Captain Chris Wittman

A Florida native, Captain Chris Wittman is a Coast Guard licensed Master Captain, born and raised in Southwest Florida, Chris grew up on Sanibel Island and has been fishing Pine Island Sound, Matlatcha, Estero Bay and Charlotte Harbor for nearly his entire life.

An avid outdoorsman, Chris enjoys surfing, scuba diving, hunting and camping, but fishing is his passion. Captain Chris has been the featured speaker at numerous seminars and trade shows and has lectured on “Marine life and Ecosystems at the “Sanibel Shell Fair”. His diverse experience and knowledge has been a great source of inspiration and learning to those that have heard him speak. He has appeared on WINK  Radio’s  “Reel Talk” and  “The Spanish Fly” fishing show with Captain Jose Wejebe on  ESPN2.

Chris is also a staff writer and photographer for “Onshore / Offshore” magazine and has written an abundance of articles reflecting his experiences. His articles are packed with tips information and tales for the serious or weekend angler. He has also done several product reviews for the benefit of the readers.

“Captain Witt” is a professional saltwater tournament angler. He has competed in some of the biggest and the best tournaments such as the “SKA Kingfish Trail”, The Flats Masters and both the “O-boy Oberto” Redfish Nation Series and Redfish Cup tournament events. He also competes in many regional and local events including the “Caloosa Catch & Release” the “Edison Big Snook” and the grueling 24 hour nonstop “Dark side of the Moon” tournament.

After the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington, Chris organized and hosted the “Reel Patriots” Snook & Redfish Charity Tournament as part of the “United We Stand Relief Fund Festival”. This one day event raised over $130,000.00 for the benefit of the United Way and American Red Cross “Disaster Relief Funds”

In addition to the Red Cross and the United Way, he is a multi year contributing participant in the “Mercury Redbone” “To Catch the Cure” tournaments working to eliminate Cystic Fibrosis. He has also donated time, money and services for many other charity organizations such as the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, the ALS Association, the Coastal Conservation Association and Ducks Unlimited, as well as many local school and church fundraisers.

Captain Chris Wittman is the owner and founder of “Stillwater Charters”, a high quality statewide fishing guide service based in Fort Myers, Florida. Stillwater Charters’ guides specialize in backcountry, light tackle, sight and fly fishing for the experienced or beginning angler with guides in several large coastal metropolitan areas around the state.

Chris is also the founder of “The Mullet Militia”, a group of elite fishing guides with extensive knowledge and experience in saltwater fishing. Captain Chris lives life at full throttle. He works hard and plays harder and in his own words, “I believe you should live for the present while keeping your sights on the future”

Captain Tom Winrow

    

Captain Tom Winrow has been fly fishing and tying flies since the age of nine, and can understand the frustrations and joys that accompany this shared passion. Let him take you fishing, and share his wealth of knowledge that has been acquired through spending his entire life on and around the saltwater of the great state of Florida.

As a Native Floridian growing up on a saltwater, mangrove lined creek, he was able to experience and track the tidal and seasonal patterns of the most sought after saltwater game fishes; Tarpon, Snook, Redfish, and Trout. However, his knowledge of fishing expands well beyond the inshore waters of Florida.

Some key experiences include hand lining for robalos (snook) in Costa Rica, to throwing size 30 flies to finicky browns and rainbows, and commercially deep dropping with electric stand-up gear for giant gulf grouper! Most importantly he has developed some of the best eyes on the water, which is accredited to growing up on a polling platform.

Captain Jesse Lavender
     
Captain Jesse Lavender is a Ft. Myers native. Growing up minutes away from the Edison Winter Home, Capt. Lavender is experienced in the area’s history. Every weekend through out his childhood was spent either in Pine Island Sound or Everglades National Park. He has a superior knowledge of both areas.

Capt. Lavender played baseball at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro while obtaining his degree in Travel/Tourism. His competitive nature and toughness from being a college athlete shines through to his fishing. Capt. Lavender is an all round outdoorsman. He enjoys surfing, hiking, diving, mountaineering, camping, and hunting when he isn’t fishing. Capt. Lavender helped out Lee County Park’s and Recreation Great Calusa Blueway kayak and canoe trail by routing the Pine Island Sound phase.

In 2005 Capt. Lavender became a Coast Guard licensed captain and a member of the Florida Guides Association. He is insured and has obtained all the necessary permits. With a boat dock including a Pathfinder 1806, Hewes Tailfisher, Gheenoe Classic, and two Ocean Kayaks, Capt. Lavender can satisfy any of your inshore/backcountry shallow water fishing needs. Capt. Lavender can take you fishing either light tackle or fly in the backcountry, flats, or beaches of Pine Island Sound or the Everglades.

Captain Bret Gamrot

Bret Gamrot's introduction to saltwater fishing began when he was just 9 years old. His family moved to Clearwater in 1979. Every weekend his father would take him fishing, digging for grouper 20 miles out of John's Pass. Since the late seventies, Bret has grown up fishing Tampa Bay. His passions are flats fishing, both conventional and flyrod and also scuba diving. His adventures have taken him fishing all over Florida, fishing with some of the greatest guides. He also loves competing in redfish tournaments. 

Bret’s adventures have taken him to Costa Rica to the Sailfish grounds of the Pacific. Each year he hosts a sailfish tournament there called the “Onshore-Offshore Sailfish Ritual”. He has also explored the salmon rivers of Alaska where he hiked and camped two months straight catching numerous king salmon, sockeye, pink salmon and Dolly Varden. His absolute favorite place is none other than Sandy Point, Abaco, Bahamas. This is where he successfully learned the art of stalking bonefish by flyrod. “Bonefishing is my absolute greatest passion”, Bret states. Each year he also hosts a tournament called the “Bonefish Shootout” at Rickmon’s Bonefish Lodge.

Bret’s most proud achievement was starting Onshore Offshore Magazine in July of 2001. His publication is a free Glossy colored magazine that is distributed along the west coast of Florida and also circulating the northeast, Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Titusville. Currently, his distribution each month is between 18,000 and 16,000 with a subscriber base over 1,000 and growing. His love for the water and passion for growing his publication will forever be his life commitment and vision.