Fishing Headquarters is the big drift-boat operation in Fort Lauderdale, the cheapest and most available way to fish offshore out of the city. Run by the Roydhouse family out of 301 Seabreeze Boulevard, it fishes its own fleet, an 85 foot party drift boat called the Catch My Drift, a 55 foot drift boat, and a set of private sportfishers, rather than booking other captains’ boats. A walk-on drift seat costs a fraction of a private charter, and the review volume across the platforms is huge. It earns a ranked spot on that access and value, with a record that comes with real caveats.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 6.5 Fishing Headquarters is a mixed pick, the eighth ranked boat in Fort Lauderdale and the only drift-boat operation on this page. Book it with caveats. It is the right call for a first deep sea trip, a tight budget, or a family that wants a few hours of reef fishing without booking a private boat. It is the wrong call if you want room to fish, consistent crew attention, or a guaranteed catch. The private sportfishers above it, led by Marlin My Darlin, cost far more but fish harder for your group. Compare the field on the Fort Lauderdale ranking.
The boats
Fishing Headquarters runs its own fleet rather than acting as an agency. The drift boats are the 85 foot Catch My Drift, an air conditioned party boat that the operator calls Fort Lauderdale’s largest drift boat, and the 55 foot Mary B III. Both are shared walk-on boats. The private side includes the 46 foot Big Game sportfisher and other six-pack boats. The honest weakness is the one that comes with a large party boat: on a full trip the rail is crowded and lines tangle, which is the most common complaint. The operator’s own pages also disagree with each other on boat names, lengths, and capacities, which makes the fleet hard to pin down.
The fishing and what you target
The drift boats fish the reefs and ledges off Fort Lauderdale in 60 to 120 feet, drifting for yellowtail, mangrove, and mutton snapper, grouper, porgies, and jacks, with kingfish, cobia, and the occasional mahi or sailfish up top. Three trips run daily, plus a Saturday night trip. The private sportfishers run offshore for the full Gulf Stream spread. As on any shared boat, the catch depends on the day and the crowd: a good drift can fill a cooler, while a slow day with a full rail thins the box.
Trips and prices
This is where it gets murky, and it holds the value score down. Most 2026 listings, including independent ones, show the standard 4 hour drift trip at $40 for adults and $30 for children, with the Saturday night trip a little higher, sold per person with rods, bait, tackle, and the license included. The operator’s own pages are inconsistent, with one showing $70, so confirm the rate when you book. Private sportfishing charters run from $875 up to $2,750 for the boat. Our cost guide and the party boat versus private charter guide show how wide the gap is between a $40 drift seat and a private offshore boat.
The crew
The Roydhouse family has run the operation for decades, and Coastal Angler Magazine credits founder Captain Paul Roydhouse with building it into one of the largest charter companies in South Florida, now run with his sons Andy and Rod. On the drift boats the captains and mates rotate, and the reviews split: many credit a friendly, helpful crew and a clean air conditioned boat, while a recurring strand reports crowding and slow days with few keepers. One thing to weigh honestly: the Better Business Bureau lists the company with an F rating, citing a failure to have a required competency license. We could not independently corroborate the detail, and it may be an administrative dispute rather than a safety issue, but on a large passenger operation it is worth knowing before you book.
Booking and what to know
Book online through the operator’s booking system or by phone, and buy ahead on a weekend, since trips sell out. Confirm the current drift price, given the conflicting pages. Bring food, drinks, a hat, sunscreen, a cooler, and motion sickness medication if you are unsure of your stomach. The license is covered and the crew helps with the catch. Go in expecting a sociable, crowded reef trip rather than a quiet private day, and the low fare makes sense.
How we scored it
Fishing Headquarters scores 6.5: broad, cheap, available access to offshore reef fishing on its own large fleet, marked down on captain and crew, boat, value, and track record for party-boat crowding, inconsistent posted information, and an unresolved licensing flag. Trips and access is its strength; the shared-boat experience and the murky details are where it falls short. See how we scored this boat and compare it with the rest of the Fort Lauderdale field.