FishHawk Charters is the reef and red snapper specialist among the St Petersburg deep sea boats, a 35 foot Contender that carries a federal reef permit and is built around the long offshore trips that target the federally managed fish. FishHawk Charters runs full day and longer trips out to the Gulf ledges for red snapper, gag and red grouper, and amberjack, with captains Brian and Steve who reviewers credit with knowing where the fish hold. It ranks in the middle of the port on a strong boat and a focused offshore program, with a high price and a thinner public review base the honest marks against it.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.5 FishHawk is a strong choice and the third ranked boat in St Petersburg, the pick when the target is a serious reef haul of snapper and grouper rather than a short nearshore trip. The reef permit and the long trip focus are real strengths: this is a boat set up to limit out on red snapper in the open season and to reach the better grouper ground. The trades are price and proof. It is the most expensive boat in the port per trip, and its public review trail, while strongly positive, is modest in volume, so the record rests on fewer voices than the leaders. Book it for a dedicated full day reef trip. For a shorter or cheaper day, the St Petersburg ranking points you elsewhere.
The boat
The FishHawk is a 35 foot Contender ProSport center console with triple 300 horsepower Yamaha outboards, licensed for up to 6 anglers. It has a reputation in the local fleet as one of the smoothest and driest rides, which matters on the long runs to the offshore ledges, and it is rigged with the heavy bottom gear those trips need. As an open boat it has no cabin, so the comfort is in the ride rather than shelter; dress for the weather on a full day out. For the deep reef work it is built around, it is a well matched, well kept platform.
The fishing and what you target
FishHawk is an offshore reef boat first. The trips run long, 8 to 12 hours, out to the Gulf ledges and hard bottom for red snapper, gag and red grouper, amberjack, and mangrove snapper, with tuna on the longest expedition runs. The reef permit is the point: it lets the boat target and keep red snapper in the limited federal season and the other federally managed reef fish, which a boat without the permit cannot. Red grouper is the year round bottom fish, gag is tightly limited in 2026, and red snapper is the summer headliner. Confirm the open seasons with Florida FWC and NOAA before you book, since the reef windows move.
Trips and prices
FishHawk sells by the whole boat for up to 6 anglers, private only, and posts its rates by trip type: $2,250 for an 8 hour snapper and grouper trip, $2,799 for a full day on red snapper or gag, $2,999 for a 10 hour offshore trip, and $3,499 to $3,599 for the longest expedition trips. That makes it the priciest boat in the port, which is the trade for the reef permit, the long range, and the gear. Top quality rods and reels, bait, lures, and the license are included, and the crew cleans, debones, and bags the catch. Our cost guide sets a long reef charter like this against a shared head boat seat so you can see what the higher price buys.
The crew
Captains Brian and Steve run the trips, and the sentiment, while modest in volume, is strongly positive on the same points: knowledgeable captains who put people on fish, a clean and capable boat, and hard work to fill the box. The honest limit is the size of the public record. The TripAdvisor trail runs to under two dozen reviews, with the bulk glowing and a lone sharply negative one, so the quality reads high but the base is thinner than the top boats, which is why track record sits a step below the boat itself.
Booking and what to know
Book through the operator’s site or its FishingBooker listing. The boat leaves from St Petersburg; confirm the exact dock when you book. These are long days on an open boat, so bring food and plenty of water, dress for sun and weather, and take motion sickness medication if you are unsure of your stomach. No license is needed, since the boat covers it, and the crew cleans and bags your catch at the dock.
How we scored it
FishHawk scores 7.5: a smooth, well rigged reef boat with a federal permit and a focused offshore program, marked down on track record for a thin public review base and weighed on value as the priciest boat in the port, though the pricing itself is clear. Boat and equipment is its strongest factor. See how we scored this boat, and compare it against the rest of the St Petersburg fleet.