by Captain Craig Eubank
May always brings on the busiest time of year for fishing/diving guides, hoteliers and pretty much everyone in the entire Florida Keys. We’re finished with Spring Break, starting to slow down for graduation and the end of school, and then crashing head long into Summer Break and all the business that goes with that time of year.
Throw in Mothers’ Day and the assorted Birthdays and things get complicated, but we try to keep things on a roll as long as possible. As much as you want a break, you need to stay on that roll ‘cause you know as soon as the business slows down, that’s it for a while… ? you don’t even mention the “H” word around here!
Emails come by the bucketful. Typical emails read: tell me about your business, how much, how long, how big, and then there are the emails about the charter business too ?…
However, the other day I got an email that really brought back memories from several years ago and I figured the statute of limitations had surely come and gone by now.
“Dear Captain Craig Eubank,
As Commodore of Hemingway International Yacht Club of Cuba and Representative of the International Game Fish Association in Habana, I am very pleased to greet you as well as to invite you as member of Hemingway International Yacht Club of Cuba, to join us in the celebration of the 61st “Ernest Hemingway International Billfish Tournament” to be held on June 6th through 11th, 2011…”
The Cubans are very big on all the fancy pomp and circumstance, but to spare you the complete wordy invite – including all the misspellings – it boils down to being invited to the world’s longest running Marlin Tournament named for arguably one of the most famous big game fisherman in sport fishing history. Since 1994, I have gotten one of these invitations to the Tournament, along with birthday wishes, Mothers’ Day wishes, and Holiday wishes. Marina Hemingway represents Cuba at its most gracious. They certainly do want us to come back. Even if it is just business, shouldn’t we give them the benefit of the doubt? There’s talk in our current administration of change in our current travel restrictions. Will this affect travel by boat? Who knows?
Many private as well as Keys charter boat Captains spent the early nineties through about 2005 fishing this tournament and its sister tournaments, the Blue Marlin Tournament (usually in August or September) and the Wahoo Tournament held in November. The Cuban Tournaments differed in a couple of key ways. They would actually have a Captains’ meeting the night before and let the Captains decide the scoring system. They would in fact let us VOTE on whether it was a kill tournament (based on points per pound), or a tag and release system such as we have here for our billfish tournaments. Every morning was a shotgun start and you had to be inside the marina sea buoy by a certain time in order to qualify any of your catches for that day – no specific lines in or out time. For several years, they put “observers” onboard your vessel and kept an eye out so there wasn’t anything untoward going on. I have real video proof that that didn’t work so awfully well. And sometimes the observers themselves came under fire ?
Nothing’s perfect. However, keep in mind that if it was voted to be a kill tournament, nothing went to waste. The Cubans ate/used every part of every fish brought to the dock. The fish went directly from the weigh-in station (which made for some memorable pictures) to the cleaning table. I heard a lot of “all release” and “no kill” rhetoric while I was there, but it was always from the Captain of a U.S. flagged multi-million dollar sportfish with a freezer full of steaks and not once from a Cuban Captain with five hungry kids at home. And yes, I have eaten both blue and white marlin while in Cuba. In fact, if fixed right, it tastes very much like swordfish… Swordfish just doesn’t jump and put on a show when trolled up during a tournament… and that I unfortunately have never seen before.
For you to place in this tournament, you needed to have enough points to put you in the top three teams. One thing I greatly respect them for is that no money was offered to any of the winning teams. Only hand-carved trophies were given. It wasn’t a payout tournament (imagine that!). These tournaments are about bragging rights only. No gambling. The only time you heard of dailies or Calcuttas was between non-Cuban boats. There were always arguments about the tournaments being about killing or getting paid. They all had their point of view, but again, it was an invitational. I always figured that you either follow the rules of the host (host country), or stay home and complain. In 1999, it even went as far as a local semi-charter boat out of Key West that was holding the daily money, actually refusing to hand over the money because the winning boat killed the points fish rather than releasing it, and the sour grapes Captain decided that it shouldn’t be counted. That eventually got straightened out and a good lesson learned. Never come between a Ruskin fisherman and his winnings…
There were other times when the majority of Captains felt as if the outcome had been unduly influenced by any one of the vague methods of keeping points, time, allowing extra time for mechanical problems, sometimes the Calcutta was even given to the wrong boat, but those rumors only seemed to fuel the mantra of “wait ‘til next year!” And whatever pitiful amount of trade or pay you would receive for risking your boat (I should know!) just to make the crossing of 100 miles, to fish a loosely-run, however infamous, Billfish tournament where the best outcome might be a hand-carved trophy, bragging rights, and a bad case of “Guevara’s Revenge,” we all couldn’t wait for next year. So, as each email from Marina Hemingway finds its way into my inbox, I’ll say a silent prayer that maybe this year, things will change... and hopefully, I can once again be a part of the festivities!

Growing up, I wasn’t quite the athletic type. Sure, I played High School basketball, ran some track, and now with years of therapy behind, me I can finally admit it, I was a band fag. Although the coolest type of band fag, since it was technically called “percussion.” I played the snare drum in the marching band, hung out with the color guard (all girls), and got to wear a different uniform. If it is possible, a much cooler type uniform. Luckily in later years, I turned that skill into playing the guitar all around the U.S. including the Woodstock Reunion of 1999 and did a 9-year stint at the Bull and Whistle with the “Jack Nasty Band.” Significance? Well, besides lots of… shall we call them”dates,” I got used to being on stage and entertaining people. Anyway, this is how that leads to 25 years of being a fishing guide after a bit of explaining…
I apologize that this article was not really written for everyone just looking for a fishing report this month. I tend to aim my articles toward the few professionals left out there still grinding out a living in the charter business. Therefore, it is not just your run of the mill fishing report. No secrets about those nine, 50-pound Kings I live baited off the Cosgrove Hump last week. It’s not for those of you that are interested in what I caught dropping on the sub or what I snagged in 800 feet of water, what kind of fish, how big, how deep, where, when, what color drawers I was wearing when I did it, etc. This article is really aimed at those of us that have or will have spent the majority of our adult lives working at our main passion: being a for-hire fishing guide. Actually making a living going fishing. Sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? Like playing guitar for the Rolling Stones – simple. Lean against an amp, bang out a few chords on a guitar that was made before my grandfather was born and butt light cigarettes for an hour and a half. At least that’s what I see happening when I go see Mic and the boys play. Although, like fishing, I bet there is a bit more to it than what meets my eye; just as in being a fishing guide. Like… never being more than one step away from your cell phone ( they won’t leave a message and they will book with your friend), actually booking the trips (“Sure we catch Marlin all the time”), getting the deposit (“It’s just business, you know how it is”), determining the style of fishing we might be doing even though the trip you just booked is three months away (“There will be plenty of wreck action that day.”) and fixing an engine by a warm trouble light at 2 a.m. just to run a trip at 7:30 the next morning. However, that’s not part of the “act.” The charter does not see that part of the job because he does not want to see that part of the job! That’s not what he is paying for. If you want to spoil the experience for the charter and tell/show him that you are a working stiff just like he is, make sure you spend the entire trip complaining about all the crap that goes with the business that makes it a lot like…. well, his business. He wants to hear about the big one, and not just the big one that got away! “What’s the biggest fish you ever caught?” You had better have a good story at ready ‘cause he’ll ask. He will definitely ask where you are from and how long you have been doing this. He does want to hear about the four twins in bikinis you had jumping off the bow while anchored at the reef last week… even if it didn’t happen. And generally never does. Tell him how the 10-year-old kid whipped the 200-pound Lemon Shark in the channel and almost fell over the side just the other day. What I’m saying is that he is fishing with you for the experience of your job that is the fun part. If he wanted to hear you complain, he would just be there at your house making supper when you walked in the door that evening!
Too many guides think being a fishing guide is about catching fish. Seems obvious, but in my opinion it is shortsighted. Being a fishing guide is about entertaining the client. He’ll come back next year/month if he had a good time. It is an expensive hobby and usually they go with what they know. If they had fun last time, they don’t want to risk it on an unknown. Whether that was releasing 10 Barracudas or 10 Sailfish. You will generally know if they are having fun by the look on their face, they will be smiling. Also, give them a chance to talk. A lot of fishing trips are just therapy sessions with rods. Almost everyone likes to talk about themself, so let them; you are on their time.
Over the years, I have boiled the fishing guide “game” down to four basic factors. If you make all four factors come together, you will have a good trip and a repeat charter. In addition, with charters being rare nowadays, you cannot afford to run a crummy trip.
Four factors: Weather, Boat, Charter, and Fish.
None of these factors is directly under your control. But, if you bring them all together successfully, it’s smiles all around and fat propinos.
The boat you do have a certain amount of control over. Make sure that everything works, and that you have everything (how many times have you heard on the radio of a charter boat wanting to “borrow” a downrigger or bag of bait?) Keep it clean and it should smell clean too. Men care about the fishing; women want a clean toilet. Don’t wait until the motor won’t start until you change the batteries. The only thing that sucks more than getting towed in is not getting paid! Remember, the charter usually spends more time with the mate than with you. Blowing cigarette smoke has become a big issue with charters in the past few years, especially if they are on the verge of blowing chunks anyway. Needing a shave is macho for a mate. Needing a shave and a bottle opener isn’t macho and is a liability in this new age of charter fishing. Your tackle should be presentable. Rods are not one of the things to brag about how long they have been in the family.
The Charter you have generally never met. Find out what they want to fish for or at least what they will be happy with. Fishing, as we all know, is a game of odds. Don’t make it too hard on everyone involved. If it’s a half day with six anglers and they all want to be sure and bend a rod, suggest something appropriate. Be honest with them about the odds of catching what they want, I like to call it hopefully optimistic. Everyone wants to catch a Marlin, but usually when you tell them the odds, they will listen to you and your suggestions. That’s why they hired you as a guide in the first place! Also, let them be the one to break the “F” word barrier. You never know what is offensive to people. Let them set the standard before you chime in with your best Presidential joke. You would be amazed how many charters I have gotten over the years because of the previous Captain’s “bias.”
Weather. Well, not much you can do about that. However, if you know it is blowing a gale, drop a few hints to let them know what they are in for. Suggest some alternatives just in case they don’t feel so awful good heading East. “Hey, shark fishing can be really good this time of year,” or “It might get a little bumpy when we cross the reef.” Never use words like rough or terrible or wear your life-jacket while leaving the dock. Words like “Sporty” or “Challenging” soften the effect. Make it more of an adventure or challenge than a death-defying thrill ride. Always have a weather back-up plan A, B, C, etc. Ending with the question, “So, what are you guys doing tomorrow?” Once they are on the boat, you try your dandiest not to let them off just for the plain fact that they may not come back if things don’t improve or you are already booked. As Joe Mac says, “That’s a day you will never get back.” On the other hand, if you beat them up and make them slide around in each other’s vomit for a couple hours before hollering uncle, you definitely won’t ever get them back… so, no discounts!
Finally, that leaves us with the Fish part of our 4-part magic trick. This sort of goes along with the other three variables. Make sure your mate is on the same page as you. Do not assume he was listening during your briefing when you said you were going to stay in close to the islands and Shark fish so no one got sick in the 30-knot winds. You’ll definitely feel a bit overwhelmed as the anchor line comes tight and you look out past the stern and notice five nicely rigged rods with beautiful store bought Sailfish baits on them! Which brings us to DON’T PANIC! Even when there is a reason for panic. It sort of goes along with never let ‘em see you sweat. A lot can happen on a fishing charter (believe me, I know) but getting everyone stirred up will only make things more difficult. There’s no substitute for experience, but most problems can be prevented before the charter.
The fish don’t read the calendar so don’t assume that “Sailfish Season” really means Sailfish Season. Again, have a back-up plan, and a backup for that plan, etc. In addition, make sure that you and your mate both know that there is no such thing as a bad fish. There are good fish and nice fish. Your opinion doesn’t count here. If they are happy with the fish, so are you!
So folks, what all did we learn today? You’re not so much a fishing guide as you are an entertainer (but continue to write “fishing guide” on you IRS 1040 or it just makes them crazy!)
And by bringing together the four key elements of a fishing charter – Boat, Weather, Fish, and Anglers (somebody please figure out an anagram for this!) – make them all work together seamlessly, will make you feel not so much a Top Fishing Guide but more like Houdini himself!

This is a picture from a few years ago of Capt. Craig Eubank with Jacques Cousteau and Sylvia Earle (environmentalist and holder of World Deep Dive Record) in Orlando DEMA Conference.  Not sure why they invited me, but the food was excellent!

New Age Fishing…

I suffer from a terrible affliction. It has haunted me since about the age of 27 when I was invited to play basketball with some friends over at Gerald Adams Grade School and after about 20 jump shots (no points scored) and 20 minutes of hard running, I realized my body was experiencing what is known to most laymen as “aging.” Shortness of breath, profuse sweating, rapid heart rate, and chronic general fatigue; my odometer was about to roll over! Now, I live with a 21-year-old mind trapped in a 50-year-old body. Radical change is not in my vocabulary.
I guess everyone that gets the experience of living beyond the physical age of 30 will experience these symptoms; not much way around them and it was not the actual pain that worried me that night after a stinging loss of a simple game of basketball to those half my age. Things were changing and I would just have to get used to it. There cannot be another single subject with as many cute anecdotes, creative viewpoints designed to initiate laughter, introspection, and to just over-all lessen the blow of getting older. Thank God. This would be my first step in getting to know him. ?
Now to bring this experience more into focus and to make my point for the fishing story at hand. Since 1985, I have been trained that there are certainly a lot of different types of fish in the Florida Keys, but that there are only two categories that mean anything: Keepers and Not. (Not keepers) We learned to be somewhat more sophisticated while making these differentiations, but they all still basically fell into two uses of the fish. There is a third category if you are in the charter business called, “Trophy” but we can cover that in a future article.
Throughout the years, we have begun to make our own (Commercial, Sport, Recreational, etc.) changes to the two basic categories with a lot of “help” from our friends at the Florida Marine Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries, Fish and Wildlife, Sanctuary Patrol, Coast Guard, etc. There are far more to name, but I am limited to one thousand words. ? Mostly it comes down to this: edible and non-edible. If it isn’t good to eat, might make you ill, or just plain makes you sick to look at, throw it back; it is not a keeper. This also helps the feeling of you being a “Sportsman.” Later at the bar, you can brag about how your crew didn’t kill everything. “Yeah, we might have had a basket full of eleven and a half inch Yellowtail Snappers, but look how many Bermuda Chubs we tossed back!” Surely, there must be some sort of cosmic credit given out for just such a selfless act! The other category is “KEEPERS.” The greatest form of sea-life a fish can achieve is to be a “Keeper.” They just cannot be praised enough. The difference between keeping a fish to later be displayed on the dock, dressed for dinner, paraded to the weigh station, held up for pictures, taken numerous times in and out of the cooler, or be laid on the dock and later scooped up with a spatula just to show potential clients what a day of fishing can produce is sometimes priceless. Most fishermen would trade a halyard full of flying fish flags for one good Grouper simply because a Grouper on the fillet table needs no explanation… at least by the crew. It is an ultimate Keeper. There is always a “trying-to-be-helpful” angler standing there behind you to explain the virtue and value of that fish as you take your time cleaning it to perfection and putting it ever so gently in a plastic Winn-Dixie tomato bag for the trek to one of the many “cook your catch” restaurants that line the boardwalks of coastal America. The Keeper is what drives the continued quest for fishing the next day and the next… The “released” fish (the non-Keeper) can only be talked about ad nauseum unless someone in the crew was sharp enough to have gotten a picture of the “released” fish before it was, well, released. We just didn’t need cameras in the past since we brought pretty much everything back to the dock for that “money” shot where the entire day’s catch was hung up on fish racks and shown off in order to book the next day’s charter. Once the charter was booked, we removed the Keepers and proceeded to process them and as far as the non-keepers, well we just did away with them. Either in the dumpster or back to the ocean from whence they came. After all, they weren’t Keepers!
Nowadays, things have really changed. I am not sure if it is because I am getting older so that things seem to change at light speed, or if things are changing at light speed and no one seems to be able to moderate the changes. We have our meetings and I try to attend them even though they are held during the hours most people are working and cannot attend. The powers-that-be seem intent on listening to our plight and shake their heads accordingly; I always feel that when I leave the courthouse or the Holiday Inn that there was some sort of progress made and that they certainly understood that taking our Keepers away will pretty much kill our business, but then I find in a very few months that that is exactly what they did.

By Capt. Craig Eubank

So, I’m sitting on my couch watching the X-Games wondering if I’m too old to start a new career, when the phone rings.  I’m expecting a call from a client that hopefully has decided just exactly what day he wants to fish this April and  has credit card in hand just itching to give me a deposit for the fishing trip of a lifetime. Well, that wasn’t the case with this call, but it certainly did stir some old memories. “I hear you are the one to talk to if I need some ideas of how to go visit Cuba,” said the friendly voice on the other end of the line.
Now in the past, I would have been immediately suspicious of such phone calls, thinking it could be the U.S. State Department, U.S. Department of Foreign Affairs and Currency, the U.S. Immigration Service, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Customs Authority, Homeland Security or even Mr. Cason from the U.S. Citizens’ Interest Section Office in downtown Habana. All of which have called me at various times in the past almost twenty years, to try and “set me up.” Now, I figure that whatever statute of limitations might have existed in the past has been reached and, truthfully, I assume this administration really doesn’t care about my past activities: my “Cuba runs.” I never broke the law… exactly. Besides, Mom, everybody else was doing it!
Apparently, this caller has a boat that he left in Cancun the past year, is now bringing it home and would like to stop by Cuba on his way. “Easy,” I said taking a big breath, “Leave Cancun and head for Key West. As you reach the Western tip of Cuba (Cabo San Antonio), follow the coast staying offshore of the island as to avoid the very shallow reef system that is not at all marked except for the grounded freighters. As you approach Marina Hemingway, about 13 miles before Habana, notice that one of your engines is not performing as it should. Perhaps it is over-heating and you certainly need to seek a full-service marina ASAP to have it checked out. Marina Hemingway can be reached on channel 72 and will be more than helpful in getting you in and checking your engine. They can certainly be reached on channel 16, but why bother everyone within earshot with your engine problems,” I said. “Are you following me so far?”
“Isaura is the Marina Manager, Commodore Escrich is more of a P.R. guy, and Jose is the head dockmaster. Empty your holding tank while you are at sea. Everyone on board your boat will need a current passport, SSN, and D.O.B. You will be instructed (in English no less!) where to dock while you are checked by – the doctor (don’t forget your Quarantine flag and Cuban courtesy flag), the Agriculture Agent (no fruits or veggies, besides, they just get “donated”) Immigration, Customs (Aduana) and lastly, the Dockmaster. Take care of the Dockmaster; he decides if you get to dock next to the pool where the bikinis gather or next to the dumpster. This is not the time to be cheap or a smuggler. Leave your satellite dishes at home. You will also need to check your guns. Be patient, friendly, and don’t get cute. They are patient and friendly, but can be “difficult” if provoked. If you have to sit for three hours while they have someone drive downtown because they forgot the official stamp for the visas, sit and wait.” I paused for a moment just to see if the person on the other end of the line was still there or had hung up before I got to the part about their engine over-heating, and to my surprise, he was still there and listening. “What do I do when I leave?” he asked. “Easy,” I said, “Leave early in the morning and head just east of north for Key West. The Gulf Stream will be in your favor and it will push you slightly to the east and toward home. The U.S. Coast Guard may or may not stop you once you clear the twelve-mile limit, but if they do, they will call you on channel 16. Inform them of your engine problem, which is now fixed and you are headed to Key West where you will immediately contact U.S. Customs and Immigration (I.C.E.). Tell them you had no problems while in Cuba and spent no money. You stayed onboard your boat. You ate your ship’s stores that were already aboard. The repairs were simple and you made them yourself. When you went out, you spent no money. The dockage was free. The fuel you took on was free. After all, it is illegal to spend money in Cuba,” I said. The Cuban Nation is very hospitable.
The caller thanked me and promised to touch base once he docked here Key West just to let me know how things had gone and what I had left out and what I should correct for future travelers. I hung up the phone and started to reminisce about fishing the Hemingway Tournament and the many trips back and forth across the Gulfstream. Some good and, as some of you know, some not so good. Anyway, if you are adventurous, the 61st Annual Hemingway Billfish Tournament is being held this June 6th through the 11th and is an IGFA recognized tournament. Four full days of fishing with one lay day. No money involved, but some really cool hand-carved trophies. And, of course, bragging rights of catching Billfish out front of El Morro Castle just like Hemingway did. Up until 1998, it was a kill tournament. Lots of things have changed since then except for the traveling part. I don’t travel there anymore myself since most of my Cuban family now live in Key West, but I do hope that eventually one of our administrations will stop lying to us and actually do something about the travel restrictions or perhaps even take on our embarrassing embargo.  For now, I get my fill of Habana by watching my 7-year-old play baseball for the Moose lodge!

First, for my regular repeat anglers: don’t panic! I am not going anywhere.  Key West is a small town and rife with gossip.  Here’s what you really need to know.  Now, just stay with me here.   There are many tools used in the charter business.

My tools.  I have a 100-ton, multi-passenger Captains’ License and for that matter, all 13 state and federal fishing licenses that go with that.  I have insurance (just in case). I have a shiny box with Craftsman written on it, full of tools to help me make sure your trip runs smoothly and a tackle box and top of the line rods and reels so that we catch fish… which we always did and still do.    Oh, and a phone that gets answered 99% of the time.  Now, you’re still staying with me, right?  A boat is also just a tool. So…  I recently sold one of my tools. I sold the Mr. Z!  I realized that my  most important tool (and the most valuable tool too) is what is between my ears and in my soul… Experience and heart.
Those tools you just can’t buy.  So, this doesn’t mean that I cannot book the Mr. Z, that I cannot Captain it, or that I cannot take it out with you on board and still catch the shit out of them! In fact, it has opened up a lot of new opportunities for me.

First, I don’t have to spend (what seemed like) half my life in the engine room doing maintenance. I can now devote my time to actually going fishing. That’s what I got into this business for in the first place, some 25 years ago! Also, I now can run other people’s boats and not feel I am neglecting my own boat.  For example:  if you come to Key West and own a 65-foot Hatteras and you need a local guide, now I can go. In the past, I had to turn down that opportunity because I had to spend the time booking the only boat I owned.  Now, I can also put you on a 50 MPH, 34-foot, Venture open fisherman. A friend of mine actually gave me the keys and said, “run your charters on it, the wealthy owner rarely uses it, can’t sell it (in this economy… shocking…) and wants it run regularly just to keep it in shape.” Boats don’t do well just sitting in salt water at the dock. I also have access to a 36-foot Luhrs sportfisherman for the same reason. And it is available to you, same rates, just ask!

Tools. Boats are just tools. At first, I felt like I wasn’t a Captain anymore because I didn’t own a boat.  I felt castrated!   Then, I realized that actually, I have gained several more options. Charters don’t care whether you own the boat, or if it is a Corporate-owned boat that you work for, or if you just borrowed it from a friend. As long as they have a comfortable boat, good fishing and good company, they’re happy. And that’s what I still provide!

Here are some pics of (a few) of the boats that I now have access to for your next charter…