Fishing Testimonials, Florida Guide Charter Service

TESTIMONIALS

Just wanted to drop you a line and let you know I had a great time fishing in the everglades. The wife has already mentioned that we will be doing this every year now that we can. That is come to FL over Christmas and New Years. Therefore I will be calling again.

Anyway thanks again.

Joe Wittkopf

Genworth Financial
Richmond, VA - 23230

Lori,

I wanted to drop a quick note - I fished last Thursday on Lake Ida w/ Capt Tony for 1/2 a day - we caught many peacock bass & Tony was awesome. I would highly recommend his services to any prospective clients - he truly knows his stuff & he is a great guy.

I own & run a service based company back in Boston & I know how hard it it to find good people & you folks have a great guide in Tony. Also, your whole operation was run very smoothly & a pleasure to do business with, I will defiantly be back to do it again (hopefully soon).

Thanks for everything,

Eddie K.

Hello Todd,

I had a good day with Capt Monte, he put me on a frog bite even though it was very cold when I visited Florida. It was a great time and alot of fun trading guide stories!

Thanks from Bo Berry Hawg-Gobbler Guide Service here in Central Texas. 979-575-4863

Donny,

Its Russ Brangwynne, my brother and I went on a trip to Okeechobee with you on Friday the 14th. I wanted to thank you for an AWESOME day on the water. I never could have dreamed that we would catch so many huge bass. Next time I go to Florida I will be sure to give you a call and I will definitely recommend you to any of my friends who are interested in catchin some Florida lunkers.

Unfortunately my digital camera got stolen at the hotel the day before I left. The only pic that I have of the 9 pounder is on my cell phone and it came out kind of blurry. I was hoping that you could e-mail me the pic that you took so I can have something to blow up. I would really appreciate it. Thanks again for the best fishing trip of my life.

Sincerely,

Russ Brangwynne

On Sunday April 27 - Mitchell Katz caught his first Bass and what a catch it was!

He is 6 and a half years old and was with both his Grand Pa's .

Capt Donny Biggs was great and every one had a great time.

Thank you!

My wife and really enjoyed our fishing trip with Capt. Brett on August 14! He was very professional and very determined to put us on the fish.

Having competed in bass tournaments for over 20 years, I have fished with many guides and several professional anglers. Capt. Brett is by far one of the most knowledgeable and genuine anglers I have ever fished with. His willingness to share information not only about Peacock Bass fishing, but also about fishing in general. Capt. Brett provided me with many
techniques that I am sure will improve my Largemouth Bass fishing and increase my tournament success.

Not only did my wife and I enjoy a wonderful day on the water, we also made a great friend! We certainly intend on fishing with Capt. Brett
again!

Sincerely,

Andy Smith
Henderson, NC

Hey Todd,
I just wanted to drop you a line to let you know how great our 2 days were fishing with Capt Tony. On Wednesday we went out to the airport for Peacocks and had a blast. Tony really knows his stuff and we had over 16 or 17 fish. On Friday we went to Lake Ida a little change for us as we were never there before. Oh what a time we had with over 25 fish in the boat. Tony is the man and he always seems to find the fish. I just wanted to let you know that your service is the best, your guys are so professional and are very helpful. My wife says that they are the best marriage counselors in the world LOL.

But you guys are the best and we look forward to coming down again in March for some great fishing.

P.S. That tarpon was on helluva fight HAHA. Well we look forward to seeing you guys again in March.
Take care and may your lines always be tight.

Joe and Athena Mitchell
Bronx, New York

We had a great day with Monte and look forward to future outings! I would highly recommend him to others!

Ken Reagles

Subject: A great trip, a great guide, and a great experience

Brett,

We had a blast with you in the Everglades last weekend. I could not have asked for anything more. I truly appreciated you asked questions about my last guided fishing trip in Texas ( which was far from meeting the basic expectations of any "party time angler", and was far from the caliber of the guides at bassonline.com) and your efforts to compensate in the areas he was lacking, and ensure we had a better experience. Your efforts were not only successful, but well appreciated. You taught me more about technique, fish habits, strategy, and approach within the first hour then anyone I have previously fished with
Without a doubt, I will call you for my next trip to Florida (hopefully sooner rather than later) and I will recommend you and
bassonline.com with confidence to any of my family, friends, colleagues, and associates for a solid fishing experience. .

Please do not hesitate to give me a call and give me a bit of encouragement to get off my as* and book a trip if/when you know the fishing gets hot!

Take care, and I look forward to our next trip...

Jason Alley
Gainesville, Va.

Good morning Todd.

I can’t tell you what a great time we had last week on our fishing trip. You and your guides exceeded our expectations 10 fold and I would like to thanks you for your efforts in making this possible. The boys that work for you (Chico, Tony, Donnie and I didn’t get the other guides name) represent your company very well. They worked real hard making sure we all had had a good time. We will see you about the same time next year and let me now when your new shirts come in and I will place an order. Take care, Wade

Wade Meadows

KBR Corporation

10503-B Braddock Road

Fairfax, VA 22032

p. 703-323-1424

Capt Mark

I wanted to drop you a line to thank you for taking my wife Michelle, my son Matt and I on an experience we will not soon forget. Matt can't stop talking about the trip and I know the next time we get to south Florida we will be contacting you again. You made use feel like family and we appreciated that. By the way, the rib place was a good recommendation... thanks.

Thanks again.

Andy Smarkanic

Went out with Capt Donny last Friday. Once again conditions were tough but he proved to be an all star as you had suggested. We had a descents day's catch and right at the end we caught a couple of monsters.

Again, I remain another satisfied customer. Unfortunately, I suspect that the next time I am down in Fla. it will be in the heat season. I guess I will have to wait until the fall to once again enjoy your guides.

Thanks again,

Ben Adler
PS here my fish

Hi there, my wife and I just got home from our outstanding Peacock Bass fishing trip with Guide Tim. We had a wonderful

time and Tim is very comfortable and personable guide. I would and will recommend this trip to everyone. Thank you very much. I have enclosed some pictures of our trip, again thank you and thank you Tim.

Corey and Julie Perez

Todd,

Just wanted to let you know that my brother and I had a fantastic time fishing with Tony this past weekend.

Tony is an excellent fisherman and guide….he knows the fish and the area very well. He knows where they are and how to get them in the boat. He is extremely good with his customers and instructions on how to catch these fish. Tony is a helluva good guy with lots of great life experience stories.

I just can’t talk this guy up enough. Thanks Tony and thanks BassOnline!

Mike Falkenhagen

Atlanta, GA

Hey Todd and Mark,

I just wanted to tell you how much we enjoyed our day of fishing last week on Okeechobee with Mark. He worked very hard to make sure that we caught fish and my Uncle Vince and I had a blast. We caught nine channel cats, about twice as many largemouths, and a bowfin. I cooked up the cats with Mark's recipe and the folks at our potluck dinner Friday night were lovin it.

I hope to at least make this a yearly event and if the wife lets me, I might try and sneak down in the winter for another trip.

Thanks ever so much for taking care of us. It was the highlight of my vacation!

Best Wishes,

Rich McIlhenny
Re/Max Services Incorporated
215-275-6303
www.richmachomes.com

Hi Brett,

Couple of photos of the great trip you took us on. Many thanks. Anthony(my son) and myself truly had a memorable time. Fishing was great and tasted good too!

Thanks to you and Todd !

Regards,

Dominic Todi

Hi Todd,

My name is Les Marsh from Fishing Cairns, a web based charter booking agent. I was lucky to fish with Mark Shepard a few months ago and I promised him that I would post a report on a few web sites around the world. Unfortunately I only had my camera phone so the images may not be the best.

Mark was a great guide and I had a blast – especially the jig fishing in the trees, refer below.

Please pass on my regards to him.

Here is a copy.

Dear Fishing Friends,

To say that the month of May just zipped by like a whirlwind is an understatement…..when we work and play in a paradise its great, when we get the chance to just PLAY and PLAY AGAIN BIG TIME ……..man, do I get excited.

By now you should have already read about my exploits to one of Northern Australia’s truly magic locations, the Aurukun wetlands in remote Cape York. I was lucky enough to visit this region for the second year running in early May but this time with mates, Keith Graham of Bransfords Tackle Shop and Terry Holman from Fish Hunter fame. Thankfully Keith has penned an excellent article on our exploits during this trip, his article is posted hereabouts so I will leave it there.

US Bound:

On 20^th May I boarded a Qantas flight bound for Florida, US of A! I had to pinch myself to see if this was really happening to me but after seeing the sun set twice on the same day (crossing the International Date Line) I knew it was real. It’s a bloody long way from Cairns (Australia) to Sydney, LA, Charlotte and Fort Myers, South West Florida.

Fast forward to Florida:

I stayed on Sanibel Island, approx. 40 minutes from Fort Myers International Airport………from the beach we could see the high rise of Naples (not the Italian one). It’s a holiday island full of condo’s………no high rise which is great. Only about 40 houses on the 8 km long island and they are all on canals, most with their own private wharf area. The house I stayed at with friends (John & Jennifer Oatley) was a lovely 4 story home and I had my own private ensuite.

The highlight of the trip was the bass fishing…….it is very similar to our barra fishing but in non tidal waters. We had planned to fish Lake Okeechobee but it was too low, Florida was in drought when I was there. So we ended up fishing the channel country. These massive channels were dug / blasted in the 30’s to help drain the Everglades. Realizing this was a huge mistake, the relative authorities have installed levee banks and weirs to control these canals and they now offer unbelievable bass fishing. Tearing along a narrow channel, 5 metres wide and only 5 – 12 ft deep, doing over 100ks an hour in a bass boat dodging alligators is a real buzz! Better than a ride at Disneyland our guide mused.

The first day saw us concentrate out efforts in some small channels near power line access points that ran at right angles to the main highway. Skinny water bas fishing is not for everybody but I can assure you I had a ball. Using a light spinning outfit we cast rubber grub and eel imitations to deeper pools and weed covered gutters. Just let it slowly sing said my guide, and when you feel the tension just give it a bit before sinking the hook with an almighty strike. It was a bit strange at first, it’s a totally different to my barra catching methods, but I was a keen learner and soon had a handle on this new technique.

It sure was effective though and I soon had my score of bass mounting……….my first ever American large mouth bass was landed after about 5 minutes fishing. I whooped and hollered around like I had just won the lottery. Well, I might as well have! I had dreamt of catching one of these “iconic” fish for over twenty years and thanks to my very dear friend, John Oatley from Sanibel Island, I had achieved it at last. Boy was I excited, I had read heaps of magazines, watched countless video’s and spoken to numerous American clients who had all talked fondly about their bass. And now I could hold my head up high and say to them, Yep!........I’ve done that.

Now I would be the first to add that, even though I class myself as a pretty good angler and know how to cast a lure, if it had not been for my expert guide Mark Shepard of Bass Online, I would not have had such outstanding results. Techniques required to fish for these channel bass were subtly different to that used back home in or tidal rivers and estuaries. His soft plastic rigging and hook placement was all new to me but nothing had prepared me for the next offering from Mark.

After landing about 20 or so bass each (that’s my mate John, guide and myself) Mark decided that we were “good enough” to go to the tiger country and fish the larger bass in the trees. Yes, I said IN THE TREES, and that’s exactly what we did. We cast weed-less, heavy craw dad patters right amongst the green overhanging branches and has bass crash them on impact with the water. Sometimes we had to leave the baitcaster in free spool and jig the lures down through the branches to the water level. But the results were the same……crash, bang, “I’m on someone would yell”. Then it was tug of war between and angry bass, green flexible branches, 60 lb brain and a heavy action rod………usually we won and the catch rates soared again. This was demanding fishing but the enjoyment factor was high I must add.

On my first ever bas fishing outing in the States I landed 44 bass to 7lb………I was stoked. How’s that for a beginner.

The second day saw us fish another set of channels called “Holiday Park”. These waters were a bit deeper and wider than the “Power Pole” country fished the day before and Mark reckoned we would catch larger specimens here – he was spot on.

We literally went flat our for 30ks (dodging dozens of alligators on the way) and then started fishing ….using the electric to position the boat we fished all day in one straight line – no worries about tides, current, wind etc. We just cast to the lilies, water weeds and backside vegetation. Amazing – back home we have to contend with 3 metres of tide, curving banks with constantly changing depth, and varying bank-side vegetation etc. This day was a real gem! We landed probably 15 bass between 6 – 8lb and saw heaps more larger fish that were just too lazy, or too well fed to show any interest in our offerings. Sometimes we cast to several fish clumped together under the broad lily pads, watch them cruise about totally ignoring our lures and have a more energetic specimen come from several metres away, crashing through the weeds to slam my floating frog lure like it was its last feed.

Sometimes the hooks would not grab, sometimes my timing was a bit astray, sometimes the fish was too cunning………but the catch rate climbed steadily and the day was one I will savor forever. We probably landed about 60 bass for the boat. Thank you Mark for two memorable days of “fishing heaven”.

The essence of my Florida trip was to spend quality time with my mate John Oatley. You see John used to live in Thailand, used to come to Cairns (Australia) quite regularly on recreation leave and as luck would have it, fished with me and his lovely wife Jennifer, on numerous occasions. We had built a rapport, a common understanding, shared a quality of life we enjoy, and of course we both loved out fishing. Now fishing is not only typified by the single minded pursuit of those scaly critters that inhabit waterways, its also about the enjoyment of sharing something we are passionate about with great company. John & Jen are great company and I always looked forward to there frequent visits.

When John retired back to his home on Sanibel Island I jumped at the chance to renew our friendship and to fish in “his own backyard”.

We did spend a couple of days chasing tarpon. I hooked up to a 100lb fish one morning on the sandy flats on the southern side of the Island but lost her right at the boat after a spirited 20 minute fight, five jumps and a 200 metre dash for freedom – all for the hook to fall out right at the boat. Oh well…….at least I had one on. The guide, Pat, tells me that he boated on average 4 tarpon per day shortly after my visit, but that’s fishing.

We spend a couple of days playing among the many mangrove lined bays and estuaries near his home. We tossed DOA’s and plastics for snook out on the flats for red fish, sea trout and lady fish etc but the snook were away spawning somewhere else. The red fish had moved offshore and the rest, well I had some fun on the light spin gear and saw some magic country with heaps of potential. Hell, I had to leave some challenges so that I could come back again. I hope its soon!

Oh by the way, I did manage to spend a few frustrating hours in the Bass Pro Shop at Fort Myers……..man, what a store. Why was I frustrated – well because we only had a couple of hours to shop (John had arranged for us to spend a lovely evening dining with his sister and brother-in-law) back on Sanibel and I was only getting started when John mentioned that we had better get going. The sheer size of this store, the product range and stock variety has to be seen to be believed. Every conceivable lure, plastic, jig, rod, reel and fishing tool, along with a superb range of clothing and fishing accessories was on display – and I only covered about ¼ of the area. I didn’t even get to see other parts of the store to even know what goodies laid on the shelves. Oh! Well……..I’ll be back (sorry Arnie).

Now if anyone wants to go to a boaties paradise, to visit a charming island situated off the balmy Florida coast, to stay in a condo right on the junction of a palm lined navigation channel and the calm open waters of the Florida flats, to fish for giant tarpon, snook and red fish OR get hooked up with one of the best bass fisherman in Florida (Yeah, I’m biased) then drop me a line……….have I got a deal for you.

Catch you on the water?

Regards, Les

Hi Todd

Just wanted to say thanks for the trip and for setting us up with Capt. Juan - he was the best guide we ever could have had! My friend Karen and I were in West Palm for business and couldn't wait to try out fishing in the Everglades! We had no idea what a blast we would have! Juan certainly had his work cut out for him - Karen from Connecticut who fishes only salt water with live bait and me - from Buffalo, who only fishes fresh water with lures! Juan was able to work with both our fishing styles and taught us more than we ever could have imagined! Here is one of the pictures of some of the bass we caught - we plan on returning as often as possible - so tell Juan to be prepared! Thank you for an amazing trip and some great memories! Karen T, Elma, NY kmst926@yahoo.com

Jeff,

I wanted to let you know my 82 yr old Mom, my daughter and I had a great time fishing this morning. Jeff LeDroux took us out and catered to us girls. Thanks to Jeff, my Mom had the "best day ever". Please see attached pictures of Grandma's best catch of the day. She (the fish) weighed in at 8.2 lbs!

I would recommend your service (with, of course, Jeff as the guide) to anyone.

Thanks again for some great memories.

Debbie Fielding

Tony;

Just wanted to thank you for a great day of fishing on Friday, March 30. Jerry and I had so much fun with the fish we caught and with your knowledge of the area we fished. our enthusiasm coupled with your patience of Jerry learning to walk the dog will be remembered as one of my better days on the water anywhere.

Thanks again for the great day.

Mitch

HERE ARE SOME OF THE PICS OF OUR TRIP YOU SET US UP FOR, WE HAD A BLAST! NOT ONLY DID WE CATCH A ZILLION FISH BUT WE HAD THE BEST FAMILY TRIP WE'VE HAD IN MANY MANY YEARS! ALL OF US LOVED OUR GUIDES CHRIS & MARK AND HOW THEY WERE SO PATIENT WITH US. WE WILL BE BACK & WE WILL RECOMMEND YOU GUYS TO ANYONE WE KNOW. AGAIN, THANX!

MIKE SUE & THE BOYS Callmike4flowers@aol.com

I fished with your guide Steve Albaum on Friday, Oct. 1st. out of Clewiston. I can't say enough about the wonderful day of fishing your guide provided. The way Steve and Mark Shepard kept informing each other of where the fish were hitting doubled my chances of finding fish. Although the overall number and size left me a little disheartned it had nothing to do with your guides service. Steve was a great fishing companion, teaching me and answering all my many questions. Without a doubt my best day fishing ever. Thank you all so much! Mark Van Wagner Mark0127@aol.com

About 4 weekends ago 3 friends and I rented two of your boats and guides to fish Okeechobee. By best friend and his two younger brothers had contacted me to say they would be passing through Ft. Lauderdale to deliver a furniture shipment and wanted to stop by to spend some time with me. We all grew-up fishing the Lakes, rivers and streams in the central NY area. We would peddle bicycles for hours to get the best fishing and the competition between us was high.

Knowing I had only a few hours with them I had contacted your company and you were able to accommodate us. They were very surprised when I told them we were going bass fishing. This was a very special trip for us first of all because we all had not been together at the same place for over 25 years. Secondly, Jamie, the youngest of the three brother has been stricken by a terminal illness and unfortunately we don't know how long he will be with us. As your guides immediately put us on top of the big bass it was a great sight to see the excitement in Jamie's as he pulled in one Bass after another. Your people were able to provide my friends a memorable moment that will forever allow us to reflect on a time when Jamie was not concerned about tomorrows, but the events of that day and beating the rest of us in pulling the most bass and biggest bass out of the water. As I said we are very competitive and we had made some bets that day. Well, it was Jamie who pulled the most bass and the biggest. So now we have another memory and that is listening to him telling us how he "Smoked" us that day. Thank you for providing my friends this memorable event.

Best regards,

Joe Santor
Fort Lauderdale, FL. Josepiccter@cs.com

I just want to tell you that the fishing trip my husband Jeff and son Jaryd went on with your guide service. They had to get up pretty early but to a true fisherman that is part of the excitement. When Jeff returned and told us that he set two Lake records I wish I could have been on the boat to help him celebrate. He said he stuck his dismount, from the boat seat and into Lake Okeechobee, with perfection. And the second record of fastest self rescue from the Lake into the boat while my son Jaryd watched in amazement. What memories we will all have of this story. Jeff and Jaryd had an awesome time fishing including the stories that were told about the Lake and living in Florida.

We hope you are all safe from the Hurricanes and that they haven't messed up the fishing to much. I know we got in and out of Ft. Lauderdale in perfect timing. We hate to see all the devastation that Florida is suffering from on the News. We have had earthquakes the last few days but nothing like you've all been put through lately. Thanks again to you for the excellent customer service and to your guides for giving my husband and son an experience they will remember forever. Plus I made some good points for finding Hawghunter and surprising them with the trip.

Regards, Jeff & Dennis Padgett and boys! denpad450@MSN.COM

For my 50th birthday, my sons-in-law took me to Clewiston so we could go on a bass fishing trip from your guide service. It was a trip we will always remember and I really enjoyed catching an 8 1/2 pound largemouth, my biggest ever! We found your guide to be very friendly and professional. He was truly excited about what he does and used his knowledge of Lake Okeechobee to help us have a great day.

Thank you, Rev. Jeff Fowler Naples, Florida Fowler74@aol.com

florida vacation 2004 151.jpg (78913 bytes)

Here are some pictures of the fishing trip. Sorry it took so long to get them to you. Everyone really had a great time. The kids have done nothing but talk about the trip. It was definitely the highlight of their vacation to Florida. Thank You and your staff for making it so enjoyable for them. We are considering another trip in Feb. during the winter break from school, will be in touch with you closer to time to schedule another trip . Thanks again

Mike and Dawn Hosie dawnmc@ptd.net

Al and Josh Perry back here in Louisiana....cannot begin to tell you how much we enjoyed our trip with you last week...everything I have ever heard and seen about the Peacock Bass proved true, its like hooking a baby gorilla, that is one fighting fish....thanks for being so patient with Josh, I was really surprised he lasted, when he sweats, he thinks it's time to quite doing whatever he's doing....come to think of it, that's not a bad idea !!!!

I will print out info from the website and bring it to a couple of tackle shops around town along with the business cards you gave me....hope to do it again sometime soon......

Al and Josh Perry alperry@cox-internet.com

Todd we had a great time, WHAT great guides. We will defiantly be back this fall for some lunkers.

Augie ACANTENS@aol.com

I have just returned home from a great three days of fishing with "Hawg hunters". The first two days we fished with Steve in the glades and caught lots of fish topped off with an 8 pounder "Hawg" and a 6 pounder. He is a great person and put us right into fish both days.

After day two found us on Okeechobee with Chris as we pursued the "big one". Although we did not hook into a large mouth to take photos of, we did have a great time and caught several bass in the 2-4 pound range. We caught over 150 bass on the three day trip.

Please remind Steve that he has the only great photos we got on day one as I forgot my camera in the truck. We will remember us as the boys from Kentucky.

Thanks so very much and did we will definitely direct others from our area to you.

Mr. Andy Croley - cmanning48@charter.net

Just wanted to thank you again for another great Bass Fishing trip. David and I caught plenty of bass, and even some rather large ones. David even caught some peacock bass this time. LOL He just doesn’t have the patience for that type of fishing. Pitching those minnows into a small area isn’t for him. He would rather blast them with crank baits, worms and shiners.

I have attached some of the pictures of the big ones we caught. If you want any more just let me know. Take care and good fishing.

I just wanted to let you know how good a time and experience my friend and I had with your guide, Rick Burton, last Friday. The fishing started off great, and then tapered off a bit, but the entire time on the water was fun. Rick was very professional and patient with us northerners and I would hope if I get down there again, I could request him for another Okeechobee trip, or perhaps an Everglades trip.

Thank you very much and please thank Rick for making our first real Florida bass fishing trip a memorable one.

I'll send you some pictures as soon as they get developed.

Thanks again,
Timothy Shanahan, Hartford, CT Timothy.Shanahan@thehartford.com

We had a great time with Dave. He was very courteous and professional. He was very eager to help us catch fish. He had helped us rig for wild shiners. That was when we caught the big ones. You guys advised us that the peacock bass fishing would not be good that day since the weather had turned cool and suggested the Everglades instead. We appreciated your honesty about that because we wanted to catch a lot of fish. You could have gone ahead and taken us fishing for peacocks but we probably wouldn't have caught as many. Plus, I caught my biggest bass ever. We had a great day fishing plus got to experience the everglades, alligators and all!

Jill Watson Paducah, KY jw@ktglaw.net

Here are some photos of our end of March Okeechobee trip. Captain Chris is a great guide, who knows the lake and where the fish are. He made our trip unforgettable. Josh and I had a great time. We will be back. Thank You

David and Josh Ruby

Just wanted to tell you again how much we enjoyed fishing with you. You guys are great. Here's the pictures of the fish I caught. The first picture is the 8.2lb, the other is the one that was 8.9lbs. Thanks again.

Take Care,
Shiela

Todd this is Lee and I just wanted to write and tell you how much me and Sam appreciated all you did for us. We had the time of our lives and the fishing was incredible. Peacocks were definitely a new sensation and the quality of fish we caught in the lake and the everglades is unheard of around our parts. Mark, Chris, and Rick were all great and they really knew how to put us on fish. We had a great time and hope to fish with you again.

Thanks, Lee Brock

Had a great time even if I did not catch the big one. But there is next time. Cesar and I are planning a trip for next year, just let us know if there is a best time of the year to catch the big ones? Thanks for the pictures. If you can add Cesar’s best picture of the big one to the testimonies. Chris tell me how to set up the rig we were using, I would like to try it out in Rhode Island .

Tell Todd the professional service was superb. He’s lucky to have a guide that is well informed of the fishing industry on his team. I will tell my fishing buddies if they visit Florida to definitely check you guys out.

Thanks, Bob Zman

Thanks for a great time. I have the video and will copy it for you. Also will send you some still pictures plus a surprise...My mom thought the trip was cool, she thanks you look like my ex-brother in law. You guys made the trip feel like I was fishing with an old friend. It is a experience the boys will never forget and neither will I. We plan on being back next year. And we are recommending you to others in our area. The "growed" fish we caught...7.0lb, 7.04lb and 7.10lber, we are having them replicated. I'll tell everyone if they want to catch "growed" largemouth bass to go fishing with "Hawghunters"

Thanks a lot your friends, Jimmy Hammond, Tim Bunnell an Nathan Bunnell

We had a great time. Mark did an outstanding job and we learned a great deal about professional fishing and bass fishing. He is an asset and loads of fun to fish with. We look forward to fishing with you guys next time we come down to Florida, by the way the 10+lb bass that Dylan’s caught just caped off a fantastic trip.

Good Luck to all of you on the Fishing Road Show.

Tim Edwards

Capital Brokerage, L. C. 703-241-4040 (O) 703-403-6433 (Cell)

I wanted to thank you for sending us out with Chris. We had the most incredible time. HE is the MAN! My husband and I both caught some amazing fish. I caught a 10 pound bass, many 7 and 8 pound bass and my husband caught a 9.5 pound bass and many 7 and 8 pound bass as well. You guys are by far the best, you knew right where the fish were and there was NEVER a dull moment. Thanks again to you and your staff at Hawghunter, we will definitely be back! We had a great time, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Sincerely,
Jenni & Wes Parsons

Just a short note to let you know how much my grandson and I enjoyed our fishing outing with Chris Shepard. He made us feel like experienced fishermen and despite the breezy weather we were thoroughly entertained. He is truly a very knowledgeable and expert fisherman.

Thanks for the copies of the pictures that Chris took during the trip. Especially the shot where we are proudly displaying part of our catch. It would be an excellent memento of the occasion.

Thanks again and please say hello to Chris from me and Andrew. George Xistris

Hay Hay! I'm just now getting around to sending the pictures of our trip. We all had a really fantastic time, from what they tell me, anyway the whole week was kinda hazy! We'll be back again.

tell everyone I said hello, Take care

Jonathan Smith

Loren and I had a great time on our trip!! Thanks again. Your guide service made the trip very enjoyable. If anyone up here is looking for a guide, I will definitely send them your way. We also hope to come back again next year. Any input on when would be the best time would be appreciated.

Looking forward to seeing and fishing with you,

Rex Barnwell

Check out these "Hawgs", Mark Shepard put us onto some trophy bass in Lake Okeechobee. Don Rupp and I had a great time fishing with you guys.

We will be back, Hawg Hawley

I just wanted to drop a line and thank you for hooking me up with Mark Shepard of "Hawghunters Guide Service". I had a fantastic day on the lake and possibly my best day fishing ever! Mark, is not just a great professional but a helluva nice guy. I will be back and will recommend your service to anyone who will listen.

Thanks again, I will be rooting for you guys on the tournament trail.

David Steinke

Just wanted to thank you for making my dreams come true! I always dreamed of fishing with big shiners and catching big bass. To have caught three large bass was unbelievable.

Hope to fish with you guys real soon and good luck in your tournament fishing.

Tight lines, Gary Hiner

I'm back in Illinois. Wanted to thank you for one of the most memorable fishing experiences of my son-Max' and I. lifetimes! Hope you all are doing well in your tourneys. The boys back here don't believe my stories!

We'll be back, Robert Lowther

Just thought I would drop you a line and tell you how much fun myself and James had during our 3 day fishing trip. We had so much fun that we are planning on booking a trip for next year. Maybe this time I can catch a peacock bass. Please tell Mark that the tips he gave James and I during the Everglades trip really paid off during our fall season up here. We caught bigger and better fish using the crank bait techniques he showed us. We even caught an 8lb bass (at least I did) and a bunch of 5-6 pound fish the day after we got back from the trip. I think you got my dad hooked on the G-Loomis rods and Shimano reels he got a GLX rod for X-mas and he also ordered a Chronarch SF reel. I still don’t think that will help him catch fish, but at least he looks like a pro. I still have yet to put the video we made to CD but I plan on doing so soon and I will send you a copy if you want. I think it would be funny to put the scene of my dad attempting to set a hook on a fish up on the site as a blooper reel. The last day we didn’t catch many big fish but the experience we gained is much more valuable then any fish I could have caught. Hopefully one day I will be able to fish some tournaments like you guys. Once again THANK YOU VERY MUCH for the fun time fishing and heckling we had during our trip and we are defiantly looking forward to doing it again. Good luck to yourself and Mark during this year tournaments and hope to see you at the Potomac River Tournament.

I just wanted to say THANKS for everything you did for my dad and I in regards to getting the New SKEETER boat. I can't wait to get the boat and start fishing. Hopefully I will be able to catch some mama bass' and make a name for myself. I plan on getting my G-Loomis crankbait rod and Shimano SF reel this weekend. Once again THANK YOU VERY MUCH for the help with the boat. I can't wait to get back down to FL and go fishing again.

Thanks,
David Edsall

Just wanted to let you know that we had a great time fishing for bass in the Everglades...our guide Steve Albaum was really really great. He put us on to some nice bass....he had a great personality and easy to get along with...we caught tons of fish and it was worth every penny...hopefully we will be able to do it again sometime in the future for peacock bass...I even caught some great bass on my fly rod....

Thanks again... John and Michele Wood

Thanks for the great pic's and especially the outstanding guide service. You truly are the best guide we have had the pleasure to fish with and it was not due solely to the amount of fish we caught. I have a strong feeling we will be back.
Hawghunter Guide service is truly a lunker ahead of other guides I have fished with, and I have fished with a mess of em' . The group I fish with takes turns arranging the trip and this year was my turn. Todd and company made me a hero. Everyone in the group said this was the best trip ever.

Karl Miller

I did want to send you a note to you that would possibly help anyone that arrives at your web site looking for feedback on your guide service. I have to be honest with you as the group of my friends that fished with you and your guides usually will get together one to two time per year just to fish, all over this continent. The trip to Ft. Lauderdale and the North Miami area has turned out to be the best trip we have had in the last five years.
Not only did we have a great time catching up to 70+ plus bass per boat per day, in the Everglades, but the weather was awesome and the caliber of the guides and their equipment was very good. Your team kept on fish throughout the three days and we enjoyed a grand time. My only regrets will be that the next trip will be measured against this one and we will be hard pressed to top it!
Thanks Again for an Excellent Adventure!

Sincerely
Dale Ames

Thank you for the wonderful trip. Like you said, you were such a good guide that you could even put me on fish! Of course catching them was a different story! I am sure that all enjoyed the "catching" trip for a change. Best wishes for the remainder of the year.

Skip

I have attached a photo of the 8.5 lbs bass I caught on Okeechobee. Please note the photo show a weird date. Somehow it was screwed up. Please let me have and estimate what it would cost to have it mounted in a habitat scenario.
Let me also tell you that both Laura and I enjoyed the day tremendously. I asked you if you were the best guide when I booked the day, but I forgot to tell you at the end of the day that you are indeed the best guide we have been with. Our fishing trip to FL in general was great after we went with you. Laura caught a sailfish 79", We caught big black-fin Tuna, Big Wahoo and on the flats I got a nice Tarpon. Lots of other fish too, but this is the highlight.

If you want to use the photo in your promotion feel free (I am not an actor).
Best Regards Hans Jensen, NC

We are back here in Minnesota and as I look out across the snow I cannot help but to laugh at the comments you made regarding the cold. All I can say is your missing out dude! Anyway I wanted to take a moment and say thank you for the great time my Dad and I had while fishing with you. I think he may never let me forget how he out fished his son "The Pro Bass Fisherman" that day. Anyway I hope you will allow me to go with you again on another trip. Feel free to use me for a reference if you need. Your professionalism and knowledge as a guide is the best I've seen. You stories ain't bad either.

Hope you catch that hog when you need it.
Take care and Good fishing.

Randy Hanzal, Minnesota

Jason & Paula congratulations, I'm glad we could be a part of something so big....your honeymoon of course!

Thank you for a great trip, we loved peacock bass fishing, it was the perfect way to spend our honeymoon. You did an excellent job, and taught me a lot (I was surprised at the different techniques there were between largemouth and peacock bass fishing) I always enjoy learning anything new about fishing.
Paula had a real good time too she always likes fishing better when she can catch a lot of fish, and we did catch a lot and some big ones too.
We got the pictures you sent us and they turned out great. I forwarded them to all my friends. Well thanks again for a great fishing experience and a very fun day, hopefully we can come back and go out again soon.

Thanks so much,
Jason & Paula Allison, Iowa

Matt Steele, Maine what a nice young man and a very fast learner by looks of that fish.

You are the "Peacock Master", I hadn't fished for bass in 10 years an my son Matt had never fished for bass before our special day on 7/17. Thank you for all the extra, special attention you gave my son in preparing him for a day he will never forget. Your expert advice and the tips you gave us even allowed me to land some on an artificial bait, something I thought I had lost my touch with. THANKS YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE GREAT DAY!!! This trip will make anyone a firm believer in catch & release. The fight you experience from these peacocks makes you feel compelled to get them back in the water so they may live to fight again. These are gladiators.

Best regards,

David & Matt Steele, Easton, Maine

What a fishing trip! Captain Todd did a great job, by far exceeding our expectations. He made sure that my 78 year old father had the fishing trip of his life. Our group caught 70-80 Bass, 3 fish over 5 lb. the biggest was 7.6 lb. caught by my father. I will always remember this day.

Thank You,
Randall Hampton, Ohio

These two guys from N.C. could fish, they hit it big time FLORIDA style!

Hey Todd, Thanks a bunch for making Bob and Dwayne's fishing trip a HUGE success. That's all they have talked about! They both enjoyed the second day, but their trip with you was a "BLAST". I am so glad I decided to search on-line to find them a fishing guide, but I'm much happier it was such a success. If we are ever down that way again, we'll look you up! If you come to North Carolina, we got a place for you to try out, give us a call. We'll keep you reeling all day long.

THANKS AGAIN,
Harvette & Bob Poole, N.C.
P.S. We bowled great, also!

These guys set the Japanese record on the most and the largest bass.

Bass fishing is very popular in Japan, my friend Kazu and I love to BASS fish, but largemouth bass in Japan is not so big, we wanted to get "BIGONE".

So we decided to go to US to get "The Big One". However Kazu and I have never been to US, we searched fishing guides through internet, but our English is very poor so it was very difficult to search. Then we reached Hawghunter.net on accident. Captain Todd taught us about bass fishing in Florida by easy English over the internet. Finally we arrived after 20 hours of flying. But as a result we caught many big bass, Why I mean "MANY", because we stopped counting. After fishing in Florida we will never be satisfied with fishing in Japan. Someday we will go to everglades again to make new Japanese record!

Thank you very much, we are looking forward to seeing you again,

Best regards,
Ando& Kazu/Japan

I want to thank you for the pictures you emailed me of the nice bass Stephenie and I caught while fishing with you May 20th, 21st and 22nd. Although I did not land a legendary 10 pound bass while fishing with you, I really appreciate the extra effort you made to try and make that happen. Of course, Stephenie is extremely happy with her 6+ pound bass and having caught more fish than me. I was very happy with the tackle you provided during our 3 days together and your knowledge of Florida bass fishing is excellent. Both Stephenie and I look forward to another trip with you next year. Thanks for a great time both fishing and personally, we both feel like we have a new friend in Captain Todd.

Sincerely,Bob & Stephenie Hebert
Scottsdale, Arizona

Over the years, my dad and I have had some outstanding fishing trips. None of those experiences tops our extraordinary day on the water with you. Thanks again for an adventure with my dad that I will fondly remember forever. We had a great time.

Regards,
Gregg Glickstein, Florida

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