Savvy anglers. Expert boat handlers. Meet five of the best and brightest sportfishing captains in the U.S. today.
By Dave Lear
The job of a professional fishing captain is a demanding one that requires talent and hard work, along with expert boat-handling skills, savvy angling know-how and a healthy dose of diplomacy. There are thousands of captains plying waters throughout the U.S. today, but among them, a few newer faces on the scene are making impressive strides in the sport. Here are five of the best and brightest sportfishing captains who make it all look easy.
Capt. Amanda Switzer, East Hampton, N.Y. As a maverick in a male-dominated profession, 35-year-old Switzer has been guiding fly-fishing clients to striped bass off Long Island for the last six years. She started fishing off docks when she was 10 before moving on to shark and tuna boats once she got older. After discovering fly fishing and meeting Montauk's pioneer guide Paul Dixon, Switzer got her captain's license and started working for Dixon before striking out on her own two years later.
Capt. Amanda Switzer
"When fishing a new destination, find out what bait are around so you're patterning the local forage. And pay a visit to the local fly or tackle shop. People like to talk. If you listen for two minutes, you'll learn what you need to know to be successful." |
These days she's on the water an average of 200 days during the May-to-December season. When the stripers frequent the shallows early on, her anglers sight-fish as Switzer poles her Grand Slam skiff and spots up to 200 fish a day. As summer fades into fall, she switches to a 21-foot Parker center console to take advantage of the false albacore runs and feeding blitzes off the island. By November, she's targeting trophy stripers following the herring migration. Among her clients' accomplishments? A 30-pound striper and a 100-pound bluefin tuna landed off Montauk Point; both catches were on fly tackle.
"What's the drawback of being out every day in nature? None!" Switzer says. "There's nothing I'd rather do at this stage in my life than be a striper guide. But I don't have too many fishing snobs on my boat. We'll chase whatever's going off, whether it's bluefish, albies or bass."
Capt. John Bushell, Freeport, Texas. Growing up in Fort Lauderdale, John Bushell's father put the salt in his veins. It remained there, even when the saltwater enthusiast moved to Texas and started work as a warehouse manager for a large furniture store. Five years later, when the long hours finally took their toll, 33-year-old Bushell gave his notice, moved aboard his boat in Freeport and never looked back. A series of freelance gigs as a mate and charter captain followed before yacht-broker friend Jim Peachey helped him land his first regular position on a 42 Hatteras. Bushell eventually married his boss' daughter before moving on to his present position as full-time captain of Sandman, a 2005 Hatteras 60 owned by Roy Weatherford and his wife, Bonnie.
Capt. John Bushell
"To catch trophy yellowfin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico, we use six underwater lights on the boat, live pigfish or flying fish and chunking. It's a potent combo." |
Bushell and the Weatherford family (Roy's mom and dad are regular anglers) use the boat to relax and fun fish from their home port at the Bridge Harbor Marina in Freeport. Favorite trips include overnight jaunts into the central Gulf of Mexico to billfish by day and tuna fish all night. Extended cruises to the Bahamas and an annual three-month pilgrimage to Isla Mujeres, Mexico, add spice for this Lone Star fishing team. Bushell counts a triple hook-up on 500-pound bluefin tuna and 40-sailfish days in Isla as some of his more memorable moments as a captain.
"The best part of this job is the adrenalin rush you get when a blue marlin peels off drag or is on the wire," he says. "Being away from my two kids can be tough at times, but five years from now I hope to still be working for the Weatherford family on a new Hatteras 60."
Capt. Adam Fox, Cape May, N.J. Thirty-year-old Adam Fox learned his profession early. His dad had a wooden, refurbished Chris-Craft and father and son were constantly exploring the coastal Jersey shore together. As he got older, Adam worked around marinas in the summer, and by the time he was 18 was crewing on offshore charter boats out of Cape May and Ocean City, Md.
Capt. Adam Fox
"You can't take shortcuts to perform well. It's all in the details. You've got to sharpen hooks and retie knots after every trip. I use the freshest bait I can find, even if it means chasing bluefish from my skiff before a shark tournament." |
A degree in management from Stockton College provided a brief interlude before Fox started working full-time for his current boss, Gus Pasquarella, in 1996. The Pasquarella family and guests enjoy fun fishing and shark tournaments throughout the early summer aboard Reel Gusto, a 2004 Ocean 52, but once billfish season rolls around, it's all business for this crew. They regularly fish the Mid-Atlantic $500,000 Tournament, the Ocean/Viking Showdown and several other local club events each season. Winters are spent chasing sailfish in the Florida Keys.
Fox and Company won $50,000 with a 268-pound mako during a South Jersey Shark Tournament and they've also released blue marlin in the 400-pound range.
"My biggest thrill is backing down on a jumping sailfish. That's my big thing, but I also enjoy teaching my boss and his family and guests how to fish. The more fish I can put them on, the better they'll get. This is a fun job, it really is."
Capt. Michael Shrosbree, Dana Point, Calif. Shrosbree, who is 35, grew up learning to fish with his father and by the time he was 20, he had his own skiff and knew he wanted to eventually be a sportfishing captain. After working as a deckhand for two years, he earned his license and ran charter boats before winding up as the skipper on Eureka, a Cabo 47 based in Dana Point, nearly three years ago. Eureka is owned by Craig Nickoloff, a West Coast restaurateur who uses the boat for himself and as a benefit for his employees.
Capt. Michael Shrosbree
"Quality tackle is a must. I buy my gear from one or two shops so I get consistent advice. When you shop at several places, you get bombarded with suggestions, which can lead to indecision and, eventually, lost fish." |
Shrosbree targets a wide variety of SoCal species, including halibut, white sea bass, marlin and tuna. He fishes a number of Balboa Angling Club tournaments and every October runs to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, for the winter, where guests fly in and fish a couple of days each week.
During a local tournament, Shrosbree and Team Eureka hooked an estimated 400-pound swordfish on light line and fought the fish for more than 11 hours. In six-foot seas and high winds at 3 a.m., the fish was finally pulled on to the swim platform with two flying gaffs. "It just had too much will to live," Shrosbree recalls. "It tore the gaffs out and we lost him, but it sure was a memorable fight.
"I love the whole package of being a captain," Shrosbree says. "I love the ocean and yachts and I really enjoy entertaining our guests. My goal is to help them leave the boat better anglers than when they arrived."
Capt. Mike Pittiglio, St. Clair Shores, Mich. Destiny played a big role in 30-year-old Mike Pittiglio's decision to become a full-time muskellunge guide four years ago. Even though he was an avid fisherman and owned his first boat at age 19, a career in engineering kept Pittiglio off the water more than he wanted. When he decided to buy Muskie Mania, a 31 Sea Ray Amberjack, and start chartering, he was laid off from his engineering job the same day he was scheduled to close on his boat loan. He bought the boat anyway and is now one of the premier muskie guides in the Great Lakes region. Pittiglio fishes Lake St. Clair exclusively, 95 percent of the time in Canadian waters. His specialty is power trolling using boat rods and planer boards. He runs 120 trips annually from the first of June until December 15.
Capt. Mike Pittiglio
"The harder you work, the more muskies you'll catch. I change baits often and adjust depths until I locate where the fish are holding. In Lake St. Clair there isn't any structure, so I look for tinted, off-color water. Then I power troll at 4 mph around those color breaks." |
During the 2004 season, Pittiglio's anglers landed 754 muskies, including 12 over 30 pounds. On one trip (six hours of actual fishing), they landed 27 out of 35 bites. The majority of the fish are released. One angler, 81-year-old Walter Skszek of Belleville, Mich., celebrated his birthday by boating a 38-pound, 56-inch muskie, the biggest of his life and Pittiglio's career. That evening, Pittiglio's wife gave birth to their child.
"What I enjoy most about guiding is meeting a wide variety of people," Pittiglio says. "You run into all types of occupations and personalities. I want to fish until I retire or die, I love it so much."
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