My family of three (wife and 10-year-old who is an avid fisherman) met Captain Robert at the dock, he was very friendly, helpful and very relaxed and chilled. We spent about 40 minutes getting out to the fishing hole and within five minutes of dropping three lines in we all started to catch trout catfish whiting and croaker. After about an hour, the tide stopped flowing outward, and we enjoyed a beer and waited for the flow to reverse when it did. I caught my first ever shark, a bonnet head shark! It fought like crazy and took about five minutes to land, Rob did the necessary unhooking as he did with all the difficult fish such as the catfish which can leave quite a nasty sting. After another hour, Rob pulled up anchor and we moved to another spot again we were immediately on the fish. We estimate that we caught between 60 and 70 fish between the three of us we lost count. At times all three of us were trying to unhook fish at the same time. Rob was the most relaxed chilled fisherman, which I’m sure helps with the vibe. He knows his stuff. His tackle was great. His boat was fine and we had a great time. I think in future he’ll be taking more shrimp with him because we actually ran out of bait just as our trip was coming to an end and we would’ve benefited from another bag. We did have a heavy rig with a mackerel tail attached in the hopes to catch a big shark but it didn’t happen this time which means we’re going to have to visit Captain Rob again in the near future! Give Rob a try you’ll have an amazing time.

My teenage sons had such a great experience fishing with Captain Rob last year that we we booked another trip with him this year! Once again, everything about our trip was top notch. The boat was fantastic, with a large open fishing platform up front and a spacious comfy shaded area in the back. The fishing equipment was great, and Captain Rob was extremely helpful, patient, and hardworking, wanting to get my sons on as many fish as possible. They caught a good variety of fish and had a great time. Highly recommend Captain Rob and Runnin the Flats!

We had an unforgettable time aboard Runnin the Flats in Naples! From start to finish, our captain made the experience feel totally personalized for our family. He was patient, kind, and super knowledgeable—not just with the kids, but with all of us.

He taught us how to fish properly, explained which fish we could keep or use for bait, and helped Penelope with her own kid-sized pole (not a baby one—one just for her!). He even taught us about mangroves, boating safety, and the different fish we saw.

Then—this was the best part—a dolphin came up by the boat! The captain told us to keep an eye out, and sure enough, it played in our wake and jumped through the waves. The kids were thrilled and we got some amazing pictures.

He let us stay out longer so we could catch something special (and we did!), gave us water, took pictures, and made sure everyone was happy and involved.

If you’re looking for a hands-on, family-friendly experience with a great guide—Runnin the Flats is it. 100% recommend!

— Aimee, Miah, Ryder & Chief Penelope 🐬🎣🌊

Took my 10 year old (an aspiring marine biologist) and my parents out on a 6-hour shark tour. Capt. Rob was a fantastic guide. Extremely knowledgeable and friendly. We saw manatee, saltwater crocodile, caught tons of fish and several sharks including bonnethead, bull and nurse sharks (my son’s favorite of the day). Cannot recommend Fishin’ the Flats enough! We will definitely be back soon!

Rob was great. The kids thought he was super nice and helpful. We learned a lot too and he took us where the fish were biting. We caught multiple different species. The boat made it easy to move around to fish. We even got to see some playful dolphins up close too. Highly recommend this trip and guide.