MEET CAPTAIN CRAIG
Come Fishing With Me
I'm Captain Craig West, and the name Go Fishing with Craig is pretty simple.
When you book a trip, you're coming fishing with me.
I run personalized inshore fishing trips on the Upper Laguna Madre around North Padre Island. Whether you're here to chase fish, learn something new, bring the kids out, or just enjoy a day on the water, I want you to feel comfortable from the time we leave the dock until we come back.
Come ready to fish, enjoy the water, have some laughs and make a few memories along the way.
A LIFETIME AROUND
THE WATER
Fishing and Boating Have Been Part of My Story Since I Was a Kid
Fishing and boating didn’t start for me when I decided to become a guide. I’ve been fishing since I was a kid, and over the years I’ve spent a lot of time on the water fishing, boating, learning and simply enjoying being outdoors.
I’m also a U.S. Navy veteran, and that experience helped shape how I approach responsibility, preparation and taking care of the people depending on me.
Before starting Go Fishing with Craig, I owned and operated a boat rental and charter business. That gave me another perspective on what people really want when they spend their time and money to get out on the water.
For me, it’s never been just about the boat or how many fish somebody catches. It’s about making people feel welcome, giving them a day they can enjoy at their own pace, and hopefully sending them home with a few stories they’ll still be telling later.
Fishing and boating have given me a lifetime of memories. Now I get to help other people make some of their own.
NO COOKIE-CUTTER FISHING TRIPS
Because a Great Day on the Water Means Something Different to Everybody
Some people step on the boat ready to fish hard from the first cast to the last. Others are trying saltwater fishing for the first time. You may be bringing the kids, looking to learn a few things, or just wanting to catch some fish, relax and enjoy being on the water.
That’s why I don’t believe every charter should look exactly the same.
If you’re experienced, grab a rod and let’s get after them. If you’re new to fishing, I’ll help with everything from casting and working a lure to baiting a hook and landing your first fish. And if your crew wants a more relaxed pace, that’s perfectly fine too.
I only book one charter a day, which gives us room to focus on your crew instead of worrying about getting back to the dock so I can load up the next group.
We’ll fish the conditions we’re given, adjust when we need to, and do our best to make your day on the Upper Laguna Madre one you’ll be talking about long after we get back to the dock.
KNOWING THE WATER MATTERS
Conditions Change. We Adjust
The Upper Laguna Madre is constantly changing. Wind, tides, water levels and weather can make one area look completely different from one day to the next. Knowing where we can safely run, where the fish may be holding and when it’s time to change the plan is all part of the day.
I pay attention to the conditions before we ever leave the dock, and I keep watching them while we’re on the water. Sometimes that means changing where we fish, how we fish or the route we take to get there.
Safety is always part of those decisions, but that doesn’t mean your trip needs to feel like a safety briefing. I’ll handle the boat, watch the conditions and make the calls I need to make.
MORE THAN THE CATCH
A Great Fishing Trip Is About the Whole Day
Every time we leave the dock, I’m going to put in the effort to give your crew the best day I reasonably can.
We’ll fish the conditions, try different areas and change things up when we need to. Some days that means staying on fish that are biting. Other days it means moving, trying something different and working to figure them out.
But a great fishing trip is about more than what ends up in the cooler. It’s the excitement of a good bite, the laughs between casts, watching somebody catch their first saltwater fish, spending time with family or friends, and simply enjoying a day on the Upper Laguna Madre.
That’s the kind of trip I want you to have — one where you step off the boat already thinking about when you can come back and do it again.
That’s Go Fishing with Craig.