tackle bag or box that doesn’t have some strips in them.”

Capt. Finn moved to St. Augustine, Florida 4 years ago where his love for saltwater fishing excelled. Getting opportunities to go on newly found friends boats and working as a mate for a local head boat and later a captain for their sportfishing boat, all got him to the position he is in now running his own operation, Grateful Wishes Charters.

Grateful Wishes Charters fishes mainly out of the Ancient City of St. Augustine, Florida. Specializing in bottom fishing and trolling they have trips suited for any anglers’ desires. If you are new to the fishing scene or just looking for a short day on the water, they offer those 4-6 hour trips. On those trips, the boat will be staying around 10-20 miles offshore targeting a variety of species. For more seasoned anglers looking to stock up the house with fresh fish, their trips ranging from 8 to 12 hours are more up your alley. On those longer full day trips, the boat will be going anywhere from 30 to 70 miles offshore, as captain and crew say, the full day trips are considered the “meat hauls.”

“The use of Fishbites strips (preferably the sand flea or squid) when offshore gives you quite an advantage. Not only are they more durable then most baits, but before putting our bait on the hooks, we like to put a small chunk of the strips on. This helps us because if a fish is to rob you blind of your first bait of choice, you have a backup right there on the same hook. The addition of the new 6” grubs gives us the ability to add flair to our feathered bucktails primarily when we are fishing for cobia, but the snappers sure do love them too.”

Erik Jarvis

Florida

Born in the sunshine state, Erik first started fishing with his father and grandfather throwing grasshoppers, worms and shrimp into the canals of the Indian River lagoon. These formative experiences as a youngster kindled what would become a lifelong fascination with fish and the compulsion to catch them. After being transplanted to the midwest, he spent countless days fishing for bass, crappie, catfish and many other freshwater species across the waterways of Kansas and Missouri. As his angling skills developed, he ventured up to different regions of Canada with his brothers, sometimes as far as 600 miles north of Winnipeg, for lengthy fishing expeditions targeting northern pike, musky, walleye, lake trout, smallmouth bass and giant black crappie in Ontario. Those outings in the pristine, Canadian wilderness landing monster fish and getting awards as a young angler would resonate with him and further exacerbate his love of the sport, eventually priming him for his return to Florida later in life, which allowed for the discovery of and eventually a complete immersion in surf fishing. Erik started on the sand with an 11’ rod in Navarre, FL on the beaches of Santa Rosa Island. The waters were teeming with pompano and it was the perfect place for developing the surfcasting skills that he would eventually take to the Treasure Coast where he resides now. Along with being a member of the Pro Staff Team at Fishbites, Erik is also the chief ambassador for Lane Leaders Surf Rigs and owner of Vero Beach Pompano Outfitters of Vero Beach, FL specializing in surf charters targeting pompano and other species from the beach. “I love running surf charters. It never gets old. Nothing beats the feeling of putting my clients on the fish!”

Capt. Allan McCoy

South Carolina

Hi! My name is Allan McCoy and I was fortunate to grow up in a family that loved the outdoors and loved fishing. As I grew up in South Florida, our family spent a lot of time traveling and fishing in the Florida Keys, as well as the east and west coast of Florida. My lifelong passion has always been inshore fishing, chasing game fish, such as snook and redfish. After moving to North Carolina in 2014, I was introduced to and fell in love with back country fishing for Red Fish. The more I fished, the more the passion grew. After my retirement from the business world in 2020, through much prayer, we made the decision to make my passion and dream a reality. In 2021, I obtained my captain’s license, continued fishing the Charleston area to refine my skills, and set the course for plans and preparation for opening Cosmic Pelican Charters, LLC. I work hard to provide great service and a memorable experience for my customers, their families, and guests as we search the marshes and back country for the best catch. As you seek your next fishing adventure, we hope you will consider giving us the opportunity to serve you.

Blane “Perdido Blane” Roberts

Florida

Blane Roberts aka Perdido Blane is a Surf Fishing and Kayak guide out of Perdido Key, FL. Blane took the long road to get here after battling 15 years with substance abuse, alcoholism and 5 years of homelessness. From 2010-2015 he was living on various beaches in South Florida. Looking for a way out and way to clear his mind he decided to take up fishing. Sobering up and fishing gave Blane time to think about what he wanted to do life. In 2016, he decided to go for a degree in Psychology. A tall order for a guy with an 8^th grade education! In 2021 Perdido Blane accomplished that mission with a degree in Psychology from Troy University. While working on that degree and after 2 years of sobriety, Blane became a Substance Abuse Counselor as Peer Recovery Support Specialist and continues that work today. He’s now married with 2 kids who have never seen him intoxicated. When he’s not helping others in recovery Blane is sharing his love of kayak and surf fishing while also creating content on YouTube. Watching Blane, you would never know he’s only been fishing for 5 years after spending 15 years in the throws of addiction. As Blane tells it “It’s my mission with my guide service and YouTube channel is to teach and entertain. Watching anglers on YouTube is how I started in the sport. Ty Southerland from 30 Miles Out taught me how to tie a knot on his channel. That gives you an idea about how little I knew about fishing. I do not claim to be the best fisherman, but I do have the drive and passion to keep building on this sport. You learn as I learn on my YouTube channel”. Follow Blane and grow as he grows while learning how to target redfish, trout, pompano, whiting and whatever fish he can find. We at Fishbites love a good underdog story and know what kind of an effect addiction can have on person. We’re proud to have Blane on the team and look forward to watching him grow with us.

Terrie B. Huffmaster

Florida

Terrie B Huffmaster is from South GA. and lives 10 mins from 3 different Florida state lines and generally fishes the North Florida’s Big Bend areas. Terrie has fished saltwater and freshwater, with her family, her entire life! She continues to do so to this day with her two sons and husband who she’s been married to for 28 years. Saltwater Fishing is Terrie’s passion and she loves to share her fish photos in hopes to pull more people into the sport, to inspire them to get out there to fish and experience the therapy of outdoors. One of the things Terrie loves about fishing saltwater is you never know what or how big of a fish you’ll catch!!! Every catch has a great memory and none are discounted! She mainly fish inland for Trout, Reds, Flounder as well as Cobia and Tripletail. Terrie fishes artificial, live/cut bait but mostly artificial. She is very competitive with herself and is constantly researching and scouting new areas to fish. Terrie says “I push myself to catch bigger fish than I did before! And when I do, it’s an amazing feeling but if I don’t, I still love what I do!”. Sharing her fishing adventures through social media, fishing magazines, and books has been a honor for her and she hopes it will inspire new anglers to enjoy the sport as much as she does! Terrie has been featured in over 30 magazines!! She’s been on the cover of Florida’s Woods N’ Water a few times as well as the cover of Costal Angler Magazine. She’s also the cover photo for three books that teaches the fundamentals of fishing Fresh and Saltwater to beginners needing insight on getting started. Terrie tells us “I love and enjoy what I do! And never take a day for granted.” You can follow Terrie on Instagram and Facebook and find her on the covers of fishing magazines all over the Southeast.

Courtney Woznek

Florida

Courtney grew up fishing alongside her father with a cane pole for bass and crappie in North Carolina. Since earning her Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from East Carolina University, and meeting her husband Kirk, she has lived and fished up and down the East Coast. From trout fishing in Pennsylvania streams to snapper fishing in the Keys, Courtney enjoys catching all species of fresh and saltwater fish and has truly found her passion. Moving to Jacksonville changed the direction of Courtney’s fishing prowess. With no boat or kayak, she took to the beach to learn everything about surf fishing. Through trials and tribulations, Courtney dialed in reading the water and finding the fish. From bull reds and pompano to blacktip sharks and tarpon, she has caught it all from the beach and continues to seek out new fishing experiences throughout Florida and around the world. More recently, Courtney created Life4Reel to promote local businesses within the fishing community and deliver detailed fishing reports to help anglers chase fish with the right bait in the right spot at the right time. From beginners to experts, Northeast Florida Fishermen and Women have gained knowledge from her live reports and social media engagement. When Courtney is not on the water, you’ll find her cooking the catch of the day, dreaming of the next great fishing adventure, and advocating for everyone to get hooked on the water!

Steven & Madden Forrest – VA

Virginia

Steven and Madden Forrest

Steven grew up in the small town of Poquoson, Virginia. “Bull island” as locals would call it. He grew up fishing weekly in the summers of his youth with his grandfather that lived on a small creek that leads to the historic Chesapeake Bay. Growing up fishing, crabbing, clamming, and being in a boat most of his childhood. Since a very young age, Steven has always had a love for the water and everything that it has to offer. You will often find him fishing for Cobia in the early summer, Redfish in June, July, and August, and his favorite target species “Rockfish” (Striped bass) throughout fall and winter. Fast forward 25 years from Steven’s youth where he learned to fish and Steven moved into his grandfather’s small waterfront home where Steven enjoys fishing with his son Madden most days of the week. Madden caught his first fish at age 3 and was immediately “hooked”. Madden (age 9) has committed himself to becoming a better angler and learning all the tips and tricks to catch more fish. His favorite species to target include Cobia, Redfish, Spadefish, and Rockfish. He also loves to catch the Chesapeake Bay’s famous blue crab and rake for the highly sought after Sandy Bay Salty Clam. Madden’s biggest goal is to have fun and catch fish while doing it. Long term he would love to pursue a career within the fishing industry, but for now he is just happy having a good time fishing with his dad. Steven & Madden recently started their own YouTube channel and have amassed 4K followers on their Instagram page “Sailor Elaine Sportfishing”. They enjoy sharing tips and tricks with other local anglers on how to catch and target all of the species in the bay. To see more about what Steven and Madden are catching as of late, you can follow them on Facebook, Instagram & TikTok!

Nick Thompson

Florida

Nick grew up on a 12 acre farm in Michigan and began freshwater fishing at 3 years old. Some of Nick’s fondest memories were going around, knocking on farmer’s doors with his brothers and asking if they could fish their ponds. Nick moved to South Carolina to attend golf college and that’s where his saltwater fishing adventures began. Nick was hooked on saltwater fishing from that point on! As a former Firefighter/EMT. Nick had a lot of flexibility with his work schedule to learn and expand his knowledge and saltwater fishing skills.

After his time in the fire service, he moved to the Florida Panhandle and began fishing Destin, “The Luckiest Fishing Village in the World!” The species the panhandle has to offer are truly endless! Nick now Live streams his fishing adventures on Twitch and films Monday-Friday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. CST weather permitting. Viewers from all of the world can interact with Nick in real-time as they kick and watch the action as it happens! Nick’s live stream is family-friendly and educational for all ages and experience levels. Nick’s goal is to educate people around the world about fishing, no matter the age or skill level while hoping to create new anglers every day! Nick wants you to join him on his adventures and says “Bring the whole family to join in the fun as we are a family-friendly live stream. We use artificial lures and live baits (and of course FISHBITES)!

Become a part of his live streaming community and you can even choose which lure he uses, along with many other fun, interactive experiences. As a part of the live audience, viewers share their fishing stories and personal fishing knowledge, and we all share advice on the best products in the industry. He live streams both fresh and saltwater fishing, beach fishing, and both inshore and offshore kayak fishing from my Hobie Pro Angler Mirage 360! With a wide array of species in our gulf waters, you never know what we’ll catch on any given day. During his live streams, you’ll have a front row seat to every second of the action when we catch red fish, black drum, speckled sea trout, pompano, shark, sheepshead, king & spanish mackerel, tarpon, cobia, and many many more!”

Alex Swanson

Florida

Alex was born and raised in St. Augustine, Florida and started saltwater fishing around the age of 15. He got his first kayak at 16 that was made for riding waves. Kayaks weren’t built for fishing yet, Alex had to convert his yak into a fishing machine through multiple iterations of wood and PVC modifications for rod holders and equipment storage. Alex mainly used his kayak for exploring skinny creeks, only accessible by paddling, hunting for redfish. Alex became obsessed with targeting reds from sight fishing in the grass flats at a flood tide to stalking them deep in the creeks. Alex is now part of the Kaku fishing team and rides a 12.5’ Wahoo, built for inshore fishing. Fishbites Fight Club series is Alex’s go to for artificial lures.

From Alex’s experience, redfish seem to spook easier and are pickier when it comes to artificial presentation when deep back in a quiet creek. “I mainly resorted to live bait when fishing creeks as I saw reds turning down many varieties of lures, until I started throwing the 5” Brawler. These scented jerk baits seem to work really, well for the picky red as well as all inshore species”.

Alex took his obsession to the next level and began tournament fishing in 2017. His redfish obsession has helped him win and place in many big-name inshore kayak and boat tournaments. Before a big tournament Alex stalks up on his favorite Fight Club lures from the 5” Brawler in the “Knock Out” color to the 4” Butt Kicker paddle tail in “Throw Down”.

Nick Heid

California

Nick is a San Diego-based surf fishing guide, content creator, and writer at Surf Fishing In So Cal. Having a strong passion for fishing and limited local options (or so he thought), he eventually discovered surf fishing and never turned back.

Since 2015, Nick has been fishing the surf atleast 60 days out of the year with the vast majority of those days in the summer months. What intrigues him the most is the possibility of catching literally anything at any given time. “It’s just so exciting” he says, “it’s a mystery every time… you literally never know for certain what you might catch”.

The first time this concept really resonated with him was during his first year fishing the surf. Using a standard Carolina-rig for light tackle surf fishing, Nick hooked a leopard shark in the 5 foot range. After fighting it for nearly 35 minutes, he caught a glimpse just before it snapped off.

That fish had a lasting impact on him. He became a student of the surf, learning new pieces of knowledge and gaining valuable experience every session. He modified his set ups accordingly and since then, has been continuously dialing in both light-tackle and heavy-tackle surf fishing. He is now local guide helping other students of the surf to follow in his passion.

Even after half a decade of pounding the surf, the concept still rings true today. On a recent guided session, one of Nick’s clients landed an unofficial record yellowtail from the surf at 53.5 lbs! Just goes to show, whether it’s light-line or not, you never know what you’re going to get.”

Brant Peacher

Florida

Ibra is native to Trinidad & Tobago, an island located in the Caribbean. His love for fishing was birthed when he was about 6 years old. He caught his first fish on a first attempt using a line attached to a bamboo pole with a tiny hook at the end. His mom cooked it for him. Ibra found that cooking his own catch was the best feeling! Since then his dream was to become a fisherman. He continued to explore this passion on the surf and from the rocks, catching fish and bringing it home to eat. After moving to West Virginia for college on a soccer scholarship, and spending 5 years away from his home, with only visits from time to time, he realized what a privilege it was to live in the Caribbean and have a mini vacation every weekend and in his free time. In 2018, after accomplishing a B.A. in Information Technology and Mathematics, he moved back home! He started his fishing YouTube channel “Ibra’s Catch” where he posts a new video every Sunday in a series called “Hooked On Sunday.” Ibra’s mission is to create joy and share his fishing adventures for people to experience vicariously through him in his videos.

Ibra’s dream is to travel to different countries, meet new people and go on fishing adventures with while capturing every moment of it to share with the world.

Ibrahim Wadi

Trinidad & Tobago

Ibra’s dream is to travel to different countries, meet new people and go on fishing adventures with while capturing every moment of it to share with the world.

Captain Mike Wilson

Alabama

Captain Mike Wilson, a professional guide with Bama Slam Inshore Adventures, LLC, grew up in Gulf Shores, AL and has been fishing the inshore, nearshore and offshore waters of the Alabama Gulf Coast for almost 50 years. Both his father and father in law owned and operated bait & tackle shops in Gulf Shores and recreational fishing became a passion for Capt. Mike early in life. He earned his USCG Captain’s License in 2015 and, after a lifelong career in the construction industry, “retired” to his dream job and offers guided fishing trips to visitors and residents of Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Fairhope and Fort Morgan targeting Speckled Trout, Redfish and Flounder (the “Bama Inshore Slam”), as well as White Trout, Sheepshead, Tripletail, Black Drum and other inshore & nearshore species.

Capt. Mike truly enjoys the competitive nature of tournament fishing and participants on his boat have placed in or won several local and regional events. He carries that “gotta catch fish” attitude on every trip and, at the end of the day, prepares his boat and tackle as “tournament ready” for the next. Making sure plenty of Fishbites products are on board is always included in these preparations.

Capt. Mike caters to those with little or no fishing experience to the very skilled and experienced. All ages are welcome and nothing satisfies him more than to help youngsters catch fish and then proudly hold them for photos. He takes pride in helping families to have memories that will last lifetimes.

Fishbites products make Capt. Mike’s job easier, as they have proven trip after trip, and can turn a good day fishing into a great day catching. He never goes fishing without them.”

Captain Anthony Diaz De Leon

Texas

Captain Anthony was born and raised in Rockport, Tx. At just 11 years old Anthony owned his first and became very familiar with the local waters to say the least. With 20 years of experience, Captain Anthony has always enjoyed being on the water and does not consider this to be a job. He looks at his work as an opportunity to take what he has learned over the years to teach both young and old how to catch fish off the Texas coast. Anthony says “There is nothing more enjoyable than watching a young child reel in his or her own fish or someone making their 1st cast by themselves.”

Captain Jennifer Diaz Deleon

Texas

Captain Jennifer originally from Burleson, TX, moved to Rockport when she was 13. At age 16 she started working for one of south Texas’ largest known female fishing guides – Capt. Sally Black – at her fly fishing and kayak shop. Jennifer started doing kayak tours of light house lakes and immediately fell in love with the local fisheries and habitat. In her time on the water she has become very knowledgeable with the bay system and whereabouts of fish. Jennifer can manage large corporate groups down to one-on-one trips (KIDS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME) – expert to beginner.

Diane Pollock

Georgia

Diane grew up in SE GA and NE FL, spending every spare moment on the water boating, fishing, surfing, and waterskiing. Her addiction to the water began while she was still in diapers. In 2002, Diane became an above knee amputee due to a bone infection. After the initial years of adjusting to a life as an amputee, being on the water was very instrumental in her full recovery back to a “normal” life. Diane has competed in the Fishers of Men National Bass Trail with her brother for 3 years, followed by competing in disabled rowing events both regionally and nationally. The adaptive rowing drastically improved her level of fitness allowing her to pass USCG medical qualifications to become a USCG licensed OUPV charter captain in 2011. Later in 2012, Diane joined the local USCG Auxiliary flotilla, becoming a qualified boat crew member in 2013. In 2015, she became a USCG Auxiliary Coxswain in surface operations involved in marine safety patrols and events, and she still currently serves in this capacity.

Diane thoroughly enjoys all things on the water. Sharing SE Georgia’s and NE Florida’s area waters with charter guests whether it’s fishing, sightseeing, or a combo is her passion. Diane maintains her FL and GA guide license, and cover both SE GA and NE FL waters. She likes to target the Cumberland Island area due to its fertile fishing grounds and sheer beauty. Some of the species Diane targets are sea trout, redfish, and flounder. In the summer when the conditions are calm, she also enjoys targeting kingfish just off of the beach and the occasional tarpon.

Theresa Southerland

Texas

Theresa Southerland is the co-host and producer of the wildly popular YouTube channel “30milesOut kayak fishing Tv” with her husband Ty Southerland. Ty and Theresa have been filming for 7 years and you’re guaranteed to not only learn the techniques necessary to fish from a kayak but will have a lot of laughs along the way.

Born and raised in the Rockport / Corpus Christi area, Theresa has been fishing the Coastal Bend all her life (45 years). Theresa started out surf fishing with her dad for sharks at a very young age. Then in 2012 she jumped in a kayak with Ty and fell in love! Ty and Theresa travel the entire Gulf Coast from South Padre Island Texas to The Florida Keys fishing and filming all of their adventures. You can find Ty and Theresa on the water several times a week looking for the ultimate inshore bite.

Blake Hunter

Florida

Blake Hunter has fished offshore, inshore and onshore for over 25 years. From targeting pompano and redfish from the beach to triggerfish and beeliners offshore, Blakes love for fishing knows no bounds.

In addition to being the premier surf fishing charter service in the Florida panhandle, Blake’s rod and reel rental service provides everything one needs to successfully fish the surf without the cost of a full guided trip. Along 30A from Destin to Panama City beach, Blake has you covered for all things surf fishing.

If you’re looking for an informative surf fishing charter or just need some fishing gear for your vacation along 30A, Blake is your guy.

Ben Hervey-Murray

California

Ben is a licensed fishing guide based in Orange County, Southern California, where he specializes in surf fishing for a variety of species including perch, croaker, corbina, sharks and rays.

With extensive experience in the industry, working across a variety of editing and journalistic roles in angling media plus tutoring and guiding services, Ben is well placed to show off the amazing sport the West Coast has to offer, and how to make the most of Fishbites’ product range.

He’s happy to help anyone looking to fish on the West Coast for any species, so feel free to message him if you have any questions.

Dusty Hayes

Alabama

Captain Dustin Hayes specializes in onshore and nearshore charters in the Orange Beach and Gulf Shores area. Captain Dustin has been fishing the area for 10 years and guiding for 7.

He focuses on expanding his love and passion to other fisheries around the area. Onshore and nearshore fishing allows for a wide variety of species and keeps the fight interesting.

Pompano and Whiting are always a thrill especially when caught onshore says Captain Dustin. Captain Dustin also has an undying love for Bass and Trout caught on a fly reel as well.

Fishing has always been a passion for Captain Dustin and he is constantly looking for new fisheries and new tips to share.

Lukas Brickweg

Florida / Alaska

Captain Lukas is a lifelong fisherman and waterman spending his you dedicated to all the activities the Atlantic Ocean provides in fishing, surfing, shrimping, diving, sailing and much more but more specifically, the Space Coast beaches, rivers, lagoons and inlets that provide an extravagant opportunity to perfect one’s skills in a diversified setting.

Captain Lukas’ understanding of the ocean has translated to fisheries around the world. Possessing a 50-ton United States Coast Guard captain’s license, he spends the summer season capitalizing on the plethora of species that merge into the abundant waterways at Baranof Fishing Excursions, including monster halibut, kind salmon and lingcod by chartering up to six passengers on a 25-foot aluminum fishing vessels out to the deep sea to fish for their trophy catch. Sensing the pulse of the everchanging seasonal swing, the fall signals a change in migrations. It’s back to Florida’s Space Coast to follow the annual fall mullet run from Cocoa Beach to Sebastian Inlet and surf fishing everywhere in-between. This seasonal influence provides an incredible opportunity for an extremely accessible resource for residents and visitors to the Florida coastline.

When Lukas is not fishing, he’s providing informative seminars at Sebastian Inlet and The Boaters Exchange.

Abram “Tarzan” Miller

Florida

Abram Miller aka Tarzan, has been fishing the beaches of Florida with Fishbites for as long as he can remember. When his dad is working, his mom spends her days taking him to the beach to catch dinner.

Abram isn’t your average 11 year old fisherman. From cleaning fish on his own to tying his own surf rigs, this kid can do it all! Abram’s biggest catch to date was a 180 pound Black Tip shark caught on a pompano head after he fileted it for dinner.

Abram is trying to learn everything there is to know about the sport and has built quite the following where he teaches his friends and other young fisherman all he’s learned over the years. It doesn’t matter if it’s freshwater or saltwater, tarpon or pompano, Abram is constantly finding a way to get to the water and pursue his dreams.

In just a year Tarzan has amassed over 3000 Instagram followers and has joined the Pelagic and Engle ambassador programs as well. His goal is to become the best fisherman he can be and is accomplishing that goal by learning new techniques every day. You can follow him on his journey through Instagram and Facebook.

Chip Wingo

Florida

Captain Chip Wingo is the owner and operator of Fishdaflats Inshore Fishing Charters. Chip has been fishing the St. Johns River and back waters of Jacksonville his entire life and specializes in creating a unique fishing experience for all of his clients.

Fishdaflats Inshore Fishing Charters specializes in light tackle and fly fishing the backwaters of Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Fernandina Beach. Redfish, trout and flounder are some the many species targeted while using everything from live bait to artificial lures. Chip supplies all licenses, bait and tackle. All you have to do is show up and enjoy your time on the water catching fish aboard a state of the art 19 foot Hewes flats boat.

Carl Hartmann

New Jersey

Carl Hartmann is the owner and President of American Angler LLC, an East Coast surf fishing club based in New Jersey. Carl is also a member of Hudson River Fishermans’s Association, Sea Girt Surf Kings, NJBBA and Association of Surf Angling Clubs. Carl started fishing in fresh water as a preschooler hitting the local streams of North Jersey for trout and small/large mouth, bass. As time went on, he eventually switched to saltwater fishing for the abundance of different species, to where he is now…a total love for surf fishing. Through his years of experience, he has won numerous individual and team awards as an extreme competitor including Fisherman of the Year, the President Award and many others. Carl is also known throughout the entire fishing community for creating and promoting the most professionally organized surf fishing tournaments between Boston and Washington D.C. . Over the decades, nearly all of Carl’s tournaments have sold out with many teams left sitting on the waiting list. In 2016, he started his own contingent from American Angler for his own surf fishing teams. By 2019, Carl was able to post as many as five teams of six anglers (30 anglers total) in many of the surf fishing tournaments, using and educating his teams with all of the experiences he has attained. With an online following of over 5,000 anglers, he has achieved superstar status on the surf fishing scene. From fishing the Cape Cod Canal to the warm waters off of Florida, Carl, at the age of 53, believes that his best fishing days are in front of him and acknowledges that there is always more to learn. But, he always gives one piece of advice to all anglers…. you have to always remember to “think like a fish to be successful.”

Carl started using Fishbites about 20 years, visiting the plant in St. Augustine twice in that time period. The very first time he used Fishbites was in Beach Haven, NJ. Carl landed a Striped Bass, Flounder and Sea Trout within a matter of minutes! Since then, Carl incorporates Fishbites whenever competing in tournaments for Northern Kingfish, Bluefish and more. He actively uses Fishbites in the on and off season for all types of shoreline fishing.

Jesse Walker

Florida

Jesse is an army brat who grew up fishing with his Dad at their many duty stations. The panhandle of Florida is where he really started getting into saltwater fishing. Like his father, Jesse joined the military and has been to many different great fishing locations throughout his travels as a Naval Aviator.

While in Corpus Christi, Texas Jesse and his two brothers Ethan and Nick started youtube.com/slotcityfishing. The channel started as a way for the three brothers to document their fishing adventures and has grown into something far greater than they could have imagined. SlotCityFishing videos have many different styles of saltwater fishing ranging from kayak, boat, and the surf all the way to the deep south in Texas and all across the gulf and the East Coast.

Two of three bros are currently stationed in Jacksonville, Fl and continue to make great content and their YouTube channel grows.

Dale Reed

Florida

Captain Dale Reed grew up in St. Petersburg, FL but has been living in Gainesville, FL for many years. Dale is an avid fisherman who fishes both inshore and offshore. Dale is the president of the Gainesville Offshore Fishing Club and also a board member of the Gainesville chapter of the CCA and he will be covering Florida’s Gulf Coast from Steinhatchee down to Homosassa.

Dale currently runs a 24-foot Proline when fishing offshore and 20-foot Hewes light tackle tower boat when targeting fish inshore. Captain Reed enjoys catching everything from grouper, snapper, redfish, trout, tripletail and anything else in-between. Dale also spends some time spearfishing anywhere from St. Petersburg to the Keys.

You can find him at ReelSpearit Fishing charters on Facebook.

Chip “The Sinker Guy” Brundage

Florida

Chip has been fishing and hunting his entire life. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, he set his sights on coaching Track and Field at the NCAA Division 1 level.

While coaching has taken him all over the US, for the last 5 years it has brought him to Jacksonville, FL. Chip fishes the surf from Daytona to Brunswick, GA and targets many species from redfish, pompano, whiting, black drum and trout to the occasional shark. He joined the Florida Surf Casters club and was lucky to meet several local anglers that have become his closest friends.

Chip has devoted a lot of his time learning the local area fishing holes and run outs on the beach. He also currently runs The Sinker Guy YouTube channel and website. Here Chip shares his passion and knowledge of bait, rigs, targeting and his infamous sputnik sinkers. Surf fisherman in the know all agree these are the best sinkers you can buy for surf fishing the east coast. They are handmade in the USA by Chip himself when he’s not on the water fishing.

Chip has never met a stranger and is always willing share his knowledge with other avid anglers on the beach wanting to learn the techniques that makes Chip the fisherman he his.

Scotty Roe

Florida

Capt. Scotty Roe was born on June 6, 1974 in Dayton, Ohio. He moved to Charlotte County Florida in 1981. Capt. Scotty Roe grew up in the Charlotte Harbor area, more specifically off of Spring Lake. During his child hood years, his father had shared knowledge on fishing. Capt. Scotty then took that knowledge even further. He took it so far that in 1996 he opened up his own charter business!

Capt. Scotty passion for fishing is still very much alive and well! He spent the majority of his time in the fishing business. He spent many years with friends and family doing charters and tournaments. Capt. Scotty is an expert fishermen! Just ask friends and family! Capt. Scotty has placed in the top five of many tournaments. Today, Capt. Scotty has still got it! He is currently rocking a 1997 Bobby Hewes with a new 115 Yahama SHO! He recently overhauled it! Runs like brand new! He just waiting to put you out on the water and share his passion of fishing with you!

Allison “Reel Love” Stattner

Florida

Allison grew up fishing the jetties and beaches in Avalon, New Jersey. Mostly mud minnows and bloodworms, she first started using Fishbites to catch kingfish off her hometown pier. Moving to Florida to attend graduate school at University of Miami, Allison took every opportunity to fish offshore in South Florida and The Keys, successfully competing in the sailfish tournament circuit. Finding real joy sharing her passion for fishing with others, she began participating in ladies’ events as an offshore seminar speaker and running family trips on local headboats. This eventually led to her “Reel Love” kids fishing camps, a great opportunity to use Fishbites with the next generation of anglers.

Today, Allison continues Reel Love Fishing through classes, small group charters, hosting ladies’ trips, community clubs and volunteerism. When she is not surf fishing the beaches near Palm Beach County, she is an ambassador for the FWC Catch a Florida Memory Angler Recognition Program, chasing species on the Saltwater Life List. Allison is the first angler to reach the 50 Club and working to complete the list and attain Master Angler. Her biography is also included in the recently published hardcover book, titled “50 Women Who Fish” by Wild River Press. She holds a position on the Board of the International Women’s Fishing Association (IWFA) as Membership Chair, a rewarding role which allows her to support and engage with other women who also love to fish.

Buzz Brannon

Florida

Captain Buzz Brannon is a Northeast Florida native. Growing up around the water ways of this vast beautiful area of the sunshine state. As a young boy he was introduced to saltwater fishing on the shallow grass flats of the gulf where he targeted sea trout and redfish. Around age 10 he moved to Jacksonville Beach where he became an avid surfer and continued his passion for saltwater fishing on the inshore waters of the Jacksonville area. He has been fishing the creeks and flats off the St. John’s river and Intracoastal waterway for 20 plus years. He now takes his passion toward guiding his clients to the same shallow water game fish that got him hooked many years ago. Come see why Northeast Florida is one of the state’s best kept fishing secrets.

Joe Ezell

Louisiana

Joe began fishing farm ponds and local lakes for bass, bream and catfish in grade school while balancing a tackle box and Zebco 33 from the handle bars of a bike. His dad bought an aluminum boat with a 9 horse Johnson tiller steer about the time Joe got his driver’s license and he pulled that boat to every lake within a day’s ride behind an old ‘64 Ford pickup chasing Bass all over South East Mississippi.

After High School, Joe received a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from the University of Southern Mississippi. Soon after graduation, he went to work for a manufacturing company as a sales rep, working his way up to Vice President of Sales.

The old 17 foot aluminum boat was replaced with a TR186 Triton bass boat and a 2 stroke 150 Johnson. In 2008 Joe’s better half, Brenda Mayo, booked a inshore charter for us with Captain Chad Dufrene of Dufrene’s Guide Service. After catching the first redfish he told her, “I’m selling my bass stuff”. Two months later all of the bass gear was gone and had been replaced with inshore gear.

Fast forward to 2012 and the first bay boat was purchased. After many trips and several charters Captain Chad had seen enough potential to begin mentoring Joe and showing him the ropes of the charter business. In 2015 Joe and Brenda bought a piece of property in Delacroix, LA with a burned out trailer on pilings and overgrowth so bad it would take a year to clean up. That same year he got his USCG OUPV Captain’s license. It has been a long journey from the kid on that bicycle carrying the Zebco 33 to today, but the grin when Joe sees a cork go down or fish hit the net is the same now as it was then. Joe truly enjoys seeing people catch fish and feels honored to share his passion for the outdoors and fishing with others. If you’re in Delacroix go fishing with Joe!

Von Hall

North Carolina

I was always taught, do the right thing and you’ll never have to worry about your conscience getting the best of you. I’ve been fishing since old enough to hold a rod and reel in my hands and over the years, have seen a lot of things on the water. Fishing is a great tool to help keep a person focused and out of trouble. The past is the past and always look to the future is one of the best lessons I’ve learned over the years. I’ve been blessed and raised to believe in God, Country and family. Always look for the good in people. May not be popular, but there’s a lot of truth in choosing your Faith and friends wisely.

My years spent being a paratrooper stationed at Ft. Bragg NC. helped me learn so much about myself and what I can accomplish with good people around me.

About ten years ago, a young soldier and his lovely wife, helped in more ways than one, in getting us to start American Boat Charters out of Wilmington NC. The story is on our website, www.americanboatcharters.com

Taking Veterans fishing is the reason I decided to get my Captains License. Since that time, we have taken over 500 Veterans fishing. Even though we do family and friends fishing Charters that haven’t served, we enjoy all the great people we meet.

Every Active Duty and Veteran proudly salutes the Flag and if they don’t, we push them in the water, which we have yet to do!

We can’t thank our Veterans enough for doing a job majority of people will never understand. It’s because of their sacrifices being away from family and putting themselves in harms way that sets them apart from most.
We have been honored to become great friends with some of the very best our Military has to offer from all Branches of Service. We laugh, we cry, we love our Country and we show respect to all.

We can’t thank Fishbites and other Charter boat Captains enough for their help and support. I’m a firm believer if we help others reach their goals, then we will reach ours.

Will Nieman

Florida

Originally from central Missouri, Will Niemann grew up fishing freshwater targeting crappie, bass, bluegill, and catfish with his father and grandfather. At a very young age, he knew all he wanted to do was fish, often times fishing before his homework was done at the risk of being on the receiving end of a good scolding. Will would spend countless hours in his belly boat or canoe, paddling the streams, rivers, and lakes that Missouri has to offer, learning every bend, tree, and hole. He even won a high school science fair testing the difference between a Texas rig and a Carolina rig. Fishing has been a way of life for Will his entire life.

In 2005, Will moved to Florida, having never seen the saltwater before. He continued to fish his comfort zone and chase his favorite target, the largemouth bass. The Florida strain was a much larger and aggressive strain than he had fished in Missouri, he was in heaven. Then it happened, Will caught his first snook. That fish changed his main focus from freshwater to the all-new saltwater. He was solely focused on learning everything he could about all these new species, snook, redfish, flounder, trout, the list goes on and on. Will hit the water hard and hasn’t stopped.

Fast track 15 years and Will is now the lead kayak guide at St Augustine Paddle Sports and owns St Augustine Kayak Fishing LLC. He is one of the lucky ones that gets to fish over 300 days a year, so he is always on a good bite. As well as being a big part of the Fishbites team Will is also Prostaff for Kaku Kayaks, Cajun Custom Rods, Hackney Baits, Fishbites, Reel Happy Co, and Unfair Lures. Additionally, Will writes a monthly column at The Fishing Connection, you can check out his Kayak Fishing St. Augustine article each month. For booking info, go to staugustinepaddlesports.com. He is also found on Instagram @staugustinekayakfishing or Facebook and YouTube at St Augustine Kayak Fishing LLC. If you see Will out on the water, be sure to say hi. Heck, he may even give you a tip or two.

Mark Gibson

Florida

Captain Mark Gibson has been fishing and diving the waters off Daytona Beach for 30 years. Being a diver has helped him to identify certain structures to better understand where and how the fish like to hide. While Mark enjoys all types of fishing one of his favorites is the nearshore flounder, “They start showing up around the month of May and one of my favorite FishBite’s products to use is the 5″ Brawler Jerkbait in the Tapout color.” Daytona Beach has one of the best artificial reef programs around and the nearshore bite stays strong almost year round. So if you’re in the Daytona Beach area and want to catch a memory, look him up!

Paul Sperco

Florida

Capt. Paul is a transplanted inshore and offshore fisherman from New Jersey. He relocated to Port St Lucie eight years ago after having vacationed in that area for over 25 years. His northern pursuit of sea bass, fluke, bluefish, and striped bass on the inshore scene to yellowfin tuna, bluefin tuna, mako and thresher sharks in the northern canyons was replaced by targeting the fantastic surf fishing opportunities that are available along the Treasure Coast. Permit, pompano, whiting, croaker, snook, tarpon, spanish mackerel, bluefish, and jack crevalle are just some of the species that he personally targets and guides his surf fishing charters along this stretch of southeast Florida.

A Bass Pro Shop associate, Paul is also a member of the Penn Pro Staff and affiliated with the area’s biggest bait and tackle shop on Hutchinson Island – the Snook Nook in Jensen Beach. He conducts How To Seminars at Bass Pro Shops on a regular schedule. Capt. Paul also conducts other off-site seminars for civic groups and fishing clubs from Fort Pierce to West Palm Beach. You can hear Paul’s South Florida Surf Fishing Report on Saturday morning on 94.3/WZZR. As far as print and online, you can read his Surf Fishing Reports on a regular basis in all of the TC Palm publications, Stuart News, St. Lucie News, St. Lucie Tribune, Indian River Press, and on TCPalm.com, in the fishing report columns that are headed by the widely known and respected outdoor sports writer, Ed Killer.

Paul spends an average of four to five days a week on the beach along the Treasure Coast guiding and personally fishing for the multitude of fish that are available along this great section of the Florida coast. The days he’s not fishing, Capt. Paul is tying pompano and whiting rigs that you can purchase through Fishbites.

One of the best aspects of surf fishing is that it is the perfect sport for everyone from children to grandparents. “Anyone can do it and it’s as much fun watching my grandson and granddaughters reel in a 12-inch whiting as it is watching a charter customer land his first pompano or snook”, says Capt. Paul.

Noel Kuhn

Florida

Surf fishing has been Noel’s passion and hobby for over 45 years and he would love to introduce you to this awesome sport or take your skills to the next level. A Jacksonville native, Noel is not only one of Florida’s most experienced surf fishing guides, he’s the best teacher you can find if you’re looking to get into surf fishing or need a few tips to increase your catch.

Noel is a Guy Harvey endorsed guide and provides seminars throughout the year at the Guy Harvey resort in St. Augustine, FL including several women’s only seminars. He is also a writer for the Coastal Angler magazine and a repeat guest on the “How To Do Florida” TV series. Noel is a founding member of the of the Florida Surf Casters club and a distributor of fine surf fishing tackle including his one of a kind handmade and welded sand spikes.

When he’s not on the beach fishing he spends his down time as a casting coach providing long distance casting lessons for fishing the surf. Noel’s detailed seminars and lessons have changed the lives of hundreds if not thousands of surf fisherman and women across the country.

If you’re in NE Florida and either want to learn or catch fish from the surf this is the guy you want to contact!

Ty Southerland

Texas

Ty Southerland, is the host and producer of the wildly popular YouTube channel “30milesOut Kayak Fishing TV” and has been filming his adventures for over 10 years. Ty is an accomplished angler based out of Rockport, TX and began offering guided kayak fishing trips in 2012. He’s a lifelong angler and great teacher, his trips are a “one of a kind” experience. All his life, as a singer/songwriter, musician and artist Ty Southerland has created a living out of nothing. An avid angler and outdoorsman since he first learned to walk, he always wanted to host a fishing show on television. When told he needed $75,000 in advance and several $10,000 video cameras just to get started, Southerland took a different direction. He added an inexpensive camera to his kayak gear and posted videos for free on YouTube, launching his channel “30milesOut” in 2009. Southerland became an Internet sensation, with fans across the United States and all of the world.

The show’s title comes from one of Ty & The Semiautomatics’ singles, which serves as the theme song and is available on iTunes. He composes at least five short songs for each episode. He produces, hosts, films and edits them all, sometimes tweaking them for a week or more.

“It’s where I do all my forms of creativity in one spot, and I approach it like my drawings and the songs I write. I try to convey a story, try to take people on a journey for that day, get them to feel what I feel when I wake up, smell what I smell at the beach, the anticipation, missing a fish, breaking one off. Then I intensify it more with music and the drama that happens, make it build to a crescendo with a big fish — like a song with a chorus, bridge and hook.”

In 2012 he landed a paddling partner and a wife, Theresa. She appears in episodes, videos Southerland, edits shows and manages all the marketing, website and Social Media pages. She ditched a 15-year corporate career to join Southerland full time after spotting him fishing from her office building overlooking Corpus Christi Bay. “That’s it. I’m done,” she said, recalling that day.

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