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Meet the captains

About Native Charters FL

A husband-and-wife team running private fishing charters out of Crystal River, with two boats and decades of combined experience on the Nature Coast.

A woman and two men lean on the Native Fishing Charters cleaning table in front of a spread of snapper, hogfish and grunts

Native Charters FL is Captain Bobby and Alyssa, a husband-and-wife team based right on Crystal River. Both have fished these waters since childhood, and between them they bring decades of experience on Florida’s Nature Coast. Safety comes first: Bobby is a retired professional firefighter, and a certified rescue diver is part of the crew.

We run two boats, and both carry up to 6 guests. The 35′ offshore center console handles the offshore and deep sea trips, from a half day of bottom fishing to the Florida Middle Grounds 100+ miles out, and it has a full private bathroom on board.

The 27′ AmeraCat catamaran runs inshore and nearshore trips up to 40 miles out, plus scalloping. Its big dive ladder makes getting in and out of the water easy.

Every charter leaves from our own private launch in Crystal River, so there’s no public ramp and no waiting behind trailers. There’s a clean guest bathroom before and after the trip, and a fish cleaning station so you leave with your catch cleaned and bagged. We send launch directions before your trip date.

Ready to fish with us? See every trip we run, or call 352-770-2520 between 5 AM and 9 PM and tell us who’s coming; we’ll match you to the right boat and day.

Bearded man in bibs holding a large gag grouper across his body on a boat in open water

Captain & owner

Captain Bobby

Captain Bobby has spent his life on these waters. He comes from generations of fishermen, has fished Crystal River since childhood, and has spent years running charters from the inshore flats to the offshore grounds off the Nature Coast.

He’s a retired professional firefighter, and that calm, safety-first habit comes aboard with him. From trout on the grass flats to grouper and snapper at the Florida Middle Grounds, 100+ miles offshore, he knows the water and how to put fish in the boat.

  • Retired professional firefighter
  • Fishing Crystal River's waters since childhood, from a family of fishermen
  • Runs everything from the inshore flats to the Florida Middle Grounds, 100+ miles offshore
  • Trips run under an FWC charter license that covers every guest on board
A smiling woman in a Native Fishing Charters shirt holds a large red snapper on a Boga grip aboard the boat

Co-owner & mate

Alyssa

Alyssa was born on the Chassahowitzka River and has spent her life around the water and wildlife of the Nature Coast. She has fished these waterways since childhood.

She’s the one who makes the boat feel easy. She’ll coach a beginner through a first redfish, then help an experienced angler fine-tune a technique. Families and kids leave her trips with big fish stories.

  • Born on the Chassahowitzka River, fishing the Nature Coast since childhood
  • Coaches beginners and kids through their first fish
  • Helps experienced anglers dial in technique
  • Runs the business with Bobby as a husband-and-wife team

Reviews

What anglers say after a day with us

We booked an inshore trip with Native Charters and it was absolutely fantastic! Captain Bobby and his 1st mate (wife) Alyssa put us right on the fish immediately. We were targeting mangrove snapper and grunts, and we walked away with a great haul for dinner. They were incredibly knowledgeable, the gear was top-tier, and the boat was pristine. If you want a fun, productive day of fishing, book with these guys! We will definitely be back!

Bobby and his better half were great. Took me and my 11 year ild daughter out in forecasted 22 mph winds. The forecast was wrong! Almost caught a limit of sheepshead but plenty of catches all day. We couldnt imagine a better trip and crew!

Recommends on Facebook

We have been out on several trips with Bobby and Alyssa and they never disappoint! Went this year for Gag Grouper and limited out as well as getting a haul of mangrove snapper. This team knows their stuff, and are super kind and accommodating to boot. Also, the new boat is THE BUSINESS! Can't wait for our next trip out with them.

Man at the helm of a white center console boat with twin Yamaha outboards on calm water

Ready to pick a date?

Book online any time, or call and we'll help you pick the right trip and boat.