Capt Tony Bozzella

Capt. Tony Bozzella knows fish and he knows fishing. He should -- he literally grew up on the water, near Montauk, at the eastern end of Long Island. By age 8 he had a small seafood route, supplying local houses with fish, crabs and eel. As a teenager, he was a commercial bayman with a 24-foot Garvey running the great South Bay to the Hamptons, digging clams, dredging scallops, and tonging mussels.

Based at Mayport, Tony fished mostly offshore, ranging the Gulf Stream from Georgia through the Keys for marlin, wahoo, tuna, and dolphin. Later, while fishing the Keys, Tony learned to love two things: bonefishing and the backcountry. He now spends most of his time fishing or guiding the North Florida tidal flats and backcountry, fishing for Seatrout, Redfish, Flounder, or whatever the First Coast backcountry has to offer.

When you fish the North Florida backcountry with Capt. Tony Bozzella, expect to catch fish, possibly lots of them. North Florida estuaries are some of the most productive fisheries in the state.