Best Way To Book a Fishing Charter Online in 2023

Hey guys, I’m well aware that booking a fishing trip on your next vacation can be a daunting task, especially if you haven’t booked a fishing charter online before. For one, you’re never sure if the boat and captain you’re choosing are customer-focused. On top of that, you don’t have customer service to help you when something goes wrong. Below we suggest the best way to book a fishing charter online in 2023 based on our experiences.

That’s where online fishing charting services come in. Almost like a great fishing hack, you book your trip through them without extra expenses, gain direct contact with the captain, and you can always contact the customer service if you’re having any trouble.

We recently utilized an excellent charting service, FishingBooker, one of the biggest online marketplaces dedicated to fishing, and wanted to share our experience and why we recommend them. We believe that they’ll make your fishing experience much easier, but as with everything else, they are some things to be aware of.

Search Fishing Charters at FishingBooker

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Top Fishing Charter Destinations in 2023

Before we dive into everything involved with booking a fishing charter online, we wanted to share some of the top fishing destinations you may consider. We used FishingBooker for our recent trip to Clearwater, but we’re well aware that they also serve many other great destinations.

For quick reference, here are some of the top fishing destinations offered by FishingBooker:

View all FishingBooker Destinations

What Does FishingBooker Do?

FishingBooker is an online charter service for fishing trips and started in Siberia as a mere startup and quickly grew to the success it’s enjoying today. Now, with a headquarters in Virginia and boat listings in more than 1000 cities, it’s safe to say it’s one of the biggest travel agencies around the globe.

Some users like to think of FishingBooker as Airbnb for fishing, and the comparison makes sense. So, what exactly does FishingBooker do?

FishingBooker provides thousands of boat listings you can choose from for your trip. You choose the location and date you want, and the site shows you all the listings available. You choose your favorite, and then the captain contacts you.

The website doesn’t charge you more than you’d pay if you booked independently. FishingBooker makes money by taking a small commission off the trips’ deposits. It’s a win-win deal because captains only pay a tiny commission for routine jobs, and customers do not pay anything extra.

best fishing charter in myrtle beach — Great catches in Myrtle Beach

How to Use FishingBooker to Book a Fishing Charter Online

FishingBooker is a very easy-to-use website. The first thing you have to do is create an account, and then the rest is pretty straightforward. You’ll simply optimize your search process and choose from the available listings.

Here’s a detailed guide on how to use FishingBooker.

After creating your account and logging into it, you start searching for boat listing by filling in the search filters. They help you find your best match. They allow you to optimize your trip, including your targeted fish species, fishing style, date, trip length, and price. You can also log in when you prefer to fish.

Here are steps for using the search filter on FishingBooker:

Choose the location and preferred date of your fishing trip
Many options will come up. Navigate to the Filter section then and start checking the boxes with your requirements
Look through the results for your best fit

Book Your Trip

When you find the best charter for your needs, click on it to see the complete listing. The website will open a new page with all the information about that listing, including the policies, amenities, and available trips.

You’ll find a section called ‘Availability & Trip Rates.’ Click on it, then choose either Instant Book or Request to Book. If the charter has the feature available, it’ll be instant. Otherwise, you’d have to apply for a request and wait for a response.

When you choose either of them, the website will ask you to enter your details. These include essential information and how many people you’ll accompany.

Book a Fishing Charter with FishingBooker

Contact the Captain

Now that you have your trip booked, you first want to contact the captain. They’ll answer any questions you have about the journey or the booking. You can also agree on where and when to meet, and so on.

You can contact the captain through the website’s inbox or by phone. All captains will have their emails and phone numbers listed, so you can quickly reach them.

It’s also worth noting that you can contact the captain before booking your trip. If you want to have a little chat first and make sure the captain can fulfill your needs, you can contact them by clicking the Message Captain button. You’ll find it at the bottom of the listing page.

Why You Should Choose FishingBooker

Why would you book your fishing trip through FishingBooker when you can do it yourself? Many users would ask that question, and the answer is easy. For starters, there are no hidden fees, which is a bonus. So, you get an easier way to find a boat and a captain without paying more than you’d typically do.

Secondly, you get to choose between hundreds of available listings. Otherwise, you’d have to stick with whatever boat you have available. With FishingBooker, you can optimize your search and land the best deal.

Thirdly, with FishingBooker, you have customer service to back you whenever you get into trouble. For example, if your trip gets canceled or the captain doesn’t show up, the website’s customer service will help you get a refund or solve the problem.

Lastly, FishingBooker covers more than 1000 cities in nearly 108 countries. So, no matter where you are globally, you can find listings. If it’s tough to find good captains in your area, FishingBooker will solve that problem.

What Users Have to Say About FishingBooker

Like all online and onsite services, users always have good and bad things to say. So, although FishingBooker is full of benefits, some users have different opinions. One user complained that the departure time for the trip wasn’t available when he booked.

Another user complained that she booked a trip for the next day but didn’t receive a response until late in the evening. Again, you can always dodge a similar problem by planning and making sure you give the captain enough time to respond.

Moving on to the nice things users had to say, one user praised the fast-acting of FishingBooker’s customer service. He mentioned that his trip was canceled due to bad weather, and he booked another one the next day, and it went wonderfully. Another user was pleased that the captain knew his way around and strategically positioned the boat to get the highest number of fish possible.

Generally, the users mainly talked about the boats’ quality, the excellent service, and the successful fishing trips.

best fishing charter in clearwater — One of the best fishing charters in Clearwater.

Is FishingBooker Different From Other Fishing Charter Services?

Most fishing charter services work the same. You input your requirements, the website finds the most suitable options, and book your trip.

That being said, FishingBooker is different from other services because it offers a better variety. No other fishing service has boat listings across 108 countries and more than 1500 cities. So no matter where you are, you can make a booking via FishingBooker, and that’s more than I can say about similar services.

It’s worth noting that all currencies get processed in US dollars. So you’ll still pay the same amount, but it’ll be exchanged for dollars.

One more leverage FishingBooker has over similar services is its online blog. If you want to gain more insight into fishing and different species, the blog offers pretty good information about fishing and its equipment.

Can You List a Boat on FishingBooker as a Captain?

If you’re a captain and want to list your boat on FishingBooker, you can easily do it through the website. In fact, FishingBooker claims that more than 9000 captains get booking through them daily. Here’s how to do it:

You create an account on the website and click on ‘Create a Listing.’
You provide all your data in the listing, including your boat’s info and photos. You also provide your payment policy.
After you’re done writing everything, upload your listing, and the FishingBooker team will get back to you when you’re approved. You’ll then verify your profile, and your listing will be available for customers.
You’ll get notified when a customer chooses your listing, and they’ll get in contact with you for the trip.

List Your Charter Services on FishingBooker

Why Captains Choose FishingBooker

It’s understandable why customers choose FishingBooker. Not everybody knows where to find a good boat, and the online charter service makes matters easier. But why do captains choose FishingBooker? Here are two reasons.

Better Time Management

When your trips are booked through FishingBooker, you’ll at least be sure you’re not getting any double bookings. Plus, the website will handle the first phase with the customers, so they’ll have already decided to go on the trip when they reach you.

You won’t have to deal with any hesitation or canceled bookings.

You’re the Boss

Although you’ll be getting the advantage of a better-organized schedule, you’ll still be your own boss. You can control your working hours and payment methods as you prefer. FishingBooker gives you the choice of getting paid online or on the day of the trip.

Not only that, but you also get to dictate your own cancellation policy, and the customers have to abide by it.

Additionally, you get to decide how much commission you’re willing to give up to the service. The minimum is 10%, and a higher commission typically means more benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions About FishingBooker

If you’re still having your doubts, these answers to frequently asked questions may put your mind at ease.

What if I try to book a trip, but it’s declined?

If the charter doesn’t give you a response a full day after you requested a trip, the request will be canceled without charges. You’ll then be free to book another trip with someone else. FishingBooker also mostly sends a mail explaining why the request was declined, offering alternative options.

How does FishingBooker make a profit?

Many users wonder how the charter service makes money since they don’t request extra charges from the customers. To answer your question, FishingBooker makes money through commissions from captains.

FishingBooker gets a commission between 10%–30% for each trip booked through the charter, depending on the captain. Captains with higher commissions often rank higher, so they have better chances of being booked.

Do I need to pay a deposit when booking a trip through FishingBooker?

Yes, all customers who book fishing trips must pay a deposit, and then they pay the rest of the money on the trip day. The deposit often ranges from 10% to 30%. When booking your trip, you’ll find it listed.

What is the minimum age allowed on FishingBooker boats?

That goes according to the captain’s listing. Each boat captain has their own policies, and they’re all included in the listing. There isn’t a unified policy all FishingBooker captains must follow regarding trip details.

Can I change my booking after it’s done?

Yes, you can. You’ll have to submit a request for that. Go to Bookings, navigate to Upcoming Trips, and click on Manage. You’ll then be able to change your trip’s date and departure time. You can also change other details, such as the number of people accompanying you.

FishingBooker will then send you alternatives to your current booking.

Fishing Booker Customer Service

Our Final Thoughts on Booking a Fishing Charter Online

If you want to book a fishing charter online and don’t know where to start, FishingBooker is worth a shot. It’s easy to use, convenient, and trustworthy. Plus, there’s a complete customer service team to help with any hiccups that hit along the way.

It’s a convenient solution for customers who want to book fishing trips but don’t know how to do it.

About Post Author

Ben Hartsfield

Hi, I’m Ben Hartsfield, you can also follow me on Twitter, and I’ve been passionate about fishing for longer than I care to recollect.

The first thing I can remember doing when I was young, was fishing on the lake that was next to the cabin we used to spend our Summers in, willing the days away with my dad and Grandpa.

I guess fishing is in my DNA, and it’s a generational love affair that’s been passed down from one generation to the next.

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