Charter Status: Booking Now Tide: Rising Wind: NE 8 kt Today's Bite: Redfish on the grass flats Water: 74°F & clear Call: (941) 500-2943 Charter Status: Booking Now Tide: Rising Wind: NE 8 kt Today's Bite: Redfish on the grass flats Water: 74°F & clear Call: (941) 500-2943
The Captain

A lifetime of local water,
poured into a single trip.

Decades of running these backwaters. A USCG Master Captain license. And the kind of patience that puts a five-year-old on their first fish without anybody losing their cool.

The captain on the water
A note from the captain

Family Fun isn't just the name.

I started running these waters because nothing else in my life felt like a true calling. The 10,000 Islands don't care what you do for a living. They reward patience, curiosity, and being willing to laugh when the fish outsmart you.

Every charter I run, I'm trying to give somebody a version of the day that made me fall in love with this place. Sometimes that's a personal-best redfish. More often it's a kid pulling in their first trout, a couple watching dolphins from the gunwale, or a grandfather finally getting to hand his grandson a rod.

If you're thinking about a trip, pick up the phone. We'll talk about what you want out of the day and build it from there.

See you on the water,
Capt. Jesse Karen Family Fun Fishing Charters
0+
Years on these waters
0+
Charters run
0
Target species
0★
Average rating
The boat

Center console.
Built for these waters.

Our boats are purpose-built for the kind of fishing we do — shallow enough to slip onto the flats, sturdy enough to handle a near-offshore swell, fast enough to chase the bite when it moves.

Plenty of casting room, a clean deck, a shaded console for breaks from the sun, and a marine head onboard. Wash-down hoses for the catch. Cooler space for what you bring and what you keep.

USCG-inspected and equipped well beyond the legal minimum — life jackets for every angler, marine radio, GPS, and a first-aid kit we hope you never need.

The Area

The 10,000 Islands.
One of the wildest fisheries left in America.

Tucked between Marco Island and the Everglades, the 10,000 Islands are a labyrinth of mangrove-lined backwaters, oyster bars, grass flats, and tidal passes. Federally protected, sparsely traveled, and home to more species per square mile than most anglers ever see in a lifetime.

We know it like a backyard — every cut, every flat, every tide line that holds fish. Most of our trips launch from a quiet marina just minutes from the heart of it. By the time you've finished your coffee, you're in the kind of water most anglers never get to see.

Also launching from

Charlotte Harbor — Punta Gorda. For the crystal-clear water and lush grass beds of beautiful Charlotte Harbor, we also launch from Laishley Marina (120 Laishley Ct) in the heart of downtown Punta Gorda — bright flats, tailing redfish, and miles of room to roam.

Launch Points
Two
Charlotte Harbor
Punta Gorda
10,000 Islands
SW Florida
Naples Marco Island Goodland Everglades The 10,000 Islands Gulf of Mexico Launch N ≈ 5 nm
A typical day

What a trip actually looks like.

Every trip is different, but the rhythm is the same. Here's what to expect from the moment you pull into the marina.

  • 01

    Meet at the Marina

    Arrive 15 minutes before your trip. Quick hello, parking sorted, bathroom break if you need one before we shove off.

  • 02

    Safety Briefing

    Five-minute walkthrough — where the life jackets are, how the gear works, what to do if a tarpon makes a run for it.

  • 03

    Bait & Plan

    We pull live bait fresh that morning and talk through the plan — what's biting, where the tide is, which species to chase first.

  • 04

    Fish & Flow

    We move with the bite. If a spot's hot, we stay. If it cools off, we run. The whole day is built around finding fish, not following a script.

  • 05

    Back at the Dock

    Clean & fillet your keepers, hose down the deck, swap stories. Photos on your phone, fish in your cooler, plan a next trip.

"
If you grew up here, you know. If you didn't, you'll see why we never left.
From the logbook
Let's plan a trip

A boat. A captain. A day you'll remember.

Call to talk through the day you want. We'll build it from there.

(941) 500-2943
Book Direct (941) 500-2943
Call Now