Fishbonz Charters

Fishbonz Charters Fishbonz Charters full service charter in Crystal River FL also know as Florida's Nature Coast. From sight-fishing inshore to freshwater lakes and rivers.

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Gavin, Colton, Addy and Andrew joined me for two days on the water in Crystal River, and on the way out that first morni...
08/25/2026

Gavin, Colton, Addy and Andrew joined me for two days on the water in Crystal River, and on the way out that first morning they told me they had never caught redfish before.

Challenge accepted.

Day one did not disappoint.

We were fishing live pinfish tight to the mangroves, and just about every place we stopped produced fish. The boys were catching redfish left and right, with several double hookups throughout the day.

At one point we had another double-up right beside the boat when several redfish followed one of the hooked fish in. Things got a little crazy for a few minutes, but that's the kind of chaos you don't mind having on a fishing charter.

We caught several quality reds in the 24- to 25-inch range along with plenty of other fish mixed in. By the end of the day, I'd estimate we had caught around 20 redfish as we moved from one location to another.

The boys were enthusiastic from beginning to end. For four guys who started the morning having never caught a redfish, they certainly made up for lost time.

Mother Nature did make things interesting. Summer storms moved through the area and things got a little hairy a couple of times, so we had to pull away and spend some time staying ahead of the weather. Once the storms passed and it was safe to get back after them, we headed right back out and started catching fish again.

Day two gave us an opportunity to show them another side of the Nature Coast.

The water had cleared up and the sun was shining, so we headed out to do some scalloping. It was their first time scalloping as well, and they picked it up quickly. They found plenty of scallops while snorkeling and got a chance to see what makes the waters around Crystal River so unique.

After we finished scalloping, we decided to put the fishing rods back to work.

The redfish bite wasn't nearly as strong as it had been the previous day, but sometimes one fish can make the entire afternoon.

Colton hooked into a good redfish and, after a nice fight, brought a beautiful 30-inch red to the boat — a new personal best and a great way to put an exclamation point on their two-day trip.

After two days of fishing, scalloping and summer heat, we finished things off with a trip to the springs so everyone could cool down and enjoy one more part of the Crystal River experience.

Between catching their first redfish, multiple double-ups, roughly 20 reds on the first day, scalloping for the first time, Colton's 30-inch personal best and finishing at the springs, these guys got a pretty good introduction to what a couple of days on the Nature Coast can offer.

I even picked up a couple of new subscribers to the podcast and YouTube channel along the way!

Thanks again, Gavin, Colton, Eddie and Andrew. I had a great time with you guys and I'm looking forward to the next trip.

Capt. Mike Haynes
Fishbonz Charters
Crystal River, Florida

Vince and Angel joined me for two days of fishing out of Crystal River, and their trip turned out to be a great example ...
08/25/2026

Vince and Angel joined me for two days of fishing out of Crystal River, and their trip turned out to be a great example of just how much conditions can change from one day to the next.

Day one started with Angel telling me she had never caught a redfish before.

Challenge accepted.

At our first stop, we put a live pinfish up near the mangroves, and within about 30 seconds Angel was hooked into her first-ever redfish. After a good fight, she brought a nice 22-inch red to the boat. It didn't take long for her to understand why so many people enjoy catching these fish.

The bite slowed almost as quickly as it started, so after giving the area about 10 minutes, I decided it was time to move and find some more active fish.

At the next island, Vince and Angel both cast their pinfish toward the mangroves, and almost immediately we had a double hookup. Vince brought a solid 22-inch redfish to the boat while Angel topped her first fish with a beautiful 26-inch red.

After some pictures, we put the baits back out, and it happened again — another double hookup.

Vince kept his fish under control while Angel fought the larger fish, eventually bringing another beautiful redfish of around 25 inches to the boat. We were able to get some great pictures of the two of them doubled up, and by that point they were pretty happy with what they had accomplished.

The fishing had been fast. Between the run out, getting bait and actually fishing, we hadn't been at it very long and probably hadn't used more than five pinfish. Sometimes when the fish are ready to eat, there's no reason to make things complicated.

We originally planned to try some scalloping afterward, but the water was too dirty to make it worthwhile. Instead, we headed over to the springs, where Vince and Angel were able to cool off and enjoy another part of what makes Crystal River and the Nature Coast such a special place.

Day two was a completely different kind of fishing day.

We were dealing with an extremely high tide, there wasn't much mullet activity, and the redfish bite had shut down considerably from the day before. On top of that, storms and lightning kept moving through the area.

We spent a good portion of the day running and gunning — heading south, then north, and eventually back south again — trying to stay ahead of the weather while continuing to look for active fish.

Those are the days when attitude makes a big difference, and Vince and Angel stayed with it. They kept making casts and stayed positive even though Mother Nature wasn't making things easy for us.

Their persistence eventually paid off.

We found a solid 25-inch redfish along with another 19-inch red to add to the fish they were taking home.

Over two days, Vince and Angel got to experience both sides of Crystal River redfishing. The first morning gave us quick bites, quality fish and multiple double hookups. The following day made us work for every opportunity while dealing with high water and summer thunderstorms.

That's fishing. Conditions can change overnight, and sometimes the best thing you can do is keep moving, keep adjusting and make the most of the opportunities you're given.

Thanks again to Vince and Angel for two enjoyable days on the water. I really enjoyed having you both aboard and look forward to fishing with you again.

Capt. Mike Haynes
Fishbonz Charters
Crystal River, Florida

🎣 Two Great Days on the Water!I had Gavin, Colton, Eddie, and Andrew out with me Sunday and Monday, and on the way out t...
08/25/2026

🎣 Two Great Days on the Water!

I had Gavin, Colton, Eddie, and Andrew out with me Sunday and Monday, and on the way out that first morning they told me they had never caught a redfish before.

Challenge accepted.

Sunday definitely did not disappoint.

We were pitching live pinfish up around the mangroves, and just about everywhere we stopped we found fish. There were a lot of double-ups, including one right at the boat when several other reds followed the hooked fish in and everything got a little crazy for a minute.

The boys were having a blast. We caught several nice reds in the 24- to 25-inch range along with plenty of smaller fish mixed in. All in all, I'd say we caught somewhere around 20 redfish as we moved from spot to spot.

It was pretty much a redfish free-for-all.

We did have to deal with some storms throughout the day. Things got a little hairy a couple of times, so we pulled out and waited for the weather to pass. Once it cleared, we went right back out and picked up where we left off—catching more fish.

Monday we decided to show the guys another side of Crystal River.

The water had cleared up and the sun was shining, so we headed out to do some scalloping. It was their first time, and they did an excellent job. They found plenty of scallops and had a great time snorkeling and seeing what the Nature Coast has to offer below the surface.

After scalloping, we decided to see if we could find a few more redfish.

The bite wasn't nearly as hot as the day before, but sometimes it only takes one fish to make the day.

Colton hooked into a good one and ended up landing a beautiful 30-inch redfish—his new personal best and a pretty good way to finish off two days of fishing!

After that, we headed over to the springs to cool off from the summer heat and let everyone enjoy one more part of what makes Crystal River such a special place.

These guys were enthusiastic from beginning to end. Between catching their first redfish, all the double-ups, roughly 20 reds, scalloping for the first time, Colton's 30-inch personal best, and finishing things off at the springs, they got a pretty good taste of the Crystal River experience.

I even picked up a couple of new subscribers to the podcast and YouTube channel along the way!

Thanks Gavin, Colton, Eddie, and Andrew for two great days on the water. I had a great time with you guys and I'm looking forward to the next one!

Capt. Mike Haynes
Fishbonz Charters
Crystal River, Florida

🎣 Two Days on the Water with Vince & AngelSome trips are memorable because of the fish. Some because of the story. This ...
08/23/2026

🎣 Two Days on the Water with Vince & Angel

Some trips are memorable because of the fish. Some because of the story. This one had both.

On the first morning, Angel told me she had never caught a redfish before.

Challenge accepted.

At our first stop, I put a bait next to the mangroves and within about 30 seconds Angel was hooked up. A few minutes later she had her first-ever redfish in her hands, a nice 22-incher. Not a bad way to start the morning!

The action really picked up from there. At our next spot, Vince and Angel both cast toward the mangroves and almost immediately we had a double-up. Vince landed a nice 22-inch red while Angel topped her first fish with a beautiful 26-incher.

We got some pictures, cast back out, and before long they were doubled up again. There were several double-ups throughout the morning, which made for some pretty fun fishing.

Once they had caught their fish and were happy with the morning, we decided to change gears. We finished off day one with a trip to the springs for a swim and some time just enjoying being out on the water.

Day two was a completely different story.

The tide was extremely high, there wasn't any mullet stirring, and the redfish bite had pretty much shut down. On top of that, storms and lightning kept moving around us.

We spent a lot of the day running and gunning—south, then north, then back south again—trying to stay ahead of the weather while looking for fish.

Vince and Angel kept a great attitude through all of it. They stuck with me, kept fishing, and we managed to make a good day out of a tough one.

Their persistence eventually paid off with a nice 25-inch redfish and another 19-incher to add to the fish they were taking home.

That's fishing. One day you're doubled up and the fish seem ready to cooperate, and the next day you have to work for every bite.

Thanks again, Vince and Angel, for spending two days on the water with me. I really enjoyed having you guys aboard!

Capt. Mike Haynes Fishbonz Charters Crystal River, Florida

🎣 A Great Redfish Day with Tony & JohnThursday morning I had Tony and his friend John out with me looking for redfish, a...
08/21/2026

🎣 A Great Redfish Day with Tony & John

Thursday morning I had Tony and his friend John out with me looking for redfish, and it didn’t take long at all to get things started.

At our very first stop, John hooked into a beautiful 28-inch over-slot redfish. Unfortunately, the video decided not to cooperate on that one, but we did get the picture. While I was getting John’s fish taken care of, Tony hooked up with a nice 24-inch red of his own.

So, within about the first five minutes of fishing, we already had two really nice redfish to the boat.

We cast back out, and John added another solid 22-inch redfish.

The bite slowed down after that, so we packed up and headed to my second spot. Tony hooked into another nice fish around 23–24 inches and also lost another good one right at the boat.

We were catching fish, but something just didn’t feel right to me. I had a feeling there were better fish somewhere else, so instead of staying put, we made another move.

That third stop definitely paid off.

It turned into a free-for-all of redfish. We ended up catching around 10 more reds, including a beautiful 26½-inch fish, another around 25 inches, another over-slot red, and several other fish mixed in between.

After all that action, I decided to hit one more spot on the way back. We pushed into the backcountry, and that move paid off too. We picked up another over-slot redfish along with a solid 20-inch red before calling it a day.

Sometimes you just have to trust your gut, keep moving, and go find them.

All in all, it was a great day of redfishing. Tony and John caught a pile of fish, had a great time, and headed home with some redfish for the dinner table.

Thanks for fishing with me, guys. I enjoyed it!

Capt. Mike Haynes
Fishbonz Charters
Crystal River, Florida

08/14/2026

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08/11/2026

Camden was doing everything he could to stay awake on the ride out that morning. That changed pretty fast once he hooked into his first-ever redfish.

He started with a 20-inch red, followed it with a 23, and finished the morning with a beautiful 26-inch fish. Safe to say he was wide awake after that first bite.

These are the trips I enjoy most — watching a young angler catch his first fish and then seeing the confidence build with every one after it.

Capt. Mike Haynes
Fishbonz Charters
Crystal River, Florida

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308 SE US Highway 19
Crystal River, FL
34429

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+18505294369

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