About Captain Jimmy Hartley

 

My love for fishing began at a young age, pond hopping for largemouth bass in Durham, North Carolina. When my family moved to Florida and I set foot in the Gulf of Mexico I never looked back. I spent the majority of the last 25 plus years inshore fishing the waters from Tarpon Springs to Clearwater. I’ve also fished the offshore from the Middle Grounds west to Louisiana hunting for grouper to yellowfin tuna.

In 2001 I married my high school sweetheart (SMARTEST MOVE I EVER MADE) In 2004 we had the first of four boys, ages ranging from 16 to 8. Their passion for the outdoors is the same as mine and when they’re not playing sports we’re on the water. This past March we added one more addition to the family, we rescued a one-year old yellow lab named Ridge. I love getting families out on the water to experience what our area has to offer. Having a large family has taught me how to be patient when working with young kids. There’s nothing more exciting to me than seeing the smiles on the faces of families while out fishing.

The Boat

I run a 22ft Shearwater Bay boat with plenty of room for the family and can take up to 6 people. The boat is powered with a Yamaha 225 outboard and can always get us where we need to be. The scenery here is second to none, the water is beautiful, and the fishing is incredible! I look forward to seeing you soon!