AMI Charters — Local services in Holmes Beach

We went out with Captain Blake on a 2 hr kids fishing tour and it was awesome. We met at the dock on Manatee Ave, hopped on the boat and got right after it. We took the 3-5pm time slot and it wasn’t cool on the water at all (November 5). Captain Blake took us to an area loaded with snook and pinfish that he knew the kids would be able to catch some fish. Almost immediately our oldest reeled in a snook over 12 in and then our younger daughter reeled in one about the same size. Overall, the kids caught quite a bit of fish. Captain Blake was very engaging and not only provided excellent lessons on fishing but was also very knowledgeable about the area, types of fish, techniques, etc. He kept the kids engaged and talking and they really enjoyed him. After catching snooks, our son and Captain Blake started reeling in pinfish. Pinfish are used to catch grouper, so we headed out to the open bay to try our luck catching grouper. Captain Blake said he’d never been out to catch grouper on a kids tour, so a first for all. Our son almost got two, but he got “worked” by the grouper. However, it was a fantastic trip and the kids loved it. The next day our daughter was already talking about going out with Captain Blake again when we come down for vacation again! We’ll definitely contact Captain Blake again to go out on a fishing charter when we return. He was fun, knowledgeable, and provided the whole family with an excellent few hours of fishing. I’d highly recommend if you are looking for a good 2 hr block of time, or longer, with the family, contact AMI Charters and book a trip with...

This was a BLAST! My son (15), his buddy (16), and I booked a four hour charter with Captain Jake. The top-notch service of AMI Charters and the knowledge of Captain Jake were evident within an hour of booking - and well before we ever stepped foot on the boat. Captain Jake called to introduce himself, ask about what we wanted to get out of our charter, and suggest a different time of day when we might have more success. And he was RIGHT (we all caught sharks, snook, and trout).

We arrived 10 minutes early, and Captain Jake already had the boat ready for us (so we left early). We were beginners at fishing (though my son does enjoy it). Captain Jake wasn’t going to let that ruin our time. He baited books for us and got us cast into the right spot (ie, he did all the hard, slimy work). We got to do the fun part, fighting the fish and sharks to bring them in - with Captain Jake giving us good instructions. When we wanted to try to cast, Captain Jake was patient and instructive. I also found it refreshing to see how much Captain Jake cared for the wildlife - making sure that we held the fish/shark so as to not hurt them and gently removing the hooks. When the sun went down, Captain Jake slowed his speed to an appropriate(but still fun) level and kept everyone safe. The boat was very clean and well-kept.

This was a A+++++ experience and we will definitely reach out to Captain Jake and AMI Charters the next time we’re on the...

Awesome trip!!

Went with 5 of my children (ages 13-29). We are all novice fisherman. Everyone had a great time and caught plenty.

Captain Jake's expertise and attention to customer needs is exceptional. We first set out into some deep waters and the fish were hitting, but a few of us felt the beginnings of motion sickness as the waters were a bit choppy. Jake quickly suggested moving to a different spot with calmer waters. That paid off as the motion sickness subsided and the bonnet heads were really active. Jake is engaged the whole time rigging lines, baiting hooks, unhooking fish, and untangling lines (my bad). He was incredibly patient with us as well. We tried a few other spots for some variety. Jake was not satisfied until we had enough fish for a satisfying dinner.

Jake filleted our catch at the dock which we grilled a few days later - absolutely delicious!

I'd highly recommend AMI charters. My only constructive criticism is the boat was a bit cramped for the 7 of us, but not a deal breaker. If you have a big crew, you may want to check ahead to get the biggest boat in the AMI...