Capt. John Rivers
Northwest Regional Reporter

Capt. John Rivers moved to Florida in the spring of 1999 and that’s when his saltwater fishing career began. His love for fishing started when he was just a boy of 6 years old in the state of Indiana, where he fished for bluegill and bass. The fishing bug bit him so much; he would spend hours at a time on the lake waiting for that one big trophy bass. When he moved to Florida and hooked up his first ever-saltwater fish, (a monster bull redfish weighing over 30lbs), he was addicted, and wanted more. After living in Pensacola 5 yrs and learning the waterways, he obtained his captain’s license and started Mega-Bite Inshore Charters. He is a full-time inshore/nearshore captain, taking private charters out year-round for a variety of fishing adventures.

John says fishing is a passion of his, and that he also enjoys watching people who have never hooked up with a fish before get their first saltwater catch. He says, “Nothing beats watching a kid haul up a big trophy fish in front of his proud father, or seeing whole families enjoying each other’s company while catching tonight’s fish fry.”

Capt. John volunteers his time at kids fishing clinics in Pensacola put on by the FWC, and also gives seminars on inshore and nearshore fishing tactics. Capt. John began writing informative articles for Florida Sportfishing in 2006, and gives his accounts of fishing in the panhandle for the regional reports. He truly loves his craft, and admits, “The excitement of saltwater fishing is like nothing else. Hooking into that monster trout on the flats or having a big king pull off 80 yards of line in seconds is what it’s all about.”

Till next time, here’s wishing you bent rods and screaming drags.
Capt. John