The Bent Rod is the deep sea charter to book in Grand Isle when you want the longest track record on the island. It has run offshore out of Bridge Side Marina since 2006, first under founder Captain Kenny and now under Captain Trey Wanko, and it carries the deepest review record in the port. The fleet is built for the run to the rigs: a 32 foot Twin Vee offshore catamaran for day trips, a 37 foot Freeman catamaran for the full day and overnight tuna runs, and a 22 foot bay boat for inshore. It fishes the rigs for snapper and the deep water for tuna, which is the full Grand Isle offshore range.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.8 this Bridge Side operation tops the Grand Isle ranking and is a strong choice, the pick when you want a proven operation that can fish both the bottom and the bluewater. It suits a group after red snapper and amberjack on the rigs or a serious crew willing to make the long run for tuna. The two honest caveats are the recent change of captain, from the founder Kenny to Trey, which resets some of that long track record, and the pricing, where an Elite rate adds the fuel cost on at the end rather than quoting it up front. For the deepest review volume on the island the Southern Angler fleet is the call, and for a sharp single boat with a shared option the Animus center console is the value pick. Compare them on the Grand Isle ranking.
The boat
This operation fishes catamarans, which is the right hull for this coast. The day boat is a 32 foot Twin Vee offshore center console catamaran on twin 300 horsepower Suzuki outboards, a stable platform that rides the chop on the run out to the rigs better than a deep V of the same size. For the long full day and overnight tuna trips there is a 37 foot Freeman catamaran, a serious offshore boat with the range for the deep water. Inshore is handled by a 22 foot Frontier bay boat for up to 4. The 32 foot hull is a 2008 build, so it is not new, but a well kept cat ages well and the reviews do not flag the boat as a weak point.
The fishing and what you target
This is a rig and reef operation that reaches for the tuna when the trip is long enough. Closer in, the boats fish the rigs and wrecks for red snapper, greater amberjack, cobia, and scamp grouper, the bottom species that fill a Grand Isle box. On the full day and overnight runs the target shifts to yellowfin tuna, blackfin, and mahi mahi out at the deep floating rigs, which sit a long way off Grand Isle. Red snapper is a summer staple, amberjack opens only in a short fall federal window, and the biggest yellowfin run in the cooler months. The catamarans and the overnight option are what let this operation reach the deep tuna that a smaller day boat cannot.
Trips and prices
The operation posts its rates through its Guidesly listing: a 4 hour offshore trip at $1,800 and an 8 hour offshore trip at $2,600 for the whole boat, up to 6 anglers, plus an inshore 4 hour trip at $1,000 for up to 4. Rods, reels, tackle, live and dead bait, ice, and fish cleaning and bagging are included, along with a deckhand. The one transparency wrinkle is the Elite 8 hour option at $2,400, which adds the fuel cost on at the end rather than quoting a flat price, so confirm the total before you book. On a licensed Louisiana charter the captain’s license covers the paying anglers, so you do not buy your own. Our cost guide sets these rates in context, and the walk on versus private charter guide covers the private format, which is the only one here.
The crew
Captain Trey Wanko runs the boat now, having taken over the operation that Captain Kenny founded in 2006. The reviews describe Trey as knowledgeable and consultative, the kind of captain who walks you through the trade offs of targeting one species over another before the trip, and the legacy reviews credit the original crew with a distinctive way of putting customers on the tuna. The captain change is the one thing to weigh: the 49 reviews behind the operation span both captains, and the most recent sit under Trey through early 2026, so the current record is real but younger than the 2006 founding date alone suggests.
Booking and what to know
Book through the operator’s site or its Guidesly listing, well ahead for the summer snapper weeks and the prime tuna months. Bring food, drink, sunscreen, and a cooler; the gear, bait, ice, and cleaning are covered, and on a licensed Louisiana charter your license is too. For the deep tuna, book the full day or the overnight, since the floating rigs are a long run from Grand Isle.
How we scored it
The Bent Rod earns its 7.8 on the longest tenure and the deepest review record in Grand Isle, a pair of capable offshore catamarans, and the range to fish both the rigs and the deep tuna, held below a higher grade by the recent captain change and a fuel charge tacked onto the elite rate. Captain and crew and track record are its strongest factors. See how we scored this boat and the Grand Isle rankings for the field, including Southern Angler and Animus Charters.