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Tools Charter Captains Are Using This Summer That Are Actually Moving the Needle

Every year there’s a new wave of marketing tools promising to help you book more trips, save time, or magically grow your business. Most of them aren’t worth the money—or the learning curve. But every now and then, a few tools come along that are genuinely useful. In this week’s training, I shared two that
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A 20+ Year Captain Had Newer Captains Outranking Him on Google. We Fixed That.

A Pacific Northwest veteran used to own page one. Find out what happened when he took his eye off the ball — and what happened when he hired us to get it back. 1,040 Clicks (Last 3 Mo.) 106K Impressions (Last 3 Mo.) 4.8x Click Growth vs. Last Year 7.6x Impression Growth vs. Last Year
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Fishing Year Round in a Seasonal Beach Town

He had the boat, the skills, and the drive to do this full time. The slow season was the only thing standing in the way. 14.75x Return on Ad Spend $421 Monthly Ad Spend $6,208 Conversion Value THE STORY Our client had been running offshore trips for a few years. Good captain, serious boat, customers
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Adding a 2nd Captain? No Problem

How a second captain went from sitting idle to staying booked — on a $300/month ad budget. $300 Monthly Ad Spend $2,203 Conversion Value 7.3x Return on Ad Spend THE PROBLEM This captain had built a solid nearshore operation in the Florida Keys the old-fashioned way — word of mouth, repeat customers, and reputation on
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I Don’t Have Time for Marketing

“I Don’t Have Time for Marketing” (And Why That’s the Real Problem) “I don’t have time for marketing.” We hear this from charter captains all the time — and it’s understandable. 😓You’re running trips. 😓Keeping up with the boat. 😓Managing weather, equipment, customers, and everything else that comes with the job. Marketing feels like something
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Top 5 Fishing Marketing Tips for 2026

(What Matters Now — Not What Used to) Fishing marketing in 2026 looks different than it did even a year or two ago. AI is changing search. Customers expect instant responses. And competition online keeps tightening. Here are the five things that actually matter right now if you want to stay visible and booked. 1.
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Is AI Hurting Your Charter Business? Here’s How to Fix It

AI is everywhere right now — but here’s the truth most charter captains are learning the hard way: Bad AI equals lost bookings. And it only takes one bad AI experience for a customer to click away and book with somebody else.   Image Credit: AgilityPr.com We’re seeing it more and more: captains grab ChatGPT,
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2026 Planning Workshop

How Charter Captains Should Be Preparing for 2026 (And the Simple System That Makes It Easier) If you run a charter, guide, or tour operation, you already know something most people never think about: Your next season isn’t built in-season. It’s built right now. The captains who show up at the top of Google next
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Building a Charter Business From Scratch with Capt. Harris Scruggs

Most captains learn on the water. Capt. Harris Scruggs of Triple B Charters built a business on it. He started fishing creeks and bays around Panama City Beach after school. By 20, he was deckhanding. At 25, he had his captain’s license — and he’s been running boats ever since. Today, he runs a 42’
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How Charter Captains Can Fish Year-Round

For many captains and guides, the end of summer feels like the end of the season. Labor Day passes, the tourists head home, and the docks start to look quiet. A lot of captains pack it in, pick up side work, or take the winter off. But here’s the thing: in almost every market, there
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Finding the Right Mix of Direct Bookings with OTAs – with Zach from WaveRez

San Diego Charter Fishing Captain-Turned-Tech Leader on Marine Tourism Growth Zach Eischen’s journey from washing boats to leading sales at WaveRez is exactly the kind of story we love to tell on Chartering Growth. In this episode, we talk shop on why booking platforms are the front door to your business — and how smarter
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Direct Bookings vs. Booking Sites: What Every Charter Captain Needs to Know

Every charter captain dreams of a full calendar made up of direct, full-fare bookings. No middleman. No commissions. Just you, the customer, and the trip. But let’s get real: booking sites aren’t going away. Whether you love them or hate them, OTAs (online travel agencies) like TripShock and others play a massive role in how
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