Who are the top five charter captains in the country? According to Sport Fishing fans, they’re the five skippers who make up this gallery. SF fans nominated 60 captains and by popular vote narrowed that down to five finalists. In its fourth year, the prestigious annual contest allowed enthusiasts to vote once for their choice among the 60 outstanding nominees during the month of October; more than 5,000 people voted.
If your favorite offshore charter captain or inshore guide isn’t among these five, take heart and be ready to throw his/her name into the hat when SF calls for top-captain nominations again next fall in the fifth annual contest!
The captains are listed alphabetically.
Also see the previous Top Captains from 2017, 2016 and 2015.
Besides tremendous recognition from the honor of being one of Sport Fishing’s Charter Captains of the Year, each skipper will receive a miniature replica mount with an engraved plaque from King Sailfish Mounts.
Mark DeBlasio
Blue Runner Sportfishing
Home port: Point Pleasant, NJ
Phone: 201-988-5475
Years as a fishing guide: 18
Boats
Favorite fishing grounds
Northeast Canyons and Cape Cod; Outer Banks, NC
Favorite species to target
Tuna
Specialty
Catching bigeye tuna
Most important lesson learned as a guide/charter captain
Always give 110-percent effort, and remember fishing should be fun for the clients. Catching fish is important, but showing our customers a good time is our No. 1 priority.
Ozzie Fischer
Bay Fischer Charters
Home port: South Seas Island Resort, Captiva Island, Florida
Phone: 239-872-8515
Years as a fishing guide: 24
Boat
Favorite fishing grounds
Pine Island South
Favorite species to target
Big snook
Specialty
Light tackle inshore and offshore
Most important lesson learned as a guide/charter captain
Work hard, and always make sure my customers have a great time.
Duane “Diego” Mellor
Pinnacle Sportfishing
Home port: San Diego, California
Phone: 619-850-7575
Years as a fishing guide: 15
Boats
Favorite fishing grounds
Southern California, northern Baja
Favorite species to target
Tuna, yellowtail, swordfish
Speciality
Any species that inhabits or migrates through local Southern California waters
Most important lesson learned as a guide/charter captain: Stay humble, and simply focus on being the best that you can be for your clients, day in and day out. You’re only as good as your last day.
Steve Richardson
Backlash Sportfishing
Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Hatteras, North Carolina
Phone: 757-286-0711
Years as a fishing guide: 41
Boat
Favorite fishing grounds
Off the Virginia and North Carolina coast
Favorite species to target
Blue marlin, white marlin, swordfish, tuna
Specialty
Marlin and tuna fishing
Most important lesson learned as a guide/charter captain
There are so many important lessons I have learned over the years. Be courteous to your customers; always try your hardest to catch your charter’s fish; be patient; run a clean, efficient operation; and, most importantly, have fun.
Nick Stanczyk
B n’ M Charters
Home port: Islamorada, Florida
Email: daytimeswordfish@gmail.com
Years as a fishing guide: Licensed for 16 years; full-time charter captain for 11
Boat
Favorite fishing grounds
Islamorada offshore
Favorite species to target
Swordfish
Specialty
Daytime swordfishing
Most important lesson learned as a guide/charter captain
An average fish for us may be the charter client’s best catch ever, so make sure to share the excitement because they may never forget that fish.
