Highland Park Fish Camp — Hotel in DeLand

Regrettably, we had a very disappointing experience with the camp. I am sharing in hopes that it will prompt improvements or be helpful to other potential guests.

Several months ago, we booked a guided fishing trip with Cpt James. The trip was a gift to celebrate my father’s 70th birthday—something we were all looking forward to for quite some time as avid fishermen.

Less than 24 hours before our scheduled trip, we received a call from a staff member who informed us, with no further explanation, that “fishing is off for tomorrow” because “James had something come up.” No alternative options were offered—no backup guide, no rescheduling support—leaving us scrambling to decide what to do since we had purchased plane tickets, hotel arrangements, fishing licenses, etc. We decided to proceed with our travel and try to salvage what was supposed to be a special day.

The camp offered us boat and equipment rental and instructed us to arrive around 6:30 a.m. Upon arrival, there was no one there. The staff arrived nearly an hour late and seemed unaware of our situation. There was no communication, no plan, an no effort to make things right.

They set us up in a small boat, pointed us to the poles we could use, and we purchased lures and bait. When we asked about other basic fishing necessities that we may need, like pliers, extra tackle, the staff scrounged and gave us a plastic bag with some basics. As we set out for the area they pointed us to on the map, it became evident that our boat would not cover that distance in a reasonable amount of time. So, we ended up fishing in the river close to the park only to find that the poles provided had very little line, knotted lines (it appeared that the line may have been tied together), and the nice bites we did get snapped the line! These poles were obviously not maintained or setup properly. Further, the live well did not have an oxygen pump so most of our bait died quickly.

While we’ve had friends that have had incredible experiences here, ours was far from it. We felt like an afterthought and the lack of care was especially disheartening given the occasion we were celebrating.

This was the most disappointing fishing experience I have ever had. I feel the need to share this experience with prospective customers in hopes that they will be treated with more consideration and professionalism when things don’t...

Highly recommend one of the pontoon boat rentals. It's a super relaxing way to spend your day. I like the smaller rivers; my wife and I just like to cruise between 3-4mph, and just enjoy the view, looking for alligators, looking for wildlife, etc.

Don't forget your bug spray, sunblock, food, drinks, and most of all don't forget your $200 cash deposit that you have to leave. You will go out with a company representative, and they will have you inspect the prop to make sure there's no damage to the boat. Upon returning the rental, you will do this process with them one more time, to assess whether you have added any damage to their boat or not. If not, all good in the hood, and they hand you your $200 cash back. Just don't be dumb, and stay in the parts of the river where they tell you to stay, and don't stray off where they tell you not to go. You can get stuck in the shallower waters, and how embarrassing would that be to have to make that phone call and tell them you didn't pay any attention to the wonderful map that they so nicely drew out and handed you before you left. It doesn't hurt to use your phone and an app like Tracks. That will show you your true GPS speed, and leave a trail that if you did get lost, you could turn around and follow to get back out. It also shows you how far away you are from where you began your journey, as well as how to get back. I use it when I go dirt bike riding in the national forests, and it gets me out every time.

Have fun, and don't crash...

My husband and I spent the Thanksgiving holiday 2019 there to be near family in the area. We were guests from Wednesday to Saturday. We stayed in Cabin 56 which comfortably sleeps 4 but it was 3 of us adults who slept nights in Cabin. Extremely clean was my first observation and I'm an admitted neat freak. It was cozy with rocking chairs on screened in porch and the furnishings were fairly new, clean and tasteful. Even the fold out full size bed of couch was very comfortable. The shower was hot. The kitchen is well stocked, as I cooked big full traditional Thanksgiving dinner for my family and visiting family and we all had leftovers to bring home. Large tv and modern amenities were a plus in this adorable cabin that's actually quite spacious. The grounds were beautiful and breathtaking in the old Florida style. We caught fish in the well stocked pond and rented a 15 horsepower fishing boat for the day after Thanksgiving with successful catch. It's so gorgeous and peaceful out on the water and the prices are great...so inexpensive! We rented rod and reals and got bait there at Lobby/ shop. Free hot coffee was a nice plus. The other guests were all fun and friendly and respectful...we made some friends. And I can't say enough about the owners and staff and the adorable dogs that run this awesome camp resort! They're so refreshingly friendly and accommodating. We will definitely be back. Thank you Highland Park Fish Camp for a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday experience...