Capt. Don “Dfishinfool” Mathews and the staff welcome you to Escapeoffshore.com

We are SW Florida’s premier sport fishing outfitter

 

 

We offer charter fishing trips in the Gulf of Mexico and the Sarasota areas, vast inshore fishery. We use various dockages located near our home waters of “Siesta Key”. We fish from Charlotte Harbor north thru Sarasota Bay. We go where the fishing is the best.

Our well equipped boats are set up to safely get you to the fishing grounds and back. Our boats are fishing machines designed by fishermen and offer the latest in color electronics and safety equipment. The boats are equipped with satellite telephone, EPIRB’s, ship to shore radio, and all required USCG safety gear. Our boats and fishing equipment are meticulously maintained. We proudly use quality Penn reels to battle the areas toughest game fish.

We are fortunate to have a wide selection of available species of fish to target. Grouper, Snapper, Amberjack, King and Spanish Mackerel, Hogfish, Triple Tail, Barracuda, Sharks, Cobia, Tarpon, Sheephead, Snook, Redfish, Sea Trout, Pompano, flounder, Bluefish, and monster Goliath Grouper are all caught regularly on our charter fishing trips.

 

 

 

 

 

If you want to have a successful fishing trip in SW Florida, it is all about location and timing. The Gulf of Mexico is a huge body of water with a relatively flat bottom. Finding structure, underwater springs, and bottom features conductive to good fishing is tough. It can be like searching for a needle in a haystack. A lot of the time if you are anchored just fifty feet from the structure you might as well be a mile away. To make it even more difficult many of the species we target are migratory.

We have spent a lifetime learning the locations and studying the fish habits. Many of our fishing spots are closely guarded secrets gathered from ex commercial fishermen and captains. Our boats have the latest in modern electronics to pin point the bottom structure and identify the fish below.

Our boats are mobile, we trailer them to the ramp daily. It would be so much easier for us to keep them in a slip. We prefer the flexibility of trailering the boats to the action. To protect the Manatees there are many no wake or slow speed zones in the areas inter-coastal waterways. Who wants to spend half of their trip idling along the inter-coastal before they reach an inlet to the gulf? Our boats are stored in Venice Florida right next door to the boat launch. At this location, from the time you step on the boat until we hit the Gulf it is about 10 minutes.

Other days we launch in Placida, Nokomis, Turtle beach, and Sarasota. It all depends on the guest’s wishes and where the action is best. We can pick you up right on the key, or we can meet you at the ramp. Ubers are readily available in the area if your wife needs the car for shopping while the boys get away.

 

 

 

 

To be brutally honest once you are at the right place at the right time, catching the fish is easy. We offer many trips where you don’t need any fishing experience to do well with us. The captain and mate will explain everything right from the beginning and be by your side once the battle begins. High quality well maintained equipment will help you land the big ones.

We realize there are many area charter boats to choose from. Quite honestly most of them are good captains. We strive to give our guests the kind of professional charter trip they hoped for. I have been guiding anglers for most of my life and many of my guests have fished with me for twenty years. Repeat guests are essential to surviving in this business. Often our calendar fills up weeks or months in advance. If our schedules are full and we can not get you out on the date you need, I would be happy to send you some names of reputable area captains.

Come fish SW Florida and I am sure you will be hooked.

 

 

 

Feel free to call or text me anytime to discuss a trip.

Good Fishin..!!

Captain Don

330-565-5457

Follow Capt Don on Facebook to see what we are catchin

 

 

 

HOW TO BOOK A TRIP

Please call, text, or email Capt Don to check availability.
Mobile phone (330)-565-5457 email dfishinfool@aol.com
Note first time guests may be required to place a $50 deposit at time of booking.
Final payment will be in cash or Travelers Checks.
Sorry we do not accept personal checks or Credit Cards

NO FISHING LICENSE IS NECESSARY ON ANY OF OUR TRIPS
Our Florida guide license covers our guests
Captain will call three days before the trip with a updated marine forecast and to arrange meeting place and time.
Safety is our number one priority. The Captain may cancel trip due to adverse weather conditions. If we are forced to cancel your reservation, we will give you the option of trying to rebook or a full immediate refund of your deposit.
*2019 update: Captain Don will not be offering trips in Florida Charter Trips August 15th thru October 15th