Island Marine Charters
Island Marine Charters
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Enjoy a guided inshore fishing expedition with 7th generation local & Coast Guard licensed Captain Joe Buskens. With a lifetime of local fishing knowledge in Gulf Shores, AL you will be sure to have a great fishing experience with Captain Joe! Fully Customized 24ft Bay Boat.
Gulf Shores, United States
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Island Marine Charters
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(61 reviews)
(16 reviews)
(9 reviews)
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
91 reviews
Excellent
91
Very good
0
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Kelley M
1 contribution
Mar 2024 • Couples
Captain Joe Buskens is the absolute best. My wife and I had the best time on our first off shore salt water fishing trip. He is very professional and equipment is top notch. We Never felt unsafe. I have already recommended Island Marine Charters to my friends at work.
Written March 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ed M
Saint Charles, IL15 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
Awesome experience with Captain Joe and first mate Logan. Morning fishing with 2 couples. Joe and Logan put us on fish - making sure everyone had a good time. Highly recommend! When we come back to Gulf Shores - they will be on our “definitely do again” list.
Written February 16, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dawn K
Tullahoma, TN4 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
This is our third trip with Captain Joe. Did not think he could top our first two trips; however, he made it happen!! Love the excitement he exudes every time we fish. Not only was it a beautiful day, there never was a dull moment. Will definitely call Captain Joe for our next time in town.
Written October 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gail B
1 contribution
Sep 2023 • Family
Joe was super accommodating. He went out of his way to make sure we caught something! We caught more fish on this charter than any we have previously been on. Joe is super qualified, professional, and a pleasure to be around.
Not to mention he has the baddest boat on the water, that took him 8 years to build. Make sure when you use him, that you use the high/low rod. Several times we caught 2 fish at a time. Thank you Joe for an awesome day, and we will be back!
Not to mention he has the baddest boat on the water, that took him 8 years to build. Make sure when you use him, that you use the high/low rod. Several times we caught 2 fish at a time. Thank you Joe for an awesome day, and we will be back!
Written September 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Road781561
2 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
We had a fantastic time with Capt Joe! It was myself, my husband and 2 teenage boys. We've all fished before but not like this. I called very last minute and Capt Joe was very accommodating and great with communication. The weather was great and he took us to some great spots, very knowledgeable about the Gulf and Mobile Bay. We didn't catch a ton of fish but did have a great time. We managed to hook a spotted eagle ray and wrangled it for a bit before it broke the line. Saw a huge pod of dolphins too! Highly recommend!
Written July 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian H
1 contribution
Mar 2023 • Family
Our family had a great trip with Capt Joe and Logan. We caught a bunch of sheepshead. They were great with the whole family. Highly knowledgeable and enjoyable to spend time with. I’d highly recommend this charter service for beginners and advanced anglers. We even got to see a good number of dolphins on the trip.
Written March 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dan P
1 contribution
Jan 2023 • Family
Our family of seven from Minnesota had a great day of fishing with captain Joe and captain D. We caught a lot of fish, fun and laughs. It was a perfect fit for a family fishing experience. The high point of the day was my daughter catching a Grande Drum fish. Highly recommend.
Written January 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks so much! You guy's were awesome to fish with. That drum was HUGE!! One of the biggest we have ever caught, Congrats!
Written February 3, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ann w
6 contributions
Dec 2022 • Couples
We caught 8 sheepshead fish in our session. I caught 3 within 2 hours. And BONUS, we got free dolphin watch(which we missed in our earlier week plan). super enjoyful journey with Captain Joe and Logan.
Me and my husband went to Gulf shores for our vacation. It is super hard to find good fishing charters during December time,most of them love to cancel due to not lot tourists visit during the time. We got so much research finally get find out Island Marine Charters, the whole booking process is super smooth and easy, and Joe gave us all tips before the day. He spend time understand our background of fishing and our goal of this fishing trip, and super patient and detail walk through all techniques how to fish for beginner. I got so nervous before i go, and I never thought i like fishing before, after this, we will start explore my new hobby fishing. We will come back next year do 4 hours aith them again.
Me and my husband went to Gulf shores for our vacation. It is super hard to find good fishing charters during December time,most of them love to cancel due to not lot tourists visit during the time. We got so much research finally get find out Island Marine Charters, the whole booking process is super smooth and easy, and Joe gave us all tips before the day. He spend time understand our background of fishing and our goal of this fishing trip, and super patient and detail walk through all techniques how to fish for beginner. I got so nervous before i go, and I never thought i like fishing before, after this, we will start explore my new hobby fishing. We will come back next year do 4 hours aith them again.
Written December 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
You guys were a lot of fun! So happy we could put you on some nice sheepshead and a great dolphin show too! You guys are naturals when it comes to fishing, I think you have a bright future as anglers! Looking forward to our 4 hour trip next year!
Written February 3, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Rolltider1
Alabama4 contributions
Nov 2022 • Family
Had a great time with Capt. Joe. He accommodated a last minute trip and we caught a great mix of species. Good memories with my son.
Written November 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks so much, Glad you Guys had a good time!
Written February 3, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
jmr2516
Omaha, NE16 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
Captain Joe and his son Logan were fantastic! We had an amazing day catching and learning about several different species found in the Gulf Shores area. Joe was personable, kind and so helpful. We were lucky enough to catch a ton of fish when we went out due to Joe’s knowledge of great fishing areas and fantastic fishing methods. He contacted us prior to our trip to gauge our experience level and tailored our experience to give us the best chance at getting some great fish! We will definitely be back with our kids in the future to fish with him again. If we could give more than 5 stars we would.
Written October 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Glad we had a good trip with you guys! The 5 star review means a lot! Thank You. Hope to see you guys again next season!
Written February 3, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
oklahomagirl2017
Tulsa, OK
Do you offer December Charters. Looking to come during Christmas break with my college age child during school break instead of doing the traditional Christmas stuff this next Christmas and would the weather be warm enough to enjoy an outing like this at this time of year?
How much for fishing trip for 2 adults and 15yr old? How long is it?
Mike D
Saint Louis, MO158 contributions
My brother actually paid for our trip. I do not remember the actual cost, but I know we researched local agencies for a few hours and did a price comparison. I think there were others that were cheaper, but be careful as "you get what you pay for." The prices vary based on trip length, location, and number of guests.