Florida Charter Boat Captains

Captain Chris Haught:
Capt. Chris Haught has been guiding anglers to the exciting sport fish the bay area has to offer since 1997. Capt. Chris runs his charters from Tarpon Springs down to Bradenton but spends most of his time running fishing charters from the St. Petersburg area right at the mouth of Tampa Bay. Capt. Chris likes to keep fishing fun and enjoys an opportunistic style of “catching” in lieu of fishing. Every trip is different and Chris brings tackle for everything from a couple of pounds to a couple hundred pounds on every trip. If it swims by the boat, we’ll fish for it. Capt. Chris enjoys taking families fishing and also getting kids out on the water catching fish, learning, and having fun! All Capt. Chris’ fishing trips are No Fish – No Pay!

Captain Tim Drummond:
Captain Tim Drummond brings an “old school” native Floridian approach straight from Florida’s Deerfield Beach on the east coast. Combining bluewater structure and beach fishing techniques, he applies them to Tampa Bay’s unique fishery and finds success on every outing. Captain Tim has an uncanny ability at pulling up to any of the structures or grass flats in Tampa Bay and  assessing what it’ll take to extract fish from the depths, then going to work and bending rods and putting fish in the boat. This is something that comes with years of experience and it shows when it seems “effortless”. Captain Tim runs his fishing charters out of a completely customized 20 ft. Aquasport bay boat that was built specifally with Tampa Bay fishing in mind.

Captain Sean Tanner:
Captain Sean Tanner is your man if looking to fish upper Tampa Bay. Running his fishing charters from a 22 ft. SeaPro bay boat, Capt. Sean can find fish year round fishing in the upper reaches of Tampa Bay around mangrove shorelines, big bridges, structures, and shallow flats. Bait, licenses, tackle, and instruction are provided on every trip. Capt. Sean can fish for all of the bays fine game fish but he also has some specialized shark fishing up inside the bay. Fishing for the larger variety of sharks is also one of Capt. Sean’s specialties. Different species of sharks are available in Tampa Bay at different times, most being during the warmer months. Fishing for blacktip, lemon, sandbar, spinner, hammerhead, bull, and bonnet head sharks keeps Sean’s  customers busy reeling all year long. Sean even has areas “dialed in” where he’s even sight casting to large bull sharks in shallow water. Talk about heart pounding excitement, this is sure to satisfy even the most seasoned adrenaline junky!

Captain Dan Bumgarner:

Captain Dan grew up in the mountains of western North Carolina where he fished the local lakes and streams for anything that would bite hook. After graduating from Appalachian State University in 1966 Dan moved to Clewiston Florida on the south shore of Lake Okeechobee where he taught high school Industrial Arts and continued to pursue his passion for fishing on the “Big O”.

In 1969 he moved to Saint Petersburg to raise a family and teach in the Pinellas County School system until his retirement in 1997. After his retirement Captain Dan realized a life long dream of becoming a charter captain and started a second career by founding “Tampa Bay Charter Fishing”. After almost forty years of chasing fish around Tampa Bay, fishing still captivates Dan today as much as it did when he was a youngster fishing those streams in North Carolina.

Today Captain Dan runs light tackle sportfishing charters on the waters of lower Tampa Bay and the adjacent gulf beaches. His boat is a 24 foot Sea Pro bay boat powered by a 200 horsepower Yamaha outboard motor. This boat allows access to the shallow flats where redfish, trout, and snook are the targets as well as trips off the gulf beaches in pursuit of kingfish, tarpon and Spanish mackerel. Everything for your charter is provided except for you food and drink and any personal items you may need to bring along. Don’t forget the camera.

Captain Brent Gaskill

Capt. Brent Gaskill is a 4th generation Tampa Bay native who grew up fishing the local waters of Mullet Key and Fort DeSoto Park. Over the years he has honed his skills to become one of the most successful guides on the bay and near shore waters of the gulf. Operating as a full-time captain since 1998, his depth of knowledge, patience, and sense of humor makes a day on the water enjoyable for everyone from novice to expert. As a former high school woodshop instructor his willingness to teach is evident. Families have always been welcome as he has a knack for putting kids on fish.
Capt. Brent has become a TV and radio personality with regular appearances on the Average Angler Adventures, 47 Fish Finder, Hooked on Fishing, and CapMel’s Fishing Conversations. His varied fishing reports, feature magazine stories and seminars provide up to date information for much of the angling community. He is a field editor for Saltwater Angler Magazine covering the Regional Forecast for South Pinellas / Beaches, contributing writer for Onshore – Offshore Magazine, and writes fishing reports covering the Tampa Bay area for CapMel.com and TampaBayAngler.com.

Capt. Brent’s custom Avenger is rigged to run through the very shallow flats and backcountry while providing a comfortable ride across the open waters of the bay and into the gulf. The versatility of the boat allows combing both inshore and offshore fishing in the same day. His charters target a wide variety of species on light tackle or fly.

Capt. Brent Gaskill is a natural in the charter business and a leader in the industry. His numerous top tournament finishes combined with consistently putting clients on fish daily are a credit to his ability and time spent on local waters.