Venice is full of full-time fishing captains, and the first question every first-timer asks is which one. This is a roster of operators we've checked ourselves, most of them written up in the newsletter (the issue credit says which), sorted by the trip you want. We check each one against its own website or Facebook page, and the Louisiana Charter Boat Association's listing for a captain's name the operator doesn't print. Nobody pays to be on it. The operators say which marina they run from, what they fish, and what they run, and we print that; where a site doesn't say, neither do we.
Some of the boats below take bookings through Captain Experiences, and the links marked that way are ours. (We earn a small commission if you book through those links, at no extra cost to you. It keeps this report free.) The rest you book direct.
Intensity Offshore Outfitters (Tuna Town Fishing). Capt. Josh Bodenheimer, born and raised in Metairie, started the outfit in 2010 and runs it out of Cypress Cove with a 42-foot Razorcat and two 39-foot Contenders; the roster includes Capts. Brandon Macedo and Zach Edwards. Tuna is the specialty, February through November, with inshore and snapper trips and lodging on the side. Featured in Issues #4 and #21. Book Intensity Offshore through Captain Experiences.
Tails Up Offshore. Capt. Donnie Jackson, second-generation captain, out of Cypress Cove on a 39-foot Contender. Yellowfin, wahoo, and the swordfish trips he's known for, with overnights available. Featured in Issue #16. Book Tails Up through Captain Experiences.
Southern Catch Outfitters. Capt. John Cole owns it and Capt. Gus Alvarez runs the second boat, two 40-foot Invincible catamarans. Published rates: full day from $2,500 plus fuel, overnight from $7,500 plus fuel. Featured in Issue #15. Book Southern Catch through Captain Experiences.
LA Offshore Fishing Charters. Capt. Troy Wetzel, out of Venice Marina: a 12-hour offshore day or a 24-hour overnight on the Razor Cat, inshore on the Blackjack, and lodging. Featured in Issue #18. Book LA Offshore through Captain Experiences.
Southern Pro Charters. Capt. Chad Pique, Venice Marina, a 39-foot Contender with triple 300s, 10-hour offshore days for tuna, snapper, amberjack and marlin. Featured in Issue #14. Book Southern Pro through Captain Experiences.
Mexican Gulf Fishing Company. Venice Marina. Ten offshore captains on Freeman catamarans from 37 to 47 feet, Capts. Chad Reinhardt and Kevin Beach among them, two inshore captains, and lodging. Offshore from $2,392 plus fuel. Book direct at mgfishing.com. Featured in Issues #3 and #7.
Paradise Outfitters. Cypress Cove, over 20 years by their count: a 42-foot catamaran, two 41-foot Fincats and a 36-foot Yellowfin, running tuna days, overnights, daytime swordfish and the Midnight Lump in winter, with lodging. Book direct at venicefishing.com. Featured in Issue #9.
Fish Venice Charters. Founded by Capt. Eddie Burger, based at Cypress Cove with pickups at Venice Marina, and the boat that put a 256.12-pound yellowfin on the scale in January 2026, now certified No. 2 on Louisiana's list, with Capt. Eddie Brown. A 42-foot catamaran, a 37-foot Freeman and a bench of inshore boats, plus condos and houseboats. Book direct at fishvenicecharters.com. Featured in Issue #2.
Relentless Sportfishing. Capt. Joey Davis on a 36-foot Yellowfin out of Venice Marina, tuna every day the weather lets him, with lodging. Book direct at relentlesssportfishing.net.
Champion Fishing Charters. Captain Chandler out of Cypress Cove, 36- and 39-foot Yellowfins that can take a party of 12 across two boats, over 20 years by their count. Book direct at championfishingcharters.com.
VooDoo Fishing Charters. A multi-boat operation on Sports Marina Road with 39- and 42-foot Yellowfins, a 39 SeaVee and a 39 Contender, offshore and inshore, four lodges and houseboats. Book direct at voodoofishingcharters.com.
Peacekeeper Charters. Capt. Peace Marvel, Venice Marina, swordfish and yellowfin. No website; the Facebook page is the booking channel. Featured in Issue #13.
Blue Line Charter Service. Three full-time captains, Rich McCloskey, Drew White and Shane Mouch, with lodging at Venice Marina. Redfish and trout in the marsh, tripletail and snapper when the weather allows, and offshore through partner boats. Featured in Issue #20. Book Blue Line through Captain Experiences.
Southern Addiction Outfitters. Capt. Bryan Marshall, Venice Marina. Reds, trout and drum inside, snapper, cobia and tripletail on the nearshore rigs. Published rates $900 for one or two anglers up to $1,200 for four, plus fuel. Featured in Issue #19. Book Southern Addiction through Captain Experiences.
Got To Fish. Capt. Jay Winters on a 24-foot Blue Wave, redfish first, with offshore options. Featured in Issue #17. Book Got To Fish through Captain Experiences.
Venice Charters Unlimited. Capt. Brent Roy has run it since 1991: inshore, offshore on 30-to-42-foot boats, with bait, ice and tackle included. Book direct at venicecharters.com. Featured in Issue #25.
Limitless Fishing. Capt. Kevin Drury Jr., sixth generation, on a Blazer Bay: reds and specks on spin or fly, sight fishing, with lodging and meals, and hunt-and-fish combos in season. Featured in Issue #22. Book Limitless through Captain Experiences.
FishN LA. Venice Marina; inshore, tuna, sight fishing on fly, duck hunting, and lodging. Featured in Issue #26. Book FishN LA through Captain Experiences.
Venice Guide Service. Capts. Louis Rossignol, Daniel Eckhardt and Ritchie McCloskie out of Venice Marina, on a Yellowfin, a Skeeter and a Blackjack: trout, redfish, tripletail and snapper, with lodging through Venice Marina. Book direct at veniceguideservice.com. Featured in Issues #1 and #11.
Redfish Lodge of Louisiana. Capt. Mike Frenette, his sons and his captains, at Venice Marina: an all-inclusive redfish lodge that has been putting people up in Venice for 37 years by their count. Book direct at laredfish.com. Featured in Issue #5.
Reel Shot Guide Service. Capts. Brandon and Jon Carter on two 26-foot aluminum boats built for the marsh, trout and redfish, snapper at the captain's discretion; Brandon's been at it 18 years. Book direct at reelshotfishing.com. Featured in Issues #6 and #12.
Cajun Culture Fishing Adventures. Capt. Herman Demoll, five generations on this water, inshore trips and inshore-plus-snapper or inshore-plus-sheepshead combos. Book direct at cajunculture.net. Featured in Issue #10.
Triple Tail Charters. Capt. Blake Rigby, Cypress Cove: inshore at $1,100, offshore at $3,600 with fuel included, tripletail in season. Book direct at triple-tail-charters.com.
A fly trip is a different booking, on a poling skiff with two anglers, and most of the conventional guides above don't run one. The fly operations we've checked are listed in the First-Timer's Guide to Venice Fishing under "Who to book," and the low river, when the ponds go clear, is their season.
Three established operations sit a few miles up Highway 23 and fish the same water.
Pelican Charters and The Venice Lodge. Capt. John Duplass, based in Buras: a 41-foot Onslow Bay with a Seakeeper for offshore at $2,300 plus fuel, overnights, an inshore boat, and the lodge. Featured in Issue #23. Book Pelican Charters through Captain Experiences.
RNG Outfitters. Capt. Jon Lemle in Boothville, inshore and nearshore rig trips, alligator hunts in season, and a lodge at $250 a night for up to six. Featured in Issue #24. Book RNG Outfitters through Captain Experiences.
In Sight Charters. Capt. Troy Creppel, over 35 years by his count, Buras address, inshore and nearshore. Book In Sight Charters through Captain Experiences.
Charter or guide is the first decision: an offshore boat for tuna and swordfish, or an inshore guide for redfish and trout in protected water. After that, the tells that separate a good Venice operation from a name on a listing: they post dated trips, not stock photos. Their rates are published, and they say whether fuel is included. They answer a specific question with a specific answer. They've been running Venice for years, and they'll say which marina they leave from. The red flags are the mirror image, plus social media that hasn't moved in months.
Prices, fuel, tips and licenses are on What a Venice Fishing Charter Costs, and When to Fish Venice tells you which month to book. If it's tuna you're after, Tuna Fishing in Venice, Louisiana has the season, the Lump and the rules.
Book the weather window, not the date. The Venice Fishing Report is a free email every Thursday at 6am Central on what the boats above are catching this week, the seas forecast, and the weekend call, written by the son of a lifelong Metairie fisherman. Read a few before you book.