Don't fish with Capt. Jeff Rodgers

[Buckmaster]

I booked a trip with this Capt. and told him we had two 6 year olds that we wanted to catch fish. We didn't care about the adults fishing as we rented the whole boat and the trip was all about the kids. In an e-mail he stated that it would be no problem and that he was kid friendly and used to fishing with them. I reminded him over the phone the night before when I called to confirm that all we wanted was for the kids to catch a fish, any fish would do. I told him again when we boarded the boat. He gave NO safety orientation so none of us knew if and where he kept the life jackets and the poles and reels he had would have been difficult for a full grown man to reel in. When I asked what about the two kids he said "It is what it is". I said how about just stopping somewhere and letting them catch junk fish he didn't even respond. I had fished with this guy 2 year earlier and it was fine but this trip he was a complete A-hole.

[Sea Hag]

Wow, that's a shame. I have a guy I've fished with in Hawaii a couple of times. I found him specifically by searching for someone who would help give kids a great fishing experience.

He was awesome! He had several special harness-vests made up in different sizes for small children, and rods with shorter grips. He took us out to one of the FAD's (Fish Attracting Device) that is anchored off Kona that is home to a lot of the smaller sized game fish.

My 4 year-old daughter single handedly landed a 5 pound skipjack (tuna). He coached her along, and never touched the rod.

I've gone out with him without her several times as well, and successfully tagged and released a 150 lb Blue Marlin...

[fishing dude]

i won't fish with him ethier

[FishingLTJ]

That sucks, hopefully these reviews will help people in the future!

[Capt. Jeff Rogers]

I only get one or two what I would call "bad charters" a year. It usually comes as a result of the charter not knowing about the fishery here and expecting something else. In this case, I wasn't even given a chance to do my job. Mr. Gable sat in the cabin and barely spoke a few words to me. He could have come up to the bridge any time and I would have laid out the plan I had for the kids. It wouldn't have mattered anyway as you will see furter on. This guy is a back stabber as evidenced by his unfair attack on this web site and even more so, his formal complaint to Hawaii Consumer Affairs. I won the dispute and it's now avaialble to the public as a matter of public record. Just to show you what kind of pin head this guy is, here's his complaint and my reply:

On April 18, 2008 I booked a fishing trip with Capt. Jeff Rodgers and told him we had two 6 year old children and the trip was for them. He assured me that he took kids fishing all the time but when we arrived he had no fishing gear for the children. He did not give a safety orientation and did not offer or show us ANY life jackets. It is my understanding that children are required to wear them. I feel we were misled and placed in danger. Our trip was to be 6 hours but after 1 ½ hours I requested we return to the harbor. Instead of pulling in the gear and heading back, he leisurely trolled back. We were charged the full $800.00 which I mistakenly paid in cash. I did tip the bait boy $100 because I felt he was not responsible for the Captains deceitfulness. I am requesting the $800.00 and hopefully a ticket for breaking maritime laws. Thank you for your attention of this matter. I have written you directly because it is obvious to me that Mr. Rodgers is not a person of integrity.

Respectfully,
Dr. Willis P. Gable



Dear Mr. Murayama,

In reply to the complaints made by Mr. Wills Gabel, case No. 2008-0652, indeed I did take the Gabel party on a fishing charter 4/18/08. Mr. Gabel and his wife fished with me before on 4/17/06. Here’s a photo from that trip.



Mr. Gabel informed me that on his trip this year that we would also have two 6 yr. old children and two senior adults. I did tell him that wouldn’t be a problem. I have been in the charter business for many years and have accommodated handicapped persons and people ranging in age from the very old to infants. On the morning the Gabel party arrived, myself and co-captain Rick Reger got the people on board the vessel. One of the children expressed a fear of being on the boat. This is key to how the charter played out. On entering the cabin, as is customary, people are given instructions on where to put their food and drinks. They are also instructed on how to operate the electric toilet. There was no safety orientation given nor is one required by the U.S. Coast Guard so in this aspect, Mr. Gabel’s complaint is frivolous. He was not given a safety orientation when he fished with me in ’06 either. The vessel is equipped with all the necessary safety equipment required by the U.S. Coast Guard including life jackets. Life jackets are for emergency use only and are not required to be worn, regardless of age, unless there is a reason to do so.

I operate the vessel from the flying bridge so after greetings and instructions, I went up to the bridge and started the engines. The two 6 yr. old boys came up on the bridge also. One boy being very sure of himself and the other again complaining that he was scared to be on the boat. While we were motoring out of the harbor, one of the boys went back down the ladder but the scared one, drawing much attention to himself, reiterated his fear of being on the boat. I helped him down the ladder as did Mr. Gabel but it was apparent that the child wanted us to turn back and end the trip right there at the harbor entrance.

Heavy fishing tackle is used when trolling for big game. Capt. Rick Reger instructed Mr. Gabel on the use of that equipment. My plan for the day was to go to an area called “the grounds” where small tuna are commonly found. I take kids there all the time and they have a blast catching these fish on light tackle. On the way to the grounds, the boy who was making a spectacle of himself about being “afraid” realized that this approach wasn’t going to get his desired result of ending the trip so he switched his tactic to complaining that he didn’t feel good. I heard him repeat this several times.

Upon entering the lower grounds, light tackle was brought out and it was at that time that Mr. Gabel instructed me to turn the boat around and head back to the harbor. It was apparent that the child was going to get his way. If Mr. Gabel were an honest man, he would have stated the real reason for ending the charter early. I made one pass through the jumping tunas hoping to at least get one fish for the non-complaining child but they didn’t bite and making another pass through the fish didn’t seem to be an option due to the order given to return to the harbor. Capt. Rick came up on the bridge and we both expressed our displeasure about how one kid was ruining the trip for all the rest. We were hoping for a bite on the way home to make it good but that didn’t happen. Mr. Gabel never expressed that there was an urgency to get back to the harbor. Even if Mr. Gabel had expressed so, the boat doesn’t go much faster than trolling speed and I wouldn’t have done it anyway due to the excess wear and tear that it would impose on the engines. This is a work vehicle and is only sped up when needed for the operation of fishing or in case of an emergency. The complaining child wasn’t reason enough to speed up the boat.

Upon arriving back in the harbor, Mr. Gabel handed me some cash and I then told him what the charges would be. I mistakenly told him the amount for a full day charter. He became noticeably angry thinking that I was trying to rip him off or something. I realized my mistake immediately, apologized and told him the price for the agreed upon ¾ day charter. The amount was paid in full including a generous tip, which is always split 50/50 by the captain and crew. I believe the reason for the frivolous complaints brought about by Mr. Gabel to Consumer Affairs is really due to the fact that he was expecting some kind of discount for coming in early but instead encountered what he thought was a maneuver to rip him off. It is not my policy to discount an early trip unless it is due to bad weather. The boat owner and crew get paid their wages regardless. As far as the complaining child, the real reason for the order to turn back early, I asked Capt. Rick if the child was indeed seasick. It appeared to me to be more of an act than reality but I was informed by Capt. Rick that the child did indeed throw up. Sea sickness is very preventable and I make a point of instructing people on the prevention of sea sickness on my web site http://FISHinKONA.com along with many other useful tips and information. I also have a “guest book” on my web site where you will find many entries from satisfied customers including those who brought out children and caught fish.

I am not going to refund any portion of the charter rate to Mr. Gabel. In fact, I think he owes me an apology for questioning my integrity and lying about the real reason for turning back early. I don’t know if he intends to take this any further but Capt. Rick Reger (not a “bait boy”) will testify to the same facts explained above.

Sincerely yours,
Capt. Jeff Rogers

PS. If anyone is REALLY interested in what kind of charter captain I am, I suggest you go to Capt. Jeff's Kona, Hawaii sportfishing Guest Book and do some reading.

[FishingLTJ]

Thanks for the post jeff, clear things up a bit there. Sounds like you have good service going on there!

[Sea Hag]

Yes, thanks for posting that.

There's two sides to every story.

[PADavid]

Ahh I knew there was a little bit more to this


It is too easy to bash a business on the web

[Buckmaster]

Jeff,

I know fishermen are used to exaggerating but it is clear your recollection of what occurred is far different from the four adults on the trip.


I will appologize for smearing you on the internet because it can have long lasting ramifications. It took you 8 months to respond to this website so I can only imagine you just saw it.

The State of Hawaii reviewed my complaint and did not rule against the Capt.

Willis

Originally Posted by Capt. Jeff Rogers

I only get one or two what I would call "bad charters" a year. It usually comes as a result of the charter not knowing about the fishery here and expecting something else. In this case, I wasn't even given a chance to do my job. Mr. Gable sat in the cabin and barely spoke a few words to me. He could have come up to the bridge any time and I would have laid out the plan I had for the kids. It wouldn't have mattered anyway as you will see furter on. This guy is a back stabber as evidenced by his unfair attack on this web site and even more so, his formal complaint to Hawaii Consumer Affairs. I won the dispute and it's now avaialble to the public as a matter of public record. Just to show you what kind of pin head this guy is, here's his complaint and my reply:

On April 18, 2008 I booked a fishing trip with Capt. Jeff Rodgers and told him we had two 6 year old children and the trip was for them. He assured me that he took kids fishing all the time but when we arrived he had no fishing gear for the children. He did not give a safety orientation and did not offer or show us ANY life jackets. It is my understanding that children are required to wear them. I feel we were misled and placed in danger. Our trip was to be 6 hours but after 1 ½ hours I requested we return to the harbor. Instead of pulling in the gear and heading back, he leisurely trolled back. We were charged the full $800.00 which I mistakenly paid in cash. I did tip the bait boy $100 because I felt he was not responsible for the Captains deceitfulness. I am requesting the $800.00 and hopefully a ticket for breaking maritime laws. Thank you for your attention of this matter. I have written you directly because it is obvious to me that Mr. Rodgers is not a person of integrity.

Respectfully,
Dr. Willis P. Gable



Dear Mr. Murayama,

In reply to the complaints made by Mr. Wills Gabel, case No. 2008-0652, indeed I did take the Gabel party on a fishing charter 4/18/08. Mr. Gabel and his wife fished with me before on 4/17/06. Here’s a photo from that trip.



Mr. Gabel informed me that on his trip this year that we would also have two 6 yr. old children and two senior adults. I did tell him that wouldn’t be a problem. I have been in the charter business for many years and have accommodated handicapped persons and people ranging in age from the very old to infants. On the morning the Gabel party arrived, myself and co-captain Rick Reger got the people on board the vessel. One of the children expressed a fear of being on the boat. This is key to how the charter played out. On entering the cabin, as is customary, people are given instructions on where to put their food and drinks. They are also instructed on how to operate the electric toilet. There was no safety orientation given nor is one required by the U.S. Coast Guard so in this aspect, Mr. Gabel’s complaint is frivolous. He was not given a safety orientation when he fished with me in ’06 either. The vessel is equipped with all the necessary safety equipment required by the U.S. Coast Guard including life jackets. Life jackets are for emergency use only and are not required to be worn, regardless of age, unless there is a reason to do so.

I operate the vessel from the flying bridge so after greetings and instructions, I went up to the bridge and started the engines. The two 6 yr. old boys came up on the bridge also. One boy being very sure of himself and the other again complaining that he was scared to be on the boat. While we were motoring out of the harbor, one of the boys went back down the ladder but the scared one, drawing much attention to himself, reiterated his fear of being on the boat. I helped him down the ladder as did Mr. Gabel but it was apparent that the child wanted us to turn back and end the trip right there at the harbor entrance.

Heavy fishing tackle is used when trolling for big game. Capt. Rick Reger instructed Mr. Gabel on the use of that equipment. My plan for the day was to go to an area called “the grounds” where small tuna are commonly found. I take kids there all the time and they have a blast catching these fish on light tackle. On the way to the grounds, the boy who was making a spectacle of himself about being “afraid” realized that this approach wasn’t going to get his desired result of ending the trip so he switched his tactic to complaining that he didn’t feel good. I heard him repeat this several times.

Upon entering the lower grounds, light tackle was brought out and it was at that time that Mr. Gabel instructed me to turn the boat around and head back to the harbor. It was apparent that the child was going to get his way. If Mr. Gabel were an honest man, he would have stated the real reason for ending the charter early. I made one pass through the jumping tunas hoping to at least get one fish for the non-complaining child but they didn’t bite and making another pass through the fish didn’t seem to be an option due to the order given to return to the harbor. Capt. Rick came up on the bridge and we both expressed our displeasure about how one kid was ruining the trip for all the rest. We were hoping for a bite on the way home to make it good but that didn’t happen. Mr. Gabel never expressed that there was an urgency to get back to the harbor. Even if Mr. Gabel had expressed so, the boat doesn’t go much faster than trolling speed and I wouldn’t have done it anyway due to the excess wear and tear that it would impose on the engines. This is a work vehicle and is only sped up when needed for the operation of fishing or in case of an emergency. The complaining child wasn’t reason enough to speed up the boat.

Upon arriving back in the harbor, Mr. Gabel handed me some cash and I then told him what the charges would be. I mistakenly told him the amount for a full day charter. He became noticeably angry thinking that I was trying to rip him off or something. I realized my mistake immediately, apologized and told him the price for the agreed upon ¾ day charter. The amount was paid in full including a generous tip, which is always split 50/50 by the captain and crew. I believe the reason for the frivolous complaints brought about by Mr. Gabel to Consumer Affairs is really due to the fact that he was expecting some kind of discount for coming in early but instead encountered what he thought was a maneuver to rip him off. It is not my policy to discount an early trip unless it is due to bad weather. The boat owner and crew get paid their wages regardless. As far as the complaining child, the real reason for the order to turn back early, I asked Capt. Rick if the child was indeed seasick. It appeared to me to be more of an act than reality but I was informed by Capt. Rick that the child did indeed throw up. Sea sickness is very preventable and I make a point of instructing people on the prevention of sea sickness on my web site http://FISHinKONA.com along with many other useful tips and information. I also have a “guest book” on my web site where you will find many entries from satisfied customers including those who brought out children and caught fish.

I am not going to refund any portion of the charter rate to Mr. Gabel. In fact, I think he owes me an apology for questioning my integrity and lying about the real reason for turning back early. I don’t know if he intends to take this any further but Capt. Rick Reger (not a “bait boy”) will testify to the same facts explained above.

Sincerely yours,
Capt. Jeff Rogers

PS. If anyone is REALLY interested in what kind of charter captain I am, I suggest you go to Capt. Jeff's Kona, Hawaii sportfishing Guest Book and do some reading.