COVID-19 in Florida: Local Fishing Guides Determined to Stay Afloat

It’s been a surreal two weeks in the Sunshine State. Just days ago, Florida was welcoming college students and families in their thousands. The beaches were overflowing with tourists, and everything looked ready for another action-packed Spring Break. Since then, however, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought Florida and its much-anticipated vacation season to a screeching halt.

The state of emergency has closed bars, restaurants, and beaches across the state. A number of festivals and events have been postponed, and the CDC has advised against any gatherings of more than 10 people. Florida’s tourist industry – the state’s main source of income – seems to be heading for a tough several weeks.

Not Their First Rodeo

Recreational fishing in Florida generates an annual $11.5 billion, making it one of the biggest drivers of the local economy. Owing a large chunk of its revenue to the Spring Break crowds, it’s also one of the industries more strongly affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

With hotels and airports closing down across the state, Florida’s fishing guides are seeing an unprecedented surge in cancelations. 

According to Justin Ferrell, captain of Good Times Key West fishing charter, this type of crisis is unlike anything he’s seen so far: “I’ve lost more bookings over the past week than in the last five years”, he says.

Of course, like many Florida fishing guides, Justin has had his fair share of “force majeure” hardships. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find a local angling guide that’s unscathed by Florida’s yearly hurricane season. But that’s precisely what’s made these people a pretty resilient bunch.

Just a few days ago, when Key West was still filled with vacationers looking for something to do, Justin reported: 

“We’re just trying to make the most of it,” jokingly adding, “This is a fishing and a drinking town. Since all the bars are closing down, that leaves people with only one option.” 

In all seriousness, the logic seemed sound. “I had a guy come by the boat yesterday. My trip for the day got canceled earlier, so I was free to take him out. We had a great day of fishing, so he’s coming back for another one tomorrow.”

Following Monroe County’s third positive COVID-19 case, officials decided to shut the county down to all visitors on March 24.

When we asked Justin about the upcoming summer fishing season, he said:

“I’m always optimistic, and I try not to stress about it. As soon as the area opens up again, we’ll be back. Hey, if anything, I’ll eat a ton of Mangrove Snapper and spend some extra time with my kids.”

Scraping the Barrel

Anticipating stricter measures in the coming days, fishing guides across Florida are turning to local anglers for their new clientele. 

In counties where COVID-19 is not as widespread, a number of fishing guides have started running online ads promoting heavily discounted fishing trips. Considering that Florida has a big drive-in fishing tradition, the effort makes sense. The one obvious issue is safety.

According to Hunter Harris, owner of Poseidon Fishing in Apollo Beach, fishing on a boat is one of the safest things you can do at this point. Like most fishing charters, Hunter’s boats are licensed to carry up to 6 people, which falls under the current CDC recommendations.

“We sanitize the boats like crazy, so you won’t catch any viruses on our boat. We’re used to scrubbing everything down after each trip, so in that respect, this isn’t anything new for us.”

What is new, is the number of cancellations he’s been getting recently. “We’ve noticed a big decrease in sales, and a big increase in canceled trips. In reality, most of our customers actually don’t want to cancel, but it’s the hotels that are canceling on them. It’s a ghost town out there right now.“

Hunter realizes that things are probably going to get a lot worse, but for now, he’s not in panic mode. 

“I own several boats in the Tampa Bay area and, so far, things are still looking okay. Our trips went from a couple a day to one a day, so we’re still busy. We don’t plan on stopping until the government shuts us down.” 

Judging by how quickly COVID-19 is spreading, that day may not be very far away.

An Industry Like No Other

For eight straight years, Florida has been breaking its own record for out-of-state visitors. During this time, all branches of tourism were able to flourish, and the local recreational fishery was no exception. Aside from the occasional red tide or hurricane-induced dip, Florida’s charter guides have had a remarkably successful run. 

Now, with their livelihoods on the line, the captains are being put to the ultimate test.

Safety First

To see how they’re coping with the new situation, FishingBooker has reached out to its partners. We asked our captains about how they are faring these days, as well as what their plans are for the future. This is what they said.

As many as 80% of Florida’s captains say that they are open for bookings in the next two weeks, if the circumstances allow them to run charters normally. Whether that’s going to be possible is a coin toss at the moment, but the figure does show the captains’ determination to stay afloat.

Perhaps more importantly, Florida’s captains understand that these are unprecedented times. As determined as they are not to let COVID-19 put them out of business, they see that the crisis is much bigger than fishing or profit, and that people’s safety comes first.

As a result, the vast majority of captains are fully supportive of their customers canceling or postponing their trips without having to pay a penny. Whether it’s working together with partners like FishingBooker, or handling matters on their own, Florida’s captains are once again showing why they are some of the most respected members of their communities.

Last but not least, a resounding 98% of fishing guides are positive that they will return to guiding fishing trips as soon as the crisis has abated. And that’s probably the silver lining in all of this. 

Whether it’s knowing that life is bound to return to normal, or the fact that they’ve survived pretty much everything nature has thrown their way, Florida’s captains will find a way to adapt and keep going. Even if it means eating Mangrove Snapper for a month!

And now, let’s hear it from you. How do you think COVID-19 will affect Florida’s recreational fishery? How long do you think it will take for things to go back to normal? Let us know what you think in the comments below.