MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Charter boat captains in the Tampa Bay area are still out on the waters — following the fish, taking out locals and waiting for visitors to return.
- Charter boat captains feeling loss of business amid coronavirus
- Business has dried up for many after "Safer at Home" measures enacted
- Saltwater recreational fishing in Florida is a $9.2 billion industry
There are plenty of fish to catch right now, especially Snook. There just aren’t a lot of fisher-folk, according to Captain Griffin Deans of Slot Machine Fishing Charters in Manatee County.
“We got hit with cancellations from everybody,” explained Deans. “Most of our business comes from up north and we pretty much wiped the whole schedule clean on that.”
Like other local fishing guides, Deans lost most of his tourist business after Florida started its “Safer at Home” protocols April 3 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Captains continue to track the fish and wait as the rules change for public boat ramps on land and social distancing in the water.
“It hurts me just to see all my friends out there hurting too. It’s a great group of people and hopefully you guys don’t forget about us when this thing gets right in a month or two, and we’ll be out here catching the fish!”
Saltwater recreational fishing in Florida is a $9.2 billion industry and supports about 90,000 jobs, according to Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Those numbers are for 2018.