Everyone, thanks for the help.
- $700 per month is more than I wanted to pay but I guess it's almost what it costs here. I was hoping to save some money, since I'd have housing to think about as well. I guess it's a rich mans sport after all?
- eating marlin?...I didn't ask the question and hope most of you would't, although I have kept a few if they were gut hooked and would't survive if thrown back. The smoke houses used to pay pretty good money for them. White marlin is quite good that way.
- The giant bluefin thing I have some experience with. I used to run a boat out of Shinnecock LI back in the 80's. Belive me, the money we got for the giants was way more than anyone would care about from a charter. They'd pay for our season. Close to shore and you could always get somebody to do the tugging for free just so they could say they caught one. Lazy money. For other things like mostly yellowfin, bigeye and makos we'd SOMETIMES, RARELY make a deal ahead of time if we decided to take a party out with us. If it was a run to the canyons, the fish money could add up, but it cost quite a bit to stay out there for two or three days. Usually the party kept a few fish each and everybody was happy. I hear today some boats do things differently and are more generous with the catch. The competition is pretty fierce. I personally think, just my opinion, that the call should go to the boat and be clarified ahead of time. That's what I've always done whenever I've paid for a charter. The way I look at it is, you're paying to go fishing not go into business with the boat. It's a tough business to make a living at...thankfully I didn't and don't and won't have to!!! I know plenty of very good captains who gave up their own boats to run other people's so they could feed their families. And I'd still go out hand lining blufish with them so they'd have bar change.
- the west coast of
PR. I'd retire there if I thought I could afford it. That's why I was looking at the east coast of the DR. I know the fishing (and diving) is great and I expect the COL is a bit lower but maybe not anymore with al the development.
- I'll do some more research on Luperon (thanks gringo1). I understand it's a pretty good hurricane hole and it has a couple of serious sea mounts not too far from shore. Chould add up to respectable fishing.
- I don't want to get into personal politics, but I think if you can get a decent charter with good tackle and experience for around a grand, maybe less and housing to boot if you're a steady repeat that's pretty fair. And I doubt there'd be a problem with keeping a fish or two to cook up dockside. Anyway, what's a guy on vacation gonna do with a boat load of fish? It's not just the cost of fuel and crew for the day, campaining a boat costs a lot of money! The hole in the water thing isn't really a joke to most of us. Plus it is after all, supposed to be a business.
- I also think that an offer to split the cost of gas is a pretty generous offer for Capt'n Rob to make to complete strangers to take them out fishing.
Again, thanks for all the help.
All the best.
ryalso
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