Rod Bender Fishing Charters pairs a deep, well earned review record with a fast, new center console, which makes it one of the safer bookings among St Augustine’s offshore six packs. Captain Anthony Menichino runs the boat himself, a 26 foot Cobia rigged for offshore fishing, and the record runs to more than 200 reviews at a near faultless rating. The trip menu is wide, from an inshore half day to an 11 hour offshore run, so the boat covers a lot of ground for a small group with a named captain.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.7 Rod Bender is a strong choice and ranks fourth in St Augustine, the best of the mid sized offshore six packs. It sits behind the larger boats and deeper programs of Knot Tied Down, MisStress Sportfishing, and Endless Summer, and ahead of Game On among the six packs. The honest limits are size and price structure. At 26 feet it is range limited next to the bigger boats, and because the rate is posted for three anglers, a full group of six pays a string of per angler add ons that push the real cost up. For a cheap walk on seat, the Sea Love party boat is far less per person. The full field is on the St Augustine ranking.
The boat
The Rod Bender is a 26 foot Cobia center console, a 2023 boat running twin 150 horsepower Yamaha outboards with a top cruising speed near 50 knots, rigged with radar, sonar, and outriggers. It is a modern, fast, well equipped offshore boat for its size, and the twin engines give it more range and margin than a single engine boat. It is still a 26 foot center console, an open boat that handles the near and mid offshore ground well but is tighter and wetter than a larger sportfisher on the longest, roughest runs. For a small group that wants a new boat and a named captain, it is well chosen.
The fishing and what you target
Rod Bender fishes both the inshore and the offshore side, with the offshore trips the heart of the deep sea booking. On the near and mid offshore ground, often out to 60 to 80 feet and deeper on the long trips, the targets are snapper, grouper, amberjack, kingfish, cobia, wahoo, mahi mahi, and some tuna, with a dedicated kingfish and cobia trolling trip in season. Black sea bass and the bottom fish carry the closer ground much of the year. Atlantic red snapper are abundant off St Augustine but the federal season is very short and was closed by a court order for 2026, so confirm the status with NOAA Fisheries, and shallow water grouper, including gag and red, are closed January 1 to April 30 each year.
Trips and prices
The menu is wide, all whole boat for up to 3 anglers with each additional angler extra: an inshore half day is $595, a 6 hour offshore trip $995, a full day offshore $1,395, and an 11 hour extended offshore run $1,595, with inshore three quarter day and trolling options in between. Rods, reels, bait, tackle, and the license are included and the captain fillets your catch, with a customary tip extra. The base rates are fair, but the per angler add on means a full group of six costs meaningfully more than the posted figure, so work out your group’s total before you book. Our cost guide sets the tiers side by side.
The crew
Captain Anthony runs every trip himself, and the sentiment across more than 200 reviews is steady and warm: reviewers describe a knowledgeable, patient captain who is good with families and younger anglers and works to put the whole group on fish. The record is deep and positive, which together with the new boat is the core of the score. As a single owner captain the experience is consistent trip to trip, the same person who answers the phone running your charter.
Booking and what to know
Book direct or through FishingBooker, and be specific about whether you want an inshore or an offshore trip, since the menu spans both. Confirm the trip length, the target, and the per angler rate for your group size with Captain Anthony so the plan and the price line up. The boat departs St Augustine from 3070 Harbor Drive. Bring food, drinks, sunscreen, and a cooler with ice; the boat covers the rods, tackle, bait, and license.
How we scored it
Rod Bender scores 7.7: a deeply reviewed, owner run offshore six pack on a fast new boat with a wide trip menu, held below the larger boats by its size and a per angler price structure that adds up for a full group. Captain and crew and track record are its strongest factors. See how we scored this boat and the St Augustine ranking for the field.