we had a fabulous time!!
The crew was so great. We had such a relaxing and fun time. We are definitely going to book with them again with a ton of our friends soon!!!
Night fishing
I have mixed feelings on the matter. At face value most everything was ok yet the fact that when we landed and the fish were sorted there was a big difference. My friend and I fished off the side and a family of 4 fished off the bow and we caught ! edible fish among us. The others fishing off the rear came away with at least 10 fish each and one guy complained he was missing at least 8 more. How does that happen? I lost 3 hooks (in a row) to sharks supposedly. Why didn't I get a steel leader or something more shark proof? Dunno. The guy who was seasick and asleep half the trip did better.
Great Experience
Had a great time, I spent the extra to go in the sport fishing boat, and it was a really nice experience, it felt like a private charter, there was just the 4 of us along with the deck hand Thomas who was amazing, he knew the fish were hooked before the pole snapped, the capt. was great, he slowed the boat while we were reeling in the fish made the workout easier :) we each caught a fish, and Thomas cleaned and filleted the fish for you once we docked.
Jeremy Artley
Had a great time with the trip I had with the crew of fishful thinking! Wish the weather had been better but they did everything that they could to make it an enjoyable and productive trip! I would highly recommend this boat and crew to anyone looking to experience a great time with a great crew! If I ever return to south Florida for vacation again I WILL be back! Thanks again for the great time guys!
Great Captain. Cool Shipmates.
My father and I boarded the Fishful Thinking boat yesterday. There was crazy turbulence, some rain and 2 fellow crew members had motion sickness. Yet, the captain had a great disposition and settled us down with excellent reggae. Despite the odds, I had an awesome time. I'd definitely recommend.
Wishful thinking
Had to get a refund from groupon because my reservations kept getting cancelled due to not enough ppl signing up. Other boats that I've been on still goes out when a bunch of ppl do not sign up, because at the end of the day it is still a business.
Disappointed
Upgraded to sport fishing day of outing . Only 4 of us went out with crew and caught only 3 fish total. Kept going over same area. Thought we could try different spot since we were not on any fish.
Great Time !!!!!!
CPT Rusty and Shane were great. They were super knowledgeable and very helpful. I usually go fishing on another party boat but looks like I found a new boat and crew. I just wish they had an all day trip once a month or a late night trip. Thanks for everything and see you next time.
Mr
I must say I was very pleased with my resist fishing trip. Both the Captain and his first mate were friendly, informative, and helpful. I definitely plan on booking another trip.
poor fishing experience
Poor equipment (1 rod did not have enough line to reach the bottom and the other had 3 knots in the line within the first 50 feet). We spent the majority of the time trying to untangle the 30 lines of spaghetti and relatively little time actually "fishing". The 2 customers next to us were smokers and blew smoke in our direction the entire trip. At that point there was nowhere for us to move. The country music blaring from the mate's radio was annoying. A nice relaxing fishing trip was anything but. Finally, the constant "begging" for tips was unprofessional. Let the customers know you work for tips, then actually earn them - don't simply expect them.
Worth the price
We had a very nice time.The crew was friendly and eager to help in any way they could.The nightime view of Fort Lauderdale was worth the cost of the trip alone...
Great Fishing!
I really enjoyed this fishing trip. There was enough room for everyone to enjoy fishing in the deep sea! The staff were attentive and friendly. I would do this again the next time I am in Florida!
unhappy with treatment
Very dissapointed from start to finish advertising said cast your line yet crew said not allowed so dropping the heavy poles with no hooks or help from 90 percent of the crew was so wrong when the crew were casting lines out and catching fish for some female passengers of the 4 tickets we bought 2 tiny fish came home did not like the treatment from the captain only one crew member tried to help shame on you false advertising and poor treatment will not book again
Fishful Thinking Party boat
As always, the crew of this vessel is by far the best I have been fishing with in south Florida. I will always choose them over the other boats. The crew is very friendly, the boat is hardly ever crowded even when it is it's fun. Will recommend to anybody.
Perfect afternoon
My nephew, his wife and their three kids ( 11,8 and 5 ) were in town from Chicago they really wanted to go fishing and Han never seen the Atlantic. We went on the 1pm trip and we had a great time. Everyone caught a fish. The mates were great and we all had a great afternoon.
Our Fishing Trip 6/2015
We had an awesome time. The crew was very helpful and nice. They took time to teach us (who had no clue) how to fish in the deep waters. We caught fish and enjoyed the trip. Additionally, we felt safe and cared for.
First timer
This was a great experience. The Captin and crew was extremely helpful and nice. I recommend all to try this at least once. Bring sanitizer and towel
We ate our fish for breakfast!
Fishful Thinking was amazing! The staff was great and worked really hard. Not only was it a beautiful day in southern Florida but the people on the boat were super fun! The captain of the boat chopped and cleaned the fresh fish for us.We took our fish back to our hotel suite in Miami and had it for breakfast the next morning! I would defiantly recommend this place to others! Thanks a lot Fishful Thinking Crew and captain for the lifelong memories!
Fishing Trip
It has been a number of years since I have caught fish on a boat out of Fort Lauderdale. We tried but always came home empty. On the Fishful Thinking the captain would move if no one was getting bites. We did catch fish in almost every spot that we stopped. It was a successful day as far as I am concerned.
Great experience!
Overall the fishing was slow today, but the service was great. I went on another charter earlier in the week and while I enjoyed the other, this one was staffed with friendlier people. I'm going to try again tomorrow with fishful thinking.
I had a blast
I really enjoyed myself . The men aboard were very attentive and patient. They provided great service and was there to lend a helping hand when ever you needed them. The day was beautiful and amazing. I definitely recommend fishful thinking and i will be back!!!!!
Great Ride!
Enjoyed the fishing trip! It was an experience and could not ask for a beautiful day! The mate, and the captain could not be nicer! Was always there to help with the bait, and taking the fish off the hook for you! Just a great time!
Great family fishing trip!
Had a blast today on Fishful Thinking! The kids enjoyed being out on the boat as much as we did. We didn't catch anything worth keeping, but caught a few fish and that was enough to have a great time. The First Mate, Gene, took great care of us and assisted in every way - he was awesome with the kids! Can't wait to go back on Fishful Thinking!
Fishing Trip
We had a great time this morning! The crew was friendly, helpful and a pleasure to work with. My family and I had a blast and will highly recommend and use you guys again. Thanks for a great Spring Break Day!!
MR
Had a really nice time, fish went as fishing goes. Win some lose some. But I know there will be better days. Looking forward to our next outing with you guys.
Best first Fishing Trip!
I took my 6 year old son out for his first time out fishing on a boat and we had an amazing time. I was very thankful for both Captain Richard and The First Mate Jean as they helped him feel more at comfortable. Jean was great with helping get the fish unhooked and did an excellent job cleaning the ones we kept to take home for dinner! I would highly recommend Fishful Thinking and hope to go out again with them in future!
GREAT
A 35 yr- lifelong fisherman- Fishful Thinking is the only drift boat in the area I will fish!!
Capt's Rich & Ryan and mates Gene & Pete are the best!
Great Experience
I have been on many fishing boats around South Florida but this was the best because of the service. They were professional and very pleasant to deal with on the phone. They were especially nice on the boat as well. It was the only time I ever received any safety instructions as well so I felt that they really took matters seriously. I caught a bunch of fish, however none that were edible. It was fun and they were helpful. I look forward to booking another day out with them.
Great night, great crew!
Fishing for the first time in fishful thinkin was a great experience! Been on many drift fishing boats in Fort Lauderdale and this one is my favorite thus far! Easy to locate and closer to this hong grounds than any of these boats! Crew was not only nice to talk with but made me feel appreciated just for being there with them! Will definitely go again sometime soon!
Awesome day!
Great time ! Relaxing , fun even though we only caught 2 fish. Capt.Ryan and Thomas were so helpful and great with the kids. Can't wait to go again !
Sunday Morning Fishing
Had a great time fishing in South Florida for the first time. 4 hours went by pretty fast because of it. Not everyone caught fish, but I caught two! Crew were very helpful and funny. Didn't have to worry about broken line, bait, or knowing what fish to keep or throw away. I liked the fact that I got my fish cleaned for me too! I will definitely be revisiting with friends locally as well as visitors from up north. Great way to start a Sunday before the football game!!
11/01/14
Too many people on the boat to fish at one time,fishing off both side of the boat just leads to tangled lines.Could have done without the smelly bathrooms as well.
The DreMo Fishing Experience
We truly enjoyed the 4 hour afternoon deep sea fishing trip. The service was great: on time, friendly, and the crew was informative about how to fish. In fact, we caught a total of 6 fish: (4) Blue Runner, a Yellow Tail, and a Jack. The Captain of Fishful Thinking had a great personality, and even asked if my girlfriend was ok from sea sickness, I thought that was kind and cool. Overall, we had a great experience, and we will definitely return for the night time deep sea fishing experience. I would recommend Fishfulthinking to all. ~ DréMo
Fishing fun.
Matt and Thomas were awesome. Had a great time watching everyone else catch fish. The fish gods were not on my side today. If in doubt or not sure take your motion sickness medicine.
Mr.
The Crew was great, & the experience was great. If I would have one criticism/complaint, it would be that my son and I have only tried fishing a few times before, and its been a few years ago. The crew should put a little more emphasis, and a little more attention to the rookies (novices). Both my son and I were lost at times, had a hard time getting someone to answer our questions. Our side of the boat was not catching much fish, and everyone (crew) was on the other side with the more experienced passengers. Understanding that the crew had many things that they had to take care of, and others that they have to attend to, but both my son, and I tried to call the mate several times, and he was talking to others that had been on the trip a few times before. We felt a little frustrated, that someone couldn't come by and ask if we had any questions, or give some advise.
Saturday, Oct. 4th
Guys, thanks for a great trip! though it was only a handful of fisherman, the trip was great. This is a repeat trip for me and plan on others!
Thanks again!
Great Trip!
The fishing was slow, but we had a great time. The captain and mate were awesome and had quite a sense of humor. We really enjoyed ourselves and will be going back again.
good times
Went out with my two sons and had a great time this AM. The fish were biting and the mate and Captain were personable and very friendly. We will be going back again.
Fishful Thinking
We had such a great time today!! It was a great fishing experience. The crew was very nice and friendly. We caught quite a bit of fish. It was overall a great experience and well worth the money!! Thank you!!
Awesome trip!
This was my fiancé and my first time deep sea fishing. We had an absolute blast! Gene was so helpful and helped fix my reel... Several times. We will definitely be booking again. Looking forward to bringing our friends and family when they come visit!
fishing Trip
I booked a trip for my son and husband they were not happy they didn't catch any fish and the one my son caught had to be thrown back so they don't want to go back again.It was ok they say but no fish.
fishing Trip
I booked a trip for my son and husband they were not happy they didn't catch any fish and the one my son caught had to be thrown back so they don't want to go back again.
GRANDPA & GRANDSON FISHING
We had a wonderful day on the Fishful Thinking sport fishing boat!!!! The weather was GREAT....the crew AWESOME....and we caught a lot of fish. THANKS FOR A GREAT TIME>
amazing
This is very fun.the crews are very helpful and taking serious about everything.captain was great and bill the first mate.thank you wish full thinking for this.im sure I'm coming back for this kind of fun...
Good time was had by all
This trip was the perfect amount of time. We left promptly at 8am and returned at noon. It was super HOT and we were reminded constantly to hydrate. Bring LOTS of water and gator aid. The service was excellent, if you needed help it was readily available by the very energetic, very witty mate (Ryan) who is often I the role of captain. I went wit my 71 yo mother and my 15 and 16 yo boys. Everyone had a good time. They probably would have enjoyed it more if the fish had been biting. Unfortunately just about everyone on the boat left empty handed but safe and pleased with the experience.
Great night of fishing!!
Although it was a slow night fishing, the views were beautiful and time spent was fun! We ended up catching the biggest fish, but I promise our opinion is unbiased. We will definitely be back for more and look forward to it!
Tip to Frankie- be modest. People will accept your novice level more than cocky attitude. Overall, you were good but people could tell you were a bit too confident just yet.
Fishful thinking
A super fun time for the new fisher person(s) We had a great time The crew went above & beyond helpful with the grand kids & wife ( & me ) Thanks to all we'll be back Marty Pat Justin & Jordan
Great day on the water
Although we didn't catch anything my son and I had a great time on the water. Mates bill and Frankie were very helpful and friendly, the Captain did his best to put us on some fish.
All in all a great time was had by all, will definitely head back out give it another go.
Feedback
The boat was ok clean and the polls were ok. The main disappointment we had was that we spent more time getting caught on others lines then we did anything. No fault to anyone in particular but after about an hour we were frustrated. I wouldn't recommend to friends.
Nice Outing
We used a groupon and had a great day. Our guide was funny. We didn't catch anything, so that wasn't cool. Bring a lot of drinks and sunscreen
My family fishing trip
My family and I went fishing on the Fishful Thinking boat on June 21st 2014. My family and I had a good time, but there was room for improvement. Let me start off with the good first. The crew of the ship were excellent. They were very helpful and polite. The Captain took us to some very good fishing spots and we caught some nice fish. Now with bad. The sink in the bathroom didn't work so you couldn't wash your hands if you used it. Second, the Captain allowed some of the passengers to smoke while we were fishing. This was very unpleasant for my family and I because they people smoking were smoking really horrible smelling cigars. Now my last complaint concerns the line tangles. During our trip, our line continued to get tangled with other people's lives. I'd say we lost about 45 minutes of fishing because the deck hand had to continuously untangle the lines. The fishing equipment we used needed servicing. My wife caught a very large fish that I ended up reeling in. It took me much longer than it should have because the line my wife caught the fish on kept slipping as I
Tried to reel it in. Over all out was very cool. I give the whole experience a B.
great trip!
We went on fish full thinking last Saturday, it was our first time , we did great ! Mates were very attentive! Had a great time , we will repeat !
Feedback
Even though the whole boat caught a total of 2 fish, the group I was with still had a great time. The deck hand was very helpful in fixing tangled lines and helping people out! The suggestion I would have would be some more direction to the whole group while out on the water. Like when to cast out and when to real in. It might have saved us a lot more tangled lines.
Amazing trip!
The crew was great and funny! Even tho it rained and we didn't personally catch anything we had an awesome day. A lot of the other guest did catch a lot of fish! We will forsure do this trip again!
Mr. Kevin Thieneman
Good trip, very friendly staff. The mate, Jared, (sp.?) was super friendly and a big help. I would have done five stars if there were two helpers. With nearly thirty people fishing and only one person working the lines, there were long waits on tangled lines and help with those type of things. Other than that had a great time. Tipped the guy $20 because he did work so hard being the only person.
Our Fishing Trip
We had a wonderful Time , The Mate was excellent , a very hard working man. There was a very nice group of people , the ocean was calm , couldn't be better. If you want to have a nice time , go on Fishful Thinking .
Great Trip
What a great fishing trip. They were on time and the mates were very helpful and nice. We caught some nice fish. We will definitely be going on another trip with Fishful Thinking!
GREAT FATHER'S DAY GIFT....
This was a great trip. From the website being simple and understand , with current weather posting and to ez mapping. great and ez parking, loading and unloading of the boat was breezy, experience on the boat was professional and the crew was very knowledgable about fishing, baiting, untangling lines, types and nick names, and quality of eating fishing. WILL RECOMMEND TO ANY SOCIAL OR ANY INDIVIDUAL EVENT. BIG THANKS TO THE FISHFULTHINKING CREW FOR A WONDERFUL TIME. See you guys again soon...
Mr Torres
The trip was good no fish I thought the captain could have gone to a different spot after a. Hour of drift but he's got all the info the staff and mates where great help especially to those who where clueless it seemed all had A good time even with no keepers
Mr
I would like to think official thinking in their mates and staff for a good day efficient although good good day bad day fishing is better than any good day anywhere I know once again thank you
Good time.
Capt. & mate friendly and helpful when needed. girlfriend caught 3 - me 0. Doesn't matter. Better than working. I would go back. Also a great deal. Thanks.
5.25.14 8am trip
great trip great job by the crew. Even though no one in our party caught a fish, the crew did an excellent job showing the entire boat each catch, and worked to change our side of the boat's rigging to give us a better chance to catch something.
Excellent
The guys at fishful thinking were awesome, very attentive and incredibly helpful. The took us out to a few different spots to maximize our opportunities at getting a catch. I'd definitely book again.
Mr
Yesterday afternoon was a fishing disaster.
As someone previously mentioned. Drift fishing should not be done with people on both sides of the boat, approx. 40 people.
The poor crew worked there butts off and spent the entire time untangling lines and re rigging. We stopped 5 times and 4 out of the 5 my rig was not ready to fish. When I finally got fixed up and dropped the line down with the squid that had already cooked while on the side of the boat because the crew were too busy re rigging to provide fresh bait, the Captain fired up the boat and we had to reel it in, 4 hour trip and I literally had the line in the water maybe 25 minutes tops.
Was not impressed that we only used squid because that was apparently successful on the morning trip for snapper. Not one person caught a snapper on our voyage and in total maybe 7-10 fish caught by 40 people and all but one had to be released due to undersize or restricted.
The crew worked hard under difficult circumstances, hats off to them. The Captain should have made better decisions and changed his plan accordingly.
Oh and Captain, it might have been nice if you would have faced the boat in the opposite direction a couple of times since we were all using the same bait and bottom fishing. Our side of the boat was facing the glaring sun the entire time while the other side was in the shade.
We have been on 3 different drift fishing boats and by far this Captain and his decisions made this one a flop.
It was however a nice day out on the water, just didn't need the fishing rods or the aggravation of all the tangles.
Please get a Captain that has a backup plan or can alter his plan if necessary and by all means we will give you a second chance. Until then our next trip will be on Catch My Drift which we passed and had people fishing off only one side :)
great fishing charter
Had a great time. Would highly recommend Fishful Thinking. They were all knowledgeable and very helpful with the bait. Can't wait to go again.
the best trip ever!!!
This was a first rate expedition! The ship, the captain, and the mate all top-notch! We had a blast. Couldn't ask for a better time! I can't wait to go back!
Fun Trip !
From the moment we arrived at the dock and checked in, the Fishful Thinking staff made us feel comfortable and welcome. They took care of everything, taught us a few tricks, and even made our 7 year old daughter in to a "real fisherman". Bring your sunscreen, some cold beverages, and some friends for a guaranteed good time!
Fishful Thinking
Apparently the weather conditions weren't right last night, too windy, which shifted the current 10 miles further from the shore, and we were basically shut out. Two remora fish caught. There were 3' to 6' swells, so standing and moving around was difficult. I'd give them another chance when the weather is better. Capt. and Mate were friendly and knowledgeable.
Would definitely go again with Fishful Thinking
We had a great time on Fishful Thinking! The crew were super-friendly, helpful and made the trip very enjoyable. The boat was very comfortable, clean and felt really safe even in some stormy weather. The fishing equipment was clean, functioning properly, double-hooked & weighted, thick line, good reels, etc. The captain moved us around to several spots to avoid inclement weather to make sure we got the most out of our trip and the crew helped with bating, untangling, reeling in and anything else needed. They even had ponchos available for the unforeseen rain. The crew filleted up the catch at the end of the trip. There is plenty of FREE parking which was another plus! Everything was perfect! Thanks for a great time, we will be seeing you again!
JoAnn and Leigh
Very Very Pleased, Sam the man is a real gentleman,Capt. Harold knows his stuff and First mate Guy is so so pleasant,and Justin is very very egar to please.
Recommend Fishful thinking Highly.
Leigh Lawrence
Review
Went on a 8:00am trip Saturday April 26th. Wasn't really pleased with my experience. Spent more time driving around than even fishing. It took almost an hour to get from the dock to the first fishing spot which is crazy since the dock is right next to the port and the first spot wasn't that far from port. The mates where nice and did a great job helping people. However threw out the trip garbage was thrown out of the wheel house into the water. Everything from wrappers to soda cans even a rag just got tossed into the water. I'd have to assume it was the captain since the mates where walking around which is pretty bad for someone who has been in the industry that long to pollute the ocean like it's his garbage can. Especially when there was a 55 gallon garbage can in the back. He was also more interested in himself fishing then anything els.
Fun trip
Booked a four hour drift fishing trip with my 16 yr old daughter. Only a few people caught things, but wecaught an interesting eel and a smallish tropical fish. Neat to see variety of fish caught. reasonable price especially w Groupon, would do it again. Easy for first timers and we liked the crew. The boat itself has seen better days and the bathroom could use cleaning and more toilet paper stash but just plan to bbring baby wipes or hand sanitizer. Would recommend overall .
h
Sunday, March 30: 1:00pm Charter
I surprised my boyfriend by setting up the charter today at 1:00pm and let me tell you, his face when I told him what we were going to be doing was priceless. To start the day off, we were greeted by a friendly face who immediately welcomed us and made us even more excited for the trip. Once on board, we were greeted by mate, Eddy, who also made it known to us that anything we might need during the trip was just a name call away and he would be there to fulfill whatever it was with which we might need assistance. Captain Harold was easy to talk to and full of stories, again, adding to our overall experience. Eddy and Harold were beyond willing and helpful to attempt to put us on some fish and take care of our lines. They were constantly offering assistance and tips on how to handle the lines and catch the fish. Of the entire charter, my boyfriend is the only one who caught a kingfish and myself several snapper. Overall, we were beyond pleased with our experience. We will 100% for sure bring friends and family to this charter in the future, and will recommend it to anyone and everyone. Thank you for making our experience so memorable. See you soon!
Cat and Will Yaeger
Great Day
Wow we had a great day. The boat set up is excellent all the gear is top notch, The mate was very helpful and made sure everyone was happy Captain did a great job in choppy waters AAAA++++++ all the way Because of traveling times need to make the trip and hour longer
Good trip
We were a party of 7 and had a good time out on the boat. While our party didn't catch any fish that were keepers, we had a good time. My only complaints were that people were smoking, including our mate and it wasn't appreciated. Also the condition of the bathroom was nauseating in it's self.
Great trip, but....
We had a great trip. The crew was great, we caught some fish, all was well. But the smell, come on guys you gotta fix the head! We'll come back when that is fixed...
Fishful Thinking
Went on Valentine's day night trip. We have been on many charters out of Fort lauderdale and this was one of the best. We actually caught fish, which is rare. The captain and the crew are laid back and cool. They are much closer to the inlet than the other charters which makes for more fishing time and the parking is a cinch!
We will definitely be back. Next time we will try the deep sea fishing boat they have right next to Fishful Thinking!
no more fishing trips for us
we set up our sons first fishing trip and due to the time change, were unable to make a reservation. you think true anglers ,lol,would try to be more accommodating, especially for boys first fishing trip, but unfortunately they weren't even willing to do anything except give us a two dollar discoun, t thanks a lot.
mrs.
the boat was fine but mens room was beyond filthy "unusable" and the womens bathroom was just a step cleaner. It may be a fishing boat but the people using it are not animals. This alone would keep up from returning again. Lack of toilet paper did not help either as my father in law used the toilet just after the boat left port... did I mention he used the womens bathroom because the mens was beyond words.
It was great time
I had a great time. It was one person That was seasick the crew took very good care of her and she went Back fishing. Thank you very much had a blast !
4 hr trip
We made 4 or 5 drifts of the same non-productive area,perhaps to end up close to the port and dock. Trip was 3/1/14 , trip had more passengers than it should have, to many tangles. It was bad fishing to fill both sides of the boat while drift fishing. Mates did all they could to untangle lines as soon as possible. I've had better trips, anchor trips should be planned and not just at the whim of the capt.