As owner and director of this charter boat operation, I believe that it is best to share my experience.

I spent my summers growing up at my grandparents’ beach house on Big Lagoon just west of the Pensacola Naval Air Station fishing and crabbing. After graduating from Christian Brothers High School in Memphis, Tennessee, I moved to Destin, Florida in 1971. Destin had the largest charter boat fleet at the time with about 80 charter boats and they caught about 78% of the billfish caught on the west coast of Florida. I fished professionally as deckhand there in 1971 through 1974 and worked with some of the best captains and deckhands there. In 1972, we caught a 32½ lb. red snapper that held the lead in the Destin Rodeo 26 days and ended up in 2nd place. The Destin Rodeo lasts the whole month of October every year. In 1973, we caught an 83 ¾ lb. wahoo which took 3rd place in the Chris Schinkle Tournament and we won the amberjack division of the Destin Rodeo with a 65 lb. amberjack. I also caught a 345 lb. blue marlin which was the 3rd largest that year as well as 18 white marlin and a sailfish. In 1974, we won 1st and 2nd place white marlin in the East Pass Marina Tournament with a double header of 64 and 56 lbs.

I started working in Louisiana and Texas running in the oil field and obtained my first captain’s license of 100 ton 100 mile Ocean Operator in June 1974. I worked as an Air Traffic Control Specialist from 1975 till 1981 in Jacksonville and Memphis ARTCC. I still fished when I could and caught 29 swordfish in 2 nights long lining and caught my first swordfish on rod and reel in 1978 of 50 lbs. I ran crew boats and utility boats in Mexico from 1982 till 1986 in Dos Bocas, Tabasco and Cayos Arcus, Campeche. We did maneuvers to secure ships to SBM mooring buoys to load crude oil which was exported all over the world. I commercial fished some for swordfish and tunas in the Gulf of Mexico but didn’t like killing the fish. I also fished the Bering Sea for snow crabs and cod. I ran tug boats for Moran Towing based in New York from Massachusetts to Miami, Florida from 1988 till 1991. The tugs ranged from 1800 to 6600HP. I upgraded my license to 1600 ton Master All Oceans along the way.

I was in Africa almost 6 months as captain of the R/V Aloha which was a 155 foot DP (dynamic positioning) vessel surveying pipelines etc. when the job I have now opened up for me. I came to Progreso, Yucatan, Mexico in July 1993 to be captain and master of the “Sea Queen” which is a 60 foot Striker sport fisherman, a private yacht. In December 2009, my boss bought a 72 foot Palmer Johnson sport fisherman called “Sea King” which I now run.

In November 2007, I bought a 30 foot Dorado Marine sport fisherman to start charter operations here in Progreso. There never was a boat available for charter here. We renewed the vessel and her engines which are 200HP Yamaha outboards. We have a cuddy cabin with new head, a tower that will hold 3 people, built in fish boxes and live well. We also raised the stern and added a Portabracket jack plate to support the engines. The bracket allows us to raise and lower the engines without tilting them. So we can go right up to the beach here or in Alacranes National Park. I have personally trained all of my crew in seamanship, safety and fishing. Safety first!!! We have all of the safety equipment required and then some. I also have collected over 500 waypoints and most of them are fishing places and wrecks. I have fished this area as well as Cancun and Cozumel continuously for the last 17 seasons.
Our goal is to give you an incredible experience on the water, one that you will enjoy and remember.

Captain Clifford G. McCaa