Reel Talk: Why Starting 2025 with a Private Fishing Tour in Fort Lauderdale Will Be the Best Decision You Make All Year

What’s up, crew? Captain Scott Fleischer here, still buzzing from last night’s New Year’s Eve fireworks over the Intracoastal and already counting down the hours until we shove off for our first private fishing tours of 2025. If you woke up this morning (January 2nd) with a slight champagne headache and a burning desire to kick this year off differently than the last ten, you’re in exactly the right place.

Most people make resolutions about gyms they’ll never visit or diets that crash by January 15th. Me? I’ve got a better idea: book a private fishing tour with Bottoms Up Adventure Charters and start 2025 with salt on your skin, a bent rod in your hands, and a cooler full of fish you caught yourself. Trust me, nothing resets the soul like watching the first sunrise of the year from the bow while a 40-pound bull mahi is doing backflips on your line.

Let’s talk reel talk (pun absolutely intended) about why our private fishing tours blow every other option in South Florida out of the water, especially right now in early January when the fishing is straight-up stupid good.

January Fishing in FORT LAUDERDALE Is a Cheat Code

While the rest of the country is shoveling snow, we’re wearing board shorts and catching fish that most anglers only dream about. Sailfish are stacked up offshore like it’s Black Friday at Best Buy, kingfish are smashing baits from the third reef to the edge, and the snook and tarpon bite in Port Everglades is so hot I’ve seen grown men cry when they finally land one.

I ran a private fishing tour yesterday (New Year’s Day) and we went 6-for-8 on sails before noon, then came inshore and caught four tarpon over 100 pounds on the flood tide. That’s not bragging; that’s just January in Fort Lauderdale. And the best part? Because it’s “off-season” for tourists, the ocean is wide open and the boats are available tomorrow.

Why Bottoms Up Private Fishing Tours Are NOTHING Like the Big Party Boats

You’ve seen those 60-foot head boats that pack 40 strangers on the rail like it’s a rock concert. No shade, but that’s not us. When you book a private fishing tour with Bottoms Up, the boat is 100% yours. No elbowing for position, no sharing gaffs, no listening to some guy’s playlist you hate. Just your crew, your music, and me (or one of my killer captains) putting you on fish like it’s our only job (because it is).

Our boats are rigged like offshore weapons: twin 300s to get you to the sailfish grounds in 20 minutes, livewells the size of bathtubs, tournament-grade rods that cost more than most people’s rent, and electronics that basically cheat. We run two 34-foot catamarans purpose-built for South Florida fishing and a 41-foot custom center console when you want to go full beast mode. Everything is washed, tuned, and ready to hunt the second you step aboard.

The “First Fish of 2025” Tradition You Need to Start This Year

Every January 1st and 2nd, we kick off something special: whoever catches the first keeper fish of the new year gets their trip half-price on the spot and a stupidly oversized champagne bottle to spray on the bow. Last year a 19-year-old college kid from Ohio caught a 52-inch kingfish at 7:03 a.m. on January 1st and we all lost our minds. That story (and that photo) is still on his dorm wall.

Imagine heading back to work next week telling everyone you started 2025 by releasing a 150-pound tarpon while your friends were eating cold pizza and watching bowl games. That’s the kind of flex that lasts all year.

From Total Rookie to Reel Hero – We Make It Happen

Think private fishing tours are only for pros? Wrong. I’ve had grandmas out-fish their husbands, girlfriends out-fish their boyfriends (always hilarious), and kids who’ve never held a rod land their first mahi and scream louder than when they met Mickey Mouse.

We teach you everything: how to kite a goggle-eye, how to drop a live bait perfectly in the prop wash, how to fight a sailfish without pumping the rod like you’re on an infomercial. By the end of four hours, you’ll feel like you’ve been fishing your whole life. And if you just want to kick back with a beer and let us do the heavy lifting, that’s cool too – we’ve got plenty of deck chairs and cold drinks.

Combine Fishing with Everything Else You Love (Because Why Not?)

Here’s where we separate ourselves from every other captain in town: our private fishing tours don’t have to be all rods and reels. Want to start the day chasing sailfish offshore, then pull the rods in, blast music, and hit the sandbar for an afternoon party boat ride with floating mats and cold beers? We do that. Want to finish the trip with a sunset cruise past the mega-mansions while grilling the wahoo you just caught? Done.

A lot of our groups this time of year are recovering from New Year’s Eve and planning bach parties later in the spring. They’ll book a private fishing tour the morning after the ball drops just to “sweat it out” on the water, then end up reserving their bach party boat rental for April while we’re still cleaning fish at the dock. Smart people.

Real Talk About Cost – You’ll Spend More on Dinner and Drinks Tonight

I’m not going to lie and say private fishing tours are cheap, but I will say they’re cheaper than you think – especially when you split it with five buddies. A four-hour offshore trip in peak January sailfish season runs less per person than taking everyone to a Heat game with parking and beers. And at the end of the night, you’re not walking away with a foam finger – you’re walking away with a cooler full of filets and photos that will break your phone.

Plus, we’ve got zero hidden fees. Fuel, bait, ice, tackle, licenses, fish cleaning – all included. The only thing you pay extra for is if you want me to have a case of your favorite beer waiting (which I’m happy to do).

The 2025 Bucket List Item You Can Check Off Tomorrow

Look, if you’re still reading this on January 2nd, the universe is trying to tell you something. The weather tomorrow is 78 and sunny. The sailfish are chewing. The boat is fueled, iced, and rigged. All that’s missing is you and your crew.

I’ve been doing this long enough to know that the people who actually pull the trigger on experiences like this are the ones who end the year with the best stories. Don’t be the person who says “man, I should’ve done that” twelve months from now.

Grab your phone right now and head to https://www.bottomsupadventurecharters.com. Pick tomorrow, this weekend, or any date in January while we still have openings. Lock in your private fishing tour and let’s make the first catch of 2025 one you’ll never forget.

This is Captain Scott reminding you: 2025 is wide open, the fish are hungry, and the throttle is waiting.

See you at the dock – rods rigged, coffee hot, and the ocean calling your name.

Let’s go fishing, Captain Scott Fleischer BottomsUpAdventureCharters.com