Wildman Adventures — Local services in South Bradenton

TL; DR: Fishing with Capt. Wildman was a blast. We left with fish in the cooler, great memories, and plans to return and fish with him again.

How it began

My wife and I are freshwater fishers. We are out on our lake (Wedowee, Alabama) frequently and have caught a lot of fish. When we decided to take a short trip to Florida's AMI area, and I wanted to book a fishing trip that was a little different. I browsed the charter boat sites looking for the right mix of fish tales, good stories, and someone you want to be on a boat with for a day. Capt. Wildman checked all the boxes.

Our experience started with a couple of emails, then a few texts, and then a phone call to get a fishing report – all before we booked our adventure with Wes. He was responsive, communicated well, and was easy to talk to. He made us feel like we were more than a booking for his boat – he was interested in us having a great day fishing!

As the morning of our adventure drew closer, the communication continued. He let us know where to meet (Coquina North) and even gave us updates the morning of – letting us know when he would be there and his experience getting us fresh bait.

How it went

When we arrived at the dock and started to board the boat, Capt. Wildman made us comfortable right away. He answered our curiosity-based questions and asked his own. When we launched, he educated us on the bay's environment, what and where we would fish, and what to expect.

What we appreciated about his communication was quickly overshadowed by his ability to put us on fish and to get those fish in the boat. During our 6-hour trip, we experienced both near-shore fish (Spanish, King, and Grouper) and in-shore (Trout and Reds). We enjoyed going a few miles out for some nice King – they really “smoked” the line! Then returned in-shore, where we hunted Snook on oyster beds and floated around a few islands that produced some fantastic Reds.

How it ended

When we returned to the dock, Wes cleaned the fish and prepped them for the trip home. He even had instructions on proper care to get them home fresh and tips and recipes to prepare mackerel for the smoker and grill.

Our Wildman Adventure was a great day on the water. We learned a lot, laughed often, and came away with both fish in the cooler and memories of a wonderful experience. I’m already thinking about returning for a...

Fishing and Eco Tour all in one! We had a great 6 hours on the water with Captain Wes. We have been on fishing charters before and had success, but this one was different, and better in several ways. First, Captain Wes took the time to ask what our goals were. It was my wife and I and two teenagers. We wanted some fish on the boat, enough for dinner, but the boys wanted some big fish action too. Captain Wes put a plan in place and off we went.

The difference on this trip is we got to experience 3 distinctly different fishing locations. From open water, to reef to grassy shallows all in 6 hours. We found success in each - although Captain Wes will remember the Goliath Grouper that snapped a 300lbs test line and got away.

While fishing, we saw a giant sea turtle, might have been Bortie, as we were in the water about the same time she returned to Anna Marie to nest. We also saw a small bull shark as well as several dolphins.

In the end, we all had a great time. Had enough fish for a wonderful meal. Actually threw several keepers back for you to catch as we had plenty but had no trouble catching more. And we had time for some sport fishing as well.

Fastest 6 hours of our vacation. Only regret is we should have booked 2 days of fishing with Captain Wes. Will do that next...

My family has an AMAZING TIME going out fishing with Captain Wes several times a year and this past July 4th was no exception!!! Not only is Captain Wes a master and knowing where and when to catch which fish, he is extremely locked into the weather conditions on the day of your fishing. Because there were going to be storms in the early afternoon, Captain Wes worked out a game plan for us the day before to begin earlier so we could get a full day in. As can be expected in Florida weather, the best of weather forecasts can quickly change. Captain Wes maneuvered his boat to other great locations for fishing so we could avoid the storms. This guy is all about making YOUR FAMILY trip successful and happy. We loaded up on some fat, delicious Mangrove Snappers and Sea Trout. Captain Wes is all about service and my family who has been fishing with him for years loves coming back year after year with him. HIGHLY...