Reviews

Early Bird Puts You On The Fish!!!

My 27 year old son and I chartered the Early Bird with Captain Ross and his mate in December 2012. I have fished in Mexico, the Bahamas, and the states and this charter was one of the best! My son caught is first sail and I also caught one! We had lots of activity and brought in some game fish for dinner, too. Captain Ross really put us on the fish all day and the mate was very knowledgeable and experienced. What a beautiful place to fish on a great boat and perfect location! I definitely recommend the Early Bird for a wonderful fishing adventure.

Suzanne N

Excellent Catch!

Recently, my father, brothers, and my cousins traveled to Islamorada from Richmond, VA, Washington, D.C., and Dallas Texas. While on our vacation we chartered Captain Ross' "Early Bird" for a half day trip. We had an excellent fishing experience with Ross and his first mate Colby. The weather was beautiful, the fish were biting, and Ross knew exactly when, where, and how to pull in the fish. We caught a plethora of Kingfish and enjoyed the day. Captain Ross, and his mate were very friendly. Next time, we will certainly charter Captain Ross' "Early Bird" for a whole day instead of half.

Rbabcock

Early Bird fishing Islamorada

Stuck in Miami last weekend with major snowstorm in North East. Decided to head down to Islamorada for impromptu fishing trip and got lucky to book a charter on the "Early Bird" with Captain Ross Early and his first mate Colby. I told the Captain i was hoping for sailfish and thats all he needed to know... As it turned out there was a sailfish tourney going on that day, and there were 25 boats out fishing for sails. We fished 1/2 day, and bagged 2 sails and 4 small tunas... It was a great Day, and the Captain and the first mate are both excellent. After we landed our second sail, it was time to head back in. i was thrilled and exhausted... As of that point, only one other captain in the tourney had hooked up. We had doubled the total of the entire tourney for the morning fishing...excellent experience!! Can't wait to come back and fish the Early Bird!

Chris S

Fantastic

I can't say enough about the amazing time and experience we had on the Early Bird. Captain Ross and Colby are the best! My family decided we wanted to go deep sea fishing which included my husband two teenage girls and my son. We had the absolute best time and caught a ton of fish. The memories of that day will last a lifetime and we had the absolute best experience fishing in the keys on Early Bird.

Amy W

Families First Ocean Outing

My wife, two girls, and I have all grown up fishing the streams and lakes of PA but had never experienced ocean fishing. We had planned a trip to Islamorada but waited until we were there to plan and book a charter as we wanted to make sure the weather would cooperate. We met Capt. Ross in a local restaurant and he had availability the following afternoon for a 1/2 day trip. I gave Ross a call back a few hrs later and secured our day. So glad we did! Both Ross and his first mate Colby were very professional and respectful. We caught a number of Kingfish, a few Bonita, and a shark. We were all happy to catch fish but were hoping for that sail. Capt Ross made a few great runs and attacked a sail but we just missed it. Not for lack of trying but that's why they call it fishin'! Highly recommended! Thanks for a great afternoon of fun and adventure in beautiful Islamorada!! See you on our next trip!

SusanandDavid

Early BIrd Memorable Fishing Adventure

Fun, exciting and adrenaline pumping describe our family fishing experience on the Early Bird, captained by the warm, friendly, and professional captain Ross Early. We felt comfortable the minute we boarded the boat which was ready and waiting for us. The action began very quickly and the Mate was hustling the entire time. He enlightened us with interesting fishing facts which all of us enjoyed. We were lucky to have caught our bait very quickly - which was interesting to watch. The four of us caught our own fish, which was really great! We were even lucky enough to chase after some big sailfish, which was really exciting!!! After we returned to the dock, the captain quickly cleaned our fish, which we later enjoyed for dinner prepared at a local restaurant, family style, that Captain Ross recommended. It was one of the best and memorable days spent together, along with one of the best meals we ever had! If you want to have fun fishing for all ages, don't miss an adventure on the Early Bird!

Jackie B

Trophy Catch

On our recent vacation to Islamorada, we booked a trip with Capt Early. I have done quite a bit of both fresh and saltwater fishing with various guides over the years. Capt Ross was by far the best guide I have encountered. Both he and his first mate Colby were friendly and helpful. We caught several Kingfish, Yellow Tail Snapper, and Mutton Snapper.

On this particular trip I also had along my wife and two children, aged 8 and 12. Capt Ross and Colby were both great with the kids. Our family had such a wonderful day that we booked a second afternoon on the last day of our trip.

The second day was even better than the first. We caught several Kingfish and I landed a 30 lb, trophy Backfin Tuna after a 40 min fight. This was the trip I had always dreamed of. Thanks so much Capt Ross for two great action-packed days!

Greg S

Our first family fishing adventure

We were in Islamorada for the first time in April (2013) and our hotel, The Moorings VIllage, arranged a 1/2 day deep sea fishing trip with Early Bird. We highly recommend fishing with Ross and William (first mate) who made sure we had a great time and a successful catch which kept us fed for 2 days. Our 11 year old felt completely comfortable and even reeled in his own King Mackerel (with a little help from his father).

We would highly recommend fishing with Early Bird!

Ians

Best offshore fishing experience in Islamorada. "First Class".

Our family has fished offshore from NJ, NC, and frequently from our home port of Charleston, SC. No experience has matched fishing Early Bird with Capt. Ross Early out of Islamorada, FL. Capt. Ross runs a first class charter that's sure to have you catching fish and having a blast!

Hardcharger

The Early Bird catches the fish!

We visited Islamorada in April/May 2013 and set up to go on a trip with the Early Bird and Captain Ross. I fish a lot and I have a lot of fishing experience so I know when a captain knows what he's doing and when he doesn't.

Captain Ross knows what he's doing.

He put us on fish all day long of a variety of species. We caught kingfish, yellowtails, amberjack, tunas, and were hooked up on mahi (dorado) and grouper.

We asked him to do an extended trip for us. He was happy to do it so we were out for 10 hours instead of just 8.

We had a rain squall while we were out. I stepped on deck to see what the rain was doing only to see Captain Ross in the cockpit looking through his binoculars for birds to get us on fish. He could have just waited out the storm but he was working hard to get us into more fish. And, the best of all, he had no idea I was watching him. He was doing it because he works hard and was committed to us having a good day on the water.

He filleted our fish for us and made reservations for us to eat at the best fish restaurant we've ever been to. He made the reservations while we were catching dinner!

If you want a great experience with Captain Ross and William, call the Early Bird. The Early Bird catches the fish.

Thanks to Captain Ross for a great experience. I can't wait to come down and fish the Early Bird again.

T B