The Saltwater Hook Up is an established South Tampa charter run by Captain Rich Andretta, who has fished the Tampa Bay area for more than 20 years and has run the business since 2008. The reputation is built on trophy inshore and tarpon fishing, and the same boat also runs offshore to the nearshore Gulf reefs for grouper and snapper. For a Tampa angler who wants a capable, well regarded local captain and does not need a long run to the far grounds, it is a worthwhile booking.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.2 The Saltwater Hook Up is a strong choice, second in the Tampa deep sea ranking, and an honest one to place in context. The captain is the strength: a seasoned tournament angler with a steady, positive review record. The reason it sits below Captain Matt Santiago on a deep sea page is that offshore is the secondary part of an inshore and tarpon focused operation, run on a 25 foot bay boat rather than a dedicated offshore boat, and the rates are not posted. Book it for the inshore trips and the nearshore reefs it is built around; for a full offshore day on a bigger boat, Captain Matt is the pick in Tampa, and for a wider offshore fleet you run from the beaches. The full field is on the Tampa ranking.
The boat
The boat is a custom Avenger 25, a bay boat designed to work the shallow inshore waters and still handle some offshore. That dual purpose is its strength inshore and its limit offshore: a 25 foot bay boat is at home on the flats and the close reefs, but it is small for the long runs and the bigger seas a true deep sea day can bring, so the offshore here means the nearshore Gulf rather than the far grounds. For a small group fishing the reefs on a settled day it is a comfortable, capable platform. Anyone set on a long offshore run in any conditions is better off on a larger boat.
The fishing and what you target
Offshore, Captain Rich works the nearshore Gulf reefs for grouper, mangrove snapper, amberjack, king mackerel, and cobia. The deeper identity of the operation, though, is inshore and tarpon: snook, redfish, trout, and cobia on the flats, and the silver king tarpon at Boca Grande, where much of the review praise sits. On a deep sea booking, set expectations toward a reef day close to home rather than a run to the deep ledges. As everywhere on this coast in 2026, gag grouper is closed for most of the year and red grouper carries the reefs, with red snapper open in the summer window.
Trips and prices
This is the boat’s weak point on a value read. The Saltwater Hook Up does not post its rates; it quotes by phone, so there is no published price to check against the field, which is what pulls the transparency score down. As a guide, private Tampa offshore trips run roughly $900 for a half day up to $2,000 or more for a full day, but you should pin down the exact number, what is included, and the deposit and weather policy when you call. Our cost guide gives you the benchmarks to weigh the quote against, and the party boat versus private charter guide explains the private only model a bay city like Tampa runs on.
The crew
Captain Rich Andretta is the draw. He is a tournament angler with more than 20 years on the Tampa Bay area waters, and reviewers describe a knowledgeable, patient guide who teaches the inshore and tarpon game well and puts repeat clients on fish trip after trip. The honest qualifier for this page is where that sentiment sits: the review weight is inshore and tarpon, so the offshore specific track record is thinner than the inshore one. As an owner run charter, the captain you book is the one who runs your trip.
Booking and what to know
Book direct by phone or text, since that is also how you get a price, and be clear about whether you want inshore, tarpon, or an offshore reef trip so the day is set up right. Confirm the rate, what is included, and the deposit and weather policy up front. Bring food, drinks, sunscreen, and a cooler; as a licensed charter the boat covers the license and the gear.
How we scored it
The Saltwater Hook Up scores 7.2: a well regarded, established Tampa captain with a steady record, placed second on a deep sea page because the offshore is a secondary offering on a small bay boat and the rates are not posted. Captain and crew is its strongest factor; boat, trips, and value are where a deep sea read marks it down. See how we scored this boat for the rubric and weighting, and the Tampa ranking for where it lands.