Blind Date Charters is the strongest deep sea fishing operation in Fort Myers, an owner-run business that carries the highest customer ratings in the port across a deep run of trips. Captain Tom Katz has fished the Gulf off southwest Florida his whole life and runs two boats, a fast 32 foot center console for half and full days and a 40 foot Twin Vee catamaran for the long offshore and deep-drop runs. The prices are posted, the gear is included, and the reviews are about as clean as they come. It takes the top spot on the quality of the fishing and the breadth of what it offers.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 8.0 Blind Date is a strong choice and the first ranked boat in Fort Myers, the pick for an angler who wants a serious offshore day with a captain who finds fish. It edges Charters N Paradise and Offshore Hunter on the strength of its ratings and its two-boat range, which lets it run anything from a 4 hour half day to a 12 hour deep-drop trip. The honest limit is review volume: its record is excellent but moderate in size, not the deepest in the port. Book it for a full day on the reefs and wrecks, or a deep-drop run if you want the long haul. Compare the field on the Fort Myers ranking.
The boat
Blind Date runs two boats, which is what gives it the widest range in the port. The everyday boat is a 32 foot center console with twin 300 horsepower outboards, room for up to 6 anglers, and the speed to reach the offshore ground quickly. For the longest trips there is a 40 foot Twin Vee power catamaran, a steadier, drier ride on the 10 to 12 hour runs out to the deep wrecks and the deep-drop ground. Neither is a cabin sportfisher, so a long day is an open-boat day, but the catamaran hull handles the Gulf chop better than a monohull center console on the way out.
The fishing and what you target
The fishing off Fort Myers is a Gulf bottom story, and Blind Date fishes it across the depths. Closer in, the reefs hold red grouper year round and a mix of mangrove and other snapper. Out on the wrecks come amberjack when the season allows, big sharks, and catch-and-release goliath grouper, the giant that southwest Florida is known for. The summer prize on the longer runs is red snapper, open on the federal for-hire season. Because the Gulf is shallow here, the productive ground is a long way out, so the 8 hour and longer trips reach the better fishing than a short half day does.
Trips and prices
Blind Date posts its rates, which counts in its favor. The 32 foot boat starts around $1,300 for the boat for a half day and is priced up through a 9 hour offshore day, for up to 6 anglers. The longest 10 to 12 hour deep-drop runs on the 40 foot catamaran cost more, so confirm the rate for your trip. All fishing gear, the license, bait, and tackle are included, and the captain cleans and fillets your catch for free at the dock. Our cost guide puts those private boat numbers in context, since a private Gulf charter only works out per person when you fill the deck with your own group.
The crew
Captain Tom runs the boat himself, and the reviews are the reason the operation sits at the top of the port. Across more than 80 FishingBooker reviews it holds a near-perfect rating, with anglers consistently crediting clear communication before the trip, a captain who puts them on fish right away, and a comfortable boat with room to move. There is no recurring complaint of substance in the reviews we read. The fair caveat is depth rather than quality: the record is strong but not as large as the busiest boats in the port, so it rests on a good sample rather than a huge one.
Booking and what to know
Book direct or through the FishingBooker and Captain Experiences listings. Bring your own food and drinks and a cooler for your fillets, since these are open boats with no galley. The license is covered, and the captain cleans your catch. Pick the trip length to the fishing you want: a half day stays closer in for grouper and snapper, while the long offshore and deep-drop runs are what reach the wrecks and the deep ground.
How we scored it
Blind Date scores 8.0: the best captain-and-crew record in Fort Myers, two boats that cover the full range of offshore trips, and posted prices, marked only on a review volume that is solid rather than deep. Captain and crew is its strongest factor. See how we scored this boat and compare it with the rest of the Fort Myers field.