Reviews

Great trip!

We wen out on the Early Bird in early October. It was a great trip! Fantastic catch and the crew is kind and knowledgeable! I highly recommend Captain Ross and the Early Bird :)

Mtngirl

Persistence....

My brother-in-law, nephew and I fished on the Early Bird Dec 29th and we had a great time. Although the weather was not ideal, Capt Ross and Colby worked very hard to put us on fish. My nephew landed his first ever Sail Fish so the trip was well worth it. I have fished many parts of the world and the Early Bird crew had a natural passion to catch fish...at times I think they wanted to catch fish more than we did. I would recommend them to anyone looking for an eager/fun crew to put you on fish. Thanks guys and Happy New Year.......Michael, Saje and Ky

Ky D

Had a really great day!

Carol and I chartered the Early Bird for a 3/4 day trip in February 2014, and while fishing was slow...(you'll have those days) Captain Ross and mate worked their butts off to get us on fish, which they did!...we completely enjoyed the day, and went home with a nice catch which will make for plenty of great meals!....Ross also sent us with some of our catch to a local eatery, the Lazy Days, where they prepared it in the house style....one of the best fish dinners I have ever had! Many many thanks to captain Ross and Matt for a really great day....if you want to go fishing in IsleMorada, book the Early Bird for a day....

Flyshaper

Fantastic Day

My son and I joined Captain Ross and First Mate Zach for a great day of fishing. We were not focused on any particular fish and just asked that we catch a lot. Boy, did Early Bird deliver! We started on the reef and maxed out our yellowtail snaper limit as the sun was just getting above the horizon. We hooked (and released) a Nassau Grouper and a handful of other small to medium sized fish. We then set out for bigger fish and quickly found them. 4 kings, a monster Mutton, and a nice amberjack. The fact that Ross was willing to go above and beyond is epitomized by the following: at about 2:20 PM, after my son caught the mutton snapper, I suggested we head into shore to insure we ended on a high. As we headed back, Ross spotted a nice mahi and his fishing instincts just couldn't say, "No" to taking a shot at hooking her. In 10 minutes we had another beauty aboard. Needless to say, we ate well. Ross was focused and committed and skilled at his craft. Zach kept us entertained with "swashbuckling" stories. And, Ross's wife met us at the dock to take photos and hand out goodies. Great service, awesome fish, and great memories for my son and me. Ross, we look forward to riding with you again.

Mac G

Excellent charter!

Captain Early and his crew did a great job with my two teenage sons and myself. We caught a 79" sailfish, snappers and mackerel in a half day. I especially appreciated the quiet, calm approach they took when there was a "fish on". This made for a great time. The seas were rough but the early bird was very stable and smooth, comfortable inside. We recommend them highly and would use them again!

Norman F

What a day of fishing in March !

We fished a 3/4 day trip with Capt. Ross and Zach. It was a fantastic day with 3 AmberJack (40-50 pounds each), 4 King Mackerel, Black Grouper (released) and a record Mutton Snapper that I'm getting "mounted" - my first fish on the wall :-).

Ross and Zach took great care of us, helped with any questions and kept trying to find more fish ! We went with just the 3 of us (my wife and 16 yo son) but everyone had a blast. I was most impressed by how hard the guys worked to make sure we had a great time. I'd recommend this boat and the captain (and Zach) to a group of guys, a family, or something in between ... We had a fantastic day of fishing !!

Charlie

Great Fishing Trip!!!

My wife and I along with our 3 boys (ages 10 -13) had a fantastic afternoon fishing with Captain Ross and Zach. We got tons of fish (amberjack, mackerel and even a barracuda that is now being mounted!). Captain Ross and Zach were fabulous and great with the kids and knew just where to go to get fish after fish! Highly recommend!!!

Joel G

Excellent Charter/Captn and Mate

Booked the Early Bird for a 3/4 day end of May, 2014 based on good reviews I read on Tripadvisor. Was not the least bit disappointed in my decision. My husband and I had been deep sea fishing several times (both Atlantic/Pacific coasts) and wanted our 2 adult children to join us this time - they had never been. The ONLY thing that was unexpected was we got a bit seasick. However, both Captain Ross and his mate John were wonderful - gave us the option to either go back or cut day short. Fortunately we felt better (although my daughter slept most of the trip) so we were able to enjoy some great fishing all things considered. Captain and mate were so friendly and accommodating ! We caught several Snapper and Captain Ross made a great dinner reservation for us where they cooked our fish for us - AMAZING meal !!!! Highly recommend booking the Early Bird. Their patience and expertise were much appreciated. Will gladly return for another trip out with these guys !!

DanaMClark

Great First Time Experience!!!

My wife and 3 children (ages 17, 14 and 10) had never tried our hand at deep sea fishing and we really didn't know what to expect but Captain Ross and Zack provided us with a wonderful experience and lots of fish!! I had to laugh a little when Ross asked what our level of experience was when we were getting on the boat because I knew he and Zack would have their hands full with this crew. But both were great, they explained the whole process (as often as needed), answered all our questions, and kept a great attitude as we scrambled around the back of the boat in chaos while Ross was single handedly pulling in dolphin left and right. After awhile we eventually got the hang of it but I'm sure Ross slept well that night. Overall we had great time. Both Ross and Zack were professional but at the same time very easy going and made us feel

right at home even though we were rookies. I highly recommend Early Bird Charters - thanks Capt Ross and Zach for making this a special part of our vacation.

John Curry

Lake Mary Fl.

Stacy C

Don't miss this!!

My husband and I took a 6 hr fishing trip with the Early Bird Charter and had an excellent experience! Captain Ross and First Mate John were very friendly and helpful, working hard to make sure we caught fish and had a good time! We almost caught our limit on Mahi Mahi, including a couple of big ones and caught and released an amberjack (I think!)

Captain Ross was great to work with, right from the start when we started communicating. He responded to my emails and questions quickly. The Post Card Marina is very easy to find, right along the highway in Islamorada, and once you turn into the marina, there is an ample parking lot and all of the charter boats are very easy to see as you park. The Early Bird charter is a very nice, well-kept boat with a head (bathroom) and nice seating area inside if you care to be out of the elements. I have some mobility issues, with a birth defected leg, and I found it very easy to get in and out of the boat. The boat brings a large cooler/ice that you can store your beverages and lunch in if you so choose. We brought a few cans of soda and some bottled water along with a snack for the ride. The seas were very calm the day we went out, but we always take a motion sickness pill as a preventative measure, 'just in case'. I believe we went roughly 20 miles out to sea during our 3/4 day.

I have been on 4 other fishing charters, but this is the first time the boat has not had the the 'fighting chair'. It made the experience feel different and great fun! The mahi mahi were a fight to bring in, but definitely doable without the chair, and gave a good adrenaline rush. My husband was smiling from ear to ear all day and night :) We got into a school of mahi and they were biting left and right and we were pulling in fish after fish, it all happened so fast! I have never caught so many fish and so fast! After we got back to the Marina, Captain Ross hung up all of our fish on the 'bragging racks' :) and took pictures of us with our catch before cleaning the fish for us. He also made us reservations to the Lazy Days Restaurant where we had our catch cooked - very excellent place and we definitely recommend doing this! We took the rest of our 24# of fish to the Islamorada Fish Company to be packaged, blast froze and shipped to our home.

Thank you Captain Ross and John for an experience we will never forget!!

Sunseekergirl