Taco’s Hooked Up is one of the most experienced deep sea fishing operations in Fort Lauderdale, run by a captain who has fished these waters since 1969. The boat is the Hooked Up, a classic 41 foot Hatteras sportfisher out of the Hilton Marina on 17th Street, and it fishes the Gulf Stream spread plus dedicated swordfish trips. The record across more than 170 FishingBooker reviews is strong and steady. It ranks in the upper half of a deep field, with the age of the boat the main thing keeping it from climbing higher.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.6 Taco’s Hooked Up is a strong choice and the third ranked boat in Fort Lauderdale, the pick for an angler who values a veteran captain’s local knowledge above the newest boat. It sits just behind SoFlo Sportfishing and ahead of Good Hit. Book it for a sailfish or mahi day, or a swordfish run on a captain who has worked this stretch of the Gulf Stream for over fifty years. The honest limit is the boat, an older hull that has been restored but is not a new sportfisher. Compare the field on the Fort Lauderdale ranking.
The boat
The Hooked Up is a 41 foot Hatteras sportfisher, a classic convertible with a flybridge, a cabin, and the layout for serious offshore work, carrying up to 6 anglers. The honest mark against it is age: the hull dates to the 1960s and was restored in 2013, so it is a well-kept older boat rather than a modern one. That shows in the boat-and-equipment score. It is still a capable, comfortable offshore platform, and the size gives a steadier ride than a center console on a long swordfish run.
The fishing and what you target
Captain Taco fishes the Gulf Stream that runs close to Fort Lauderdale, trolling and live baiting for sailfish in the cooler months, mahi mahi in the warmer ones, and wahoo, blackfin tuna, kingfish, and the occasional marlin through the year. The specialty is swordfish, run both as a daytime deep-drop trip and at night out in the Gulf Stream, with a federal permit, a 47 inch minimum, and a one fish per person limit. The boat also bottom fishes for grouper, mutton snapper, and amberjack, and targets a range of sharks.
Trips and prices
The whole-boat rates on FishingBooker are $900 for a 4 hour half day, $1,125 for 5 hours, $1,350 for a 6 hour three quarter day, and $1,700 for a full day, for up to 6 anglers, with a 10 hour daytime or night swordfish trip at $2,200. Tackle, the license, and cleaning are included, and free cancellation runs up to 3 days out. The pricing is clear and in line with the Bahia Mar boats. Our cost guide puts those numbers against a shared seat.
The crew
Captain Taco’s tenure is the heart of the operation. Fishing these waters since 1969 is among the longest records in the port, and reviewers credit that local knowledge with putting them on fish and reading the conditions. The FishingBooker record, 4.8 across more than 170 reviews, is deep and steady, with the praise centered on the captain. Nothing recurring counts against the crew in the reviews we read. The experience is what carries the captain-and-crew and track-record scores.
Booking and what to know
Book through FishingBooker or direct, with free cancellation up to 3 days out. Bring food and drinks and a cooler for your fillets. No license is needed, since it is covered, and the crew cleans your catch. For the swordfish trips, confirm whether you want the daytime deep-drop or the night trip when you book, since they fish different ground.
How we scored it
Taco’s Hooked Up scores 7.6: a veteran captain with one of the longest records in the port, a deep review base, and a full swordfish menu, marked down on boat and equipment for an older restored hull. Captain and crew and track record are its strengths. See how we scored this boat and compare it with the rest of the Fort Lauderdale field.