Tuna Town Fishing runs the newest, best-equipped boats we rank in Venice, and it earns a strong third on the strength of them, a 2022 42 foot Razorcat and two 39 foot Contenders under owner Captain Josh Bodenheimer. Where the boat and the gear are concerned, nothing in the port is more current: the Razorcat is a wide, fast catamaran built for comfort on a rough offshore day, and the operation posts its prices plainly and includes fish cleaning, a mate, and tackle. It comes in behind the two veterans on track record rather than on the water, and it charges fuel on top of the rate.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.9 Tuna Town Fishing is a strong choice and the third ranked operation in Venice. The reason to book it is the boat: a 2022 42 foot Razorcat with a 12 foot beam and an oversized hardtop is about as comfortable as a Venice tuna run gets, and the two Contenders give the operation depth. Bodenheimer owns and runs it with a roster of experienced captains, the Google record is strongly positive, and the pricing is posted rather than quoted on request, which several pricier boats will not do. It sits behind MGFC and Paradise Outfitters on track record, since its public review history is shorter than their 20 year runs, and fuel is charged separately. Book it for a modern, comfortable offshore tuna day. For a fuel-included rate, Paradise is the alternative.
The boats
The flagship is a 2022 42 foot Razorcat catamaran, powered by quad 350 horsepower Suzuki engines, with Garmin electronics, a 12 foot beam, dual row seating, and an oversized hardtop. The beam and the hardtop are the point: a wide catamaran rides flatter and drier than a monohull on the run to the floaters, and the shade and seating make a 12 hour day easier. Behind it the operation runs two 39 foot Contender center consoles, each with Garmin electronics and an onboard head, faster and more open boats that suit a calm day or a snapper run. Each boat carries up to 6 anglers, the six pack limit. This is the most current fleet we rank in the port, and it is the clearest reason the boat scores where it does.
The fishing and what you target
Yellowfin tuna is the specialty, and the operation is honest about the calendar: the best tuna fishing runs February through November on the rigs and the floaters, with blackfin tuna alongside year round. Around the tuna, the boats fish swordfish on the deep drop, blue marlin and mahi mahi in summer, wahoo in the cooler months, and amberjack and red snapper on the rigs in season. There are also coastal snapper trips and inshore runs for redfish and trout, so a group that wants a mixed itinerary can get it. The boat carries the HMS permit that covers everyone aboard for tuna, and the yellowfin limit is 3 per person at a 27 inch minimum.
Trips and prices
Tuna Town sells the whole boat for up to 6 anglers, private only, and posts its rates, which is worth crediting on a port where several boats do not. The offshore tuna trip, 10 to 12 hours, is $2,400 for the boat plus fuel; the coastal snapper trip is $1,600 plus fuel; and the inshore trip is $1,200. Fuel is the variable, and the operation is upfront that it averages 200 to 300 gallons a day on the offshore run, so you can estimate the real total rather than be surprised by it. A $400 deposit reserves the date, and ice, bait, rods, reels, tackle, a mate, and professional fish cleaning are included. The transparency on both the rate and the fuel estimate is a genuine strength. Our cost guide sets these whole boat numbers in context.
The crew
Josh Bodenheimer owns and runs the operation with 15 years offshore, and the roster, Chad Pique, Brandon Macedo, and Zach Edwards among them, fishes the boats day in and out. The reviews credit hard working captains and mates, a clean operation, and good results, and the recurring note is that the crew is serious about putting people on fish without losing the run of a first timer. The honest qualifier is the one that follows a newer operation: the public record, while strongly positive, is shorter and thinner than the decades long trails behind the two boats above it, so there is simply less history to read. With a known owner on the boats, though, the accountability is clear.
Booking and what to know
Book through the operator, which takes a $400 deposit to hold the date. The boats leave from Venice, in the Cypress Cove area about two hours south of New Orleans, and the offshore tuna trip is a full 10 to 12 hour day, so arrive early and pack food, drinks, foul weather gear, and motion sickness medication if you need it. The crew cleans and bags your catch. The boat carries the HMS permit for tuna, so you do not buy your own, and a Louisiana saltwater license with the offshore permit covers the bottom fish. For the choice between a fuel-extra and a fuel-included boat, weigh it against Paradise Outfitters.
How we scored it
Tuna Town Fishing scores 7.9, the third ranked operation in Venice. Boat and equipment is its strongest factor, carried by the newest fleet in the port and a flagship catamaran built for comfort, with captain and crew and service close behind. It is held below the two veterans by track record, since its public review history is shorter than their 20 year runs, and on value by fuel charged on top, though its posted prices and honest fuel estimate are a real offsetting strength. See how we scored this boat for the full rubric, and compare it against the rest of our Venice rankings.