Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to fish: rods, reels, tackle, bait, ice and water, plus fishing license coverage for everyone on board. At the dock we clean and bag your catch, and on inshore and scalloping trips we take pictures for you. Scalloping trips add snorkel, mask, fins and a cooler.

The Overnight Middle Grounds charter also includes food and snacks. On every other trip, you bring your own food, drinks and sun protection.

From our own private launch in Crystal River: no public ramp, no waiting behind trailers, no fighting for parking before sunrise. Your captain provides the location details before your trip date.

The launch has a clean guest bathroom for before and after the trip, and a proper fish cleaning station, so you leave with bagged fillets. It sits right on the river channel, which keeps the run to the fishing grounds short.

Sunscreen, polarized sunglasses, a hat, non-skid shoes (waterproof preferred), food, and any drinks other than water. Bring a camera, motion sickness medication if you need it, a valid ID, and a small cooler to leave in your vehicle so your cleaned fish ride home on ice.

On scalloping trips, add a towel and a snack. In winter and spring, add a light jacket for the morning run. The full list is on our what to bring page.

Three things: GPS devices of any kind (phones and cameras are welcome), illegal drugs or paraphernalia, and glass bottles. Bring drinks in cans or plastic. Everything on our what to bring list is welcome, including your own rod if you have a favorite.

Bring motion sickness medication if you are prone to it; it is on our what to bring list for a reason. Offshore trips spend hours in open Gulf water, and the further out you go, the more the boat moves.

If that worries you, an inshore or scalloping trip stays in shallow water close to shore and makes a gentler first day out. The captain also calls off trips when conditions are not right.

You keep it. We clean and bag your catch at the fish cleaning station at our private launch, and that is included in the trip. Bring a small cooler to leave in your vehicle so the fillets ride home on ice. On scalloping trips we help you find scallops and shuck them for you. Prefer catch and release? That is fine too.

Pick the 35' offshore center console for deep sea fishing, the Middle Grounds, red snapper, or simply a bathroom on board. Pick the 27' AmeraCat for inshore fishing, nearshore bottom fishing up to 40 miles, young kids, or a lower-priced first trip. Scalloping runs on both: standard trips on the 27', "Luxury" trips with the private bathroom on the 35'. Not sure? Call us and we will match you to a trip.

Two. The 35' offshore center console runs offshore and deep sea trips out to the Florida Middle Grounds. It has a full private bathroom, a larger fishing platform and the speed to reach distant grounds with more time left to fish.

The 27' AmeraCat catamaran runs inshore fishing, nearshore trips up to 40 miles, and scalloping. It has a huge dive ladder and a layout that suits kids, families, first-time anglers and seniors. Both carry up to 6 guests.

No, everything is on board. Rods, reels, terminal tackle and bait are included and matched to the trip. On the 35' that means light and medium tackle on the 30 Mile Max, medium on the 40 Mile Max, and heavy tackle on the 50 Mile Max. We fish both live bait and artificials. The Overnight Middle Grounds charter carries conventional, spinning and electric reels. If you have a favorite rod, bring it along.

Book online on our Book page, or call 352-770-2520 between 5 AM and 9 PM. Online booking runs through FishingBooker Direct, with separate listings for inshore and nearshore, scalloping, and offshore trips. If the trip you want is not listed online, call us and we will book it by phone.

We recommend booking at least two weeks ahead. Questions? Email info@nativechartersfl.com.

Prices are per boat, not per person. Inshore trips on the 27' AmeraCat start at $695 for up to 2 anglers (half day) and $795 (full day); nearshore bottom fishing runs $995 to $1,595 for up to 4. Scalloping starts at $550 for up to 2. Offshore trips on the 35' run from $1,300 for a beginner half day to $3,495 for the Florida Middle Grounds day trip ($4,800 for the overnight), covering up to 4. Extra guests are $50–$100, up to 6. See Rates.

The captain decides. Weather cancellations are at the captain's discretion, and we watch the forecast closely in the days before every trip. Long offshore runs get the hardest look, because they mean hours in open Gulf water.

If we call a trip off, we will contact you about rescheduling. If a forecast worries you, call us before cancelling on your own.

Booked online: FishingBooker’s cancellation terms shown at checkout apply — currently free cancellation up to 3 days before inshore trips, 7 days before scalloping and 1 day before offshore trips. Booked by phone: deposits are non-refundable, but you can reschedule with at least 48 hours’ notice to a date within 120 days of your original trip. Weather cancellations are the captain’s call and are rescheduled, not lost.

Up to 6 guests on either boat. Most prices cover a base group of 2 or 4, and each extra guest adds $50 on scalloping trips, $75 on most inshore trips and $100 on offshore runs. Every trip page lists the exact figures. The one exception is the Overnight Middle Grounds charter: 4 people maximum, no add-on.

The boat is yours for the day. Every trip we run is private: your group only, nobody added to fill seats, and the price covers the boat rather than each person. That is why prices read "from $X for up to 2" or "up to 4", with a per-person add-on if you bring more. The captain plans the day around your group, from what you want to catch to how hard you want to fish.

Only when gas rises above $4 a gallon. When it does, all charters are subject to a fuel surcharge of up to $200. The amount depends on trip distance, so longer runs carry more of it. Under $4 a gallon there is no surcharge. Ask when you book whether one currently applies.

Customary tipping for mates is 15–20%, and tips are not included in the trip price. The mate works your lines all day and cleans your catch at the dock, so a tip is the usual way to say thanks.

Yes. Firefighters, law enforcement officers, active and retired military, nurses and teachers get 5% off all charters. Let us know you qualify when you book by phone or email. Details are on our Discounts page.

Yes, children are welcome, and the 27' AmeraCat in particular is set up for kids, families, first-time anglers and seniors. On the 27' catamaran, children under 6 years old or 60 pounds or less must wear a life jacket at all times. On the 35', we ask that kids be 4 or older.

For long offshore runs on the 35', call us first so we can talk through your child's age and the length of the day.

The Inshore Half Day: 5 hours from 8:00 AM on the 27' AmeraCat, trout and redfish close to home, from $695 for up to 2 anglers. In scallop season, the 4-hour scalloping trip is the other favorite: kids snorkel shallow, clear water and pick up their own catch. For a taste of offshore, the Beginners Bottom Fishing half day on the 35' is 5 hours with a bathroom on board.

Yes. Alyssa is known for making the trip approachable for anglers at any experience level, and Captain Bobby, a retired professional firefighter, brings a calm, safety-first mindset to the boat. Everything is provided and we show you how to work the tackle. Start with an inshore half day, a scalloping trip, or the Beginners Bottom Fishing half day if you want a look at the Gulf.

Redfish and spotted seatrout most days, plus snook, flounder, black drum, Spanish mackerel and sheepshead depending on tide and season. We fish whatever the tide favors, usually redfish or trout first, with live bait and jigs over the flats, rock piles, oyster bars and river mouths around Crystal River. Sheepshead get their own seasonal full-day trip in late winter and early spring, around the spawn.

Half day is 5 hours and full day is 7–8 hours, both starting at 8:00 AM. A half day is enough for most inshore species and is the right pick for families and anyone new to fishing. Go full day to fish more of the tide and cover more water. Both run on the 27' AmeraCat: from $695 for up to 2 anglers on the half day, from $795 on the full day, plus $75 per extra person.

Inshore means the flats, rivers and estuaries in and around Crystal River, fishing for redfish, trout and their neighbors. Nearshore means running out into the Gulf on the 27' AmeraCat to bottom fish over hard bottom and rock piles for mangrove snapper, hogfish, grunts and other bottom fish. Those trips range from the 15–20 Mile Bottom Fishing half day to the 30 and 40 Mile Max. Both book on the same inshore listing.

Yes, on the Inshore and Offshore Combo. It runs on the 27' AmeraCat and mixes Gulf bottom fishing with inshore trout and redfish in one 7-hour day, starting at 8:00 AM. It is from $1,095 for up to 4 anglers, plus $75 per extra person. It suits a mixed group where some want a taste of the Gulf and others prefer the calmer water inshore.

Grouper, snapper and hogfish, depending on how far we run and what is in season. The 30 Mile Max is hogfish, mangrove snapper and grunts; at 40 and 50 miles grouper joins the list; the 80 Mile Max and the Florida Middle Grounds add red snapper in the federal for-hire season and bigger grouper. Gag has its own short fall season. Mangrove snapper and hogfish are open year-round. Each trip page lists its targets.

Between 5 and 9 hours for a day trip, depending on how far we run. On the 35', the Beginners Bottom Fishing half day is 5 hours. The 30 and 40 Mile Max trips and the Offshore Gag Full Day are 8 hours. The 80 Mile Max and the 120 Mile Max Middle Grounds trip run 9 hours, with a 6:00 or 7:00 AM start for the 80 Mile and a 5:00 or 6:00 AM start for the Middle Grounds. The Overnight Middle Grounds charter fishes a day and a night. Most other trips start at 8:00 AM.

Anywhere from 15–20 miles nearshore to the Florida Middle Grounds, 100+ miles out. Offshore trips on the 35' are sold by range: 30, 40, 50 and 80 Mile Max, the 120 Mile Max Middle Grounds run, and the Overnight Middle Grounds charter. The 27' AmeraCat runs nearshore bottom fishing from the 15–20 mile half day up to the 30 and 40 Mile Max. Further out usually means deeper water and bigger fish, but more running time.

The 35' offshore center console runs every offshore and deep sea trip, including the Florida Middle Grounds. It is the faster boat, with a larger fishing platform and a full private bathroom with a hand-washing station, so long days stay comfortable. The 27' AmeraCat handles inshore fishing, nearshore trips up to 40 miles, and scalloping. Both boats carry up to 6 guests.

On the 35' offshore boat, yes: a full private bathroom with a hand-washing station. That is a big part of why it runs the long offshore trips and our "Luxury" scalloping trips. There is also a clean guest bathroom at our private launch before and after every trip. If a bathroom on board matters to your group, book a trip on the 35'.

During the federal for-hire red snapper season, which opens June 1 every year. In 2026 it runs June 1 through Oct 25, closing at 12:01 a.m. Oct 26. Florida's private-boat season has different dates and does not apply to charters. The limit is 2 per person with a 16-inch minimum.

NOAA sets the close date each spring, so check the current dates before booking. Our 80 Mile Max trip is built for this season.

July 1 through Sept 24 each year in the Crystal River and Homosassa zone (Levy, Citrus and Hernando counties), so the 2026 season is July 1 – Sept 24. FWC sets the dates by rule but can close a zone mid-season for water quality or low scallop numbers. It did that in two other Gulf zones in 2026, so we check FWC before every trip.

2 gallons of whole scallops in the shell, or 1 pint of meat, per person per day. The boat limit is 10 gallons whole or half a gallon of meat, and it never lets one person exceed their own limit. There is no minimum size. Scallops may only be taken by hand or with a dip net, which is how we do it.

No. Our FWC charter license covers everyone on board, scallops included. Scalloping from a private boat requires a Florida saltwater fishing license, which is one reason a charter is the simple option for visitors: no paperwork and no guessing which license you need. You show up, and we bring the snorkel, mask and fins.

Yes, and it is one of our best family trips. Scallops live on shallow grass flats, so kids snorkel a few feet of clear water and pick up their own catch. On the 27' catamaran, children under 6 years old or 60 pounds or less must wear a life jacket at all times; on the 35', we ask that kids be 4 or older.

Snorkel, mask and fins are provided, and we help find and shuck the catch.

No. Native Charters FL is an FWC-licensed charter, and that license covers every guest on board. You do not need your own Florida saltwater fishing license or the State Reef Fish Angler designation. The same coverage applies to scalloping. Just bring a valid ID.

Gag is a short fall season. In 2026 it is open Sept 1–30 in both Gulf state and federal waters, closing at 12:01 a.m. Oct 1. The limit is 2 per person with a 24-inch minimum, within the 4-grouper aggregate. NOAA and FWC set the dates each year, so check the current season before booking a gag trip.

We run gag trips on both boats: Inshore Gag Grouper on the 27' and the Offshore Gag Full Day on the 35'.

NOAA in federal waters and FWC in Florida state waters, and yes, you keep your catch within their limits. Seasons for gag grouper, red snapper and amberjack are reset every year, so we confirm the current rules before every trip and fish strictly within them. On a charter the captain and crew keep no grouper, red snapper, redfish or seatrout, so the limits are all yours.