Ann Smith of Calmwater Charters gave us a terrific introduction to wade fishing, with plenty of fishing success to boot. She is a real pro who loves her work and takes great care of customers. We fished all morning and had a tasty lunch of fresh sea trout before heading off. I strong recommend Ann for a great day of fishing at a moderate price.
My husband's family has lived on the Island since 1782. For health reasons, he can no longer manage a boat. However, he wanted his family to experience the Island from the water. Captain Kristen Wray took my granddaughter, daughter and me on a outstanding 2.5 hour excursion through the local waterways. She was so personable and competent. More importantly, she was well-informed and knowledgeable about the history, ecology, geology, and biology of the island and surrounding marshlands. My granddaughter is six and was engaged (except when she took a powernap) during the entire trip. She particularly liked the rookery (pelicans) where she saw many chicks and juveniles. She also enjoyed the dolphins. I highly recommend this as a family outing well worth the time and money. WAY TO GO CAPTAIN KRISTIN!!!
My wife and I love to fish but we don't have the boat for it so we booked a trip with Danny and Calmwater Charters. Being from the area we know that some days the fish bite and some days they don't no matter who's the guide. So we base our opinion on how comfortable we feel and how hard the guide tries to please us. Danny did just that. Very friendly and knowledgeable. We caught a nice mess of fish and had a great day. Also, the price is fair compared to other trips we've been on. On the way home my wife commented that he was her favorite guide that we've gone with and that says a lot considering the amount of trips we've taken. Whether you are a local or a tourist you can book Danny with confidence you are getting your money worth...
Had my parents fly in for Labor Day 2014 and wanted to give my Dad a great SE Louisiana fishing adventure. I called up Captain Danny Wray and chatted with him about a chartered trip to catch some fish, I told him that I had this dream of watching my old man battling one the famous Grand Isle Bull Reds.We met Captain Danny at Bridgeside at 5:45am and quickly loaded up and was on our way to the eastern side of the island looking some reds. After locating the fish, we fished, caught, shared fish stories until we ran out of bait. But Captain Danny could tell we still had plenty of "go" in us so he quickly pulled up at the Sanddollar Marina and got us some more bait. We fished our honeyhole for a little longer and then Captain Danny offered to show me a few of the best spots around Bridgeside. As a sidenote, I had just fished Ride The Bull 2014 a few weeks early, a great event put up by Calmwater Charters which is hosted from Bridgeside. So needless to say, I was very excited that he volunteered to show me where the fish hangout and how to properly locate them using the fishfinder. On the way there he made sure to share other great kayak fishing locations as we passed them.At the bridge, there already were several boats fishing, not catching, just fishing. We pull up and in under 5mins, Captain Danny has us on two more bull reds. you could see the the other boats scrambling to see what we were doing different, but we weren't, just had the experienced Captain Danny Wary at the helm with his many years of experience of fishing at Grand Isle.If you are planning a trip to Grand Isle, whether you are an avid fisherman/woman or not, I recommend that you take a trip with Calmwater Charters. It was a trip of a lifetime to watch my Dad "struggle" with the Bull Reds of Grand Isle.
We almost didn't take the boat tour due to finances, but decided to splurge and do it anyway. I amkso glad we did! Captain Kristen was extremely knowledgeable, patient, polite, and kind. She gave us a fabulous water tour of the area around Grand Isle, and knew tons of legends and facts about the island- its history, its inhabitants, and environment. It is obvious that she loves Grand Isle and has a deep respect for it. This tour was worth every penny! Take it!
We have loved Grand Isle for years before discovering this wonderful Eco Tour. We are not big fisher people, but love the wildlife and scenery there. Beds Island had hundreds of nesting Pelicans, saw Frigate birds on a shrimp boat, lots of Dolphins and really enjoyed the history of Grand Isle told by our guide.
My husband & I planned a trip to Mardi Gras, and wanted to experience fishing in the gulf. We weren’t sure what to expect, so we decided to wait on booking a charter ahead of time. We hit the visitor’s center when we arrived in Grand Isle, they highly recommended Calmwater Charters. Captain Danny was very accommodating and reasonably priced. What a great day we had! Danny knew where the fish would be that time of year, and if we had a few minutes of down time, we’d moved to a new spot. We caught more fish then expected, and some big bulls that put up a real fight, fun to catch!We really enjoyed spending the day with Captain Danny, he’s easy going and has an interesting and amusing perspective on life. His vast knowledge of the area history and culture made for a full day of enjoyable conversation. Thanks Danny! Hope to see you again very soon! Jeff & Julie
Captain Danny Wray did an outstanding job taking the four of us out for a morning. His experience leading us to several locations, reading the currents, using technology,... all with humor along the way. Really went out of his way to ensure all had a fun time. Catching the huge bull reds was the highlight of the trip!
Calmwater Charters Guide, Ann Smith provided me with an excellent introduction to wade fishing on and around Grand Isle. We fished the beaches, bridges, piers, and roads. Spending to best advantage the right amount of time at each location. I was despite being a novice able to catch redfish, black drum, and flounder. Ann was a patient and diligent instructor and just plain fun to be around. She provided a wealth of information about Grand Isle and it's surrounding waters. She went above and beyond to make sure the trip was a good one. I'll definitely be back some day.
Such a wonderful day. Caught plenty of groceries. Danny did us right. Totally recommend Calm water charter.