STA-SEA’S NATURE COAST ADVENTURES
People ask me all the time how I came to be a captain. Here is my story. I have been around boats and been on the water for the last 15 years. I was always sun bathing on the bow of the boat or trying keep the children entertained. I never really had an interest in fishing or being a guide because it seemed to be a man’s sport. A few years ago, my then 11-year old daughter said to me that she wished we had a boat, but only men drive boats. That comment lit a fire in my soul! Two weeks later I bought a 16-foot aluminum boat. I went down to the boat ramp by myself and learned how to back the trailer. There was no one around and I spent 3 hours going back and forth back and forth. I jack-knifed it a couple times; one time the boat was actually next to my vehicle while still attached, but I figured it out. I stayed up all night learning the rules of the water. I looked online to find out exactly what I needed for safety on my boat, and I went to my local big box store and got everything I needed from life jackets to a fire extinguisher. The next day I took my daughter out on the boat for the first time. We went to the local bait store and asked them what we should use to catch bass. I bought two rod and reel combos, and some soft baits the store owner recommended. He even showed me how to rig it. So off we went. I was scared to death but I just went slow and easy. I found a grassy area right in the middle of the lake, and I thought maybe there would be fish there. We casted a few times and each cast was a nightmare of a backlash; our reels looked like rat’s nests. It took about two hours, but we finally got the hang of casting. We stayed out there all day and got no bites. We decided to head in and I found another spot that looked good. It was the middle of the summer and this was a nice little shady spot. I was right. I casted, and felt this amazing fight at the end of that line like nothing I had ever felt before. I reeled like my life depended on it, praying I would land that fish. I reeled it all the way in and my daughter grabbed the net and picked up that big 9.11-pound bass. If I would have had the money, I would have had it mounted! We were both screaming our heads off and making such a scene that if there had been any more fish there, they there weren’t after that. We were hooked. That was just the beginning. We went out of Crystal River to the Gulf of Mexico. Again, we stopped at the local bait store and started asking questions. It is awesome to me how helpful everybody has been in this endeavor. They told me to buy shrimp and soft plastics. I looked on YouTube and found Jeff Maggio, also known as Lunkerdog. He has videos on rigging, tying knots, what to look for to find the fish, etc. I watched every one of his videos! I caught my first redfish and the fever hit again. Since that day, my daughter and I have caught more bass, snook, redfish and trout than I can even count! The guides in this area are phenomenal. If they see you are grinding day in and day out, they will have your back out there. They want to see women succeed. My goal is to empower women, to see as many women running boats as there are men. Come on ladies. You can do it. I’m living proof!
Charter Fishing with Captain Stacy
352-553-3604
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