Captain Tim Noe is a Gulf offshore captain known for running hard, fishing deep, and putting clients on serious fish. Raised in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Tim grew up on the water before graduating in 2002 and earning an Associate’s degree from Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School. After several years in high-end restaurants and country clubs, he traded the kitchen for the open Gulf—and never looked back.

Since relocating to Sarasota in 2008, Tim has built his reputation the only way that matters offshore: time on the water. He earned his U.S. Coast Guard 100-Ton Master Captain’s License in 2011 and began running charters on a 24-foot Pathfinder, grinding long days and learning every edge the Gulf has to offer.

From there, he worked his way up through larger vessels, running a 42-foot sportfish along with multiple 50- to 85-foot private headboats and party boats. Along the way, he developed extensive experience targeting everything from reef fish to high-speed pelagics far offshore.

In 2020, Tim launched Gulf Coast Offshore Ventures and now runs a 42-foot Freeman catamaran built for serious offshore work. What began as a one-boat operation has grown into a multi-boat business, with an additional captain and a second 42’ Freeman joining the fleet.

Captain Tim targets anything that swims in the Gulf, but he’s especially known for deep-water grouper and snapper, as well as wahoo and tuna in blue water. In late 2024, he expanded even farther offshore, moving into specialized commercial fishing for rare deep-water species supplying premium seafood markets.

Whether running charters or working commercial grounds, Tim’s approach is simple: go farther, fish deeper, and bring back fish most people only hear about.

@gulfcoast_offshore

Brad Wilson is a sixth-generation fisherman from Lord Howe Island, carrying on a legacy built on the water. As owner and operator of Sea Lord Howe, he runs both charter and commercial operations, working some of the most remote and untouched waters in Australia.

An avid deep drop fisherman, Brad is constantly pushing into new ground, targeting hard-fighting fish in depths few are willing to reach. His local knowledge, combined with generations of experience, puts him in a league of his own when it comes to finding and landing serious fish.

From charter trips to commercial runs, Brad’s focus is simple—fish hard, go deep, and make it count.

@sealordhowe

Peter is the man behind Florless Rods in Queensland, Australia, with over 27 years spent designing and building custom fishing rods that are made to perform offshore. While he’s built just about everything over the years, his focus is on tough, reliable gear built to handle serious fish.

Fishing isn’t just part of the job—it’s what drives him. Peter lives for deep drop fishing, chasing everything from big swordfish to heavy bottom dwellers, and pushing gear to the limit every chance he gets.

Running his 660 Vindicator plate alloy hardtop, Florless, he’s constantly offshore testing rods in real conditions—no shortcuts, no guesswork, just gear proven where it counts.

Not only is Peter a proud Big Smart Reels customer & dealer, Peters feedback and R&D product testing helped to develop reels that are smooth, unbelievable fast under load, and built to handle some of the hardest-fighting fish in Australian waters.

Peter specialises in full turn-key setups and custom combos, making it easy to get the right gear without the hassle—just show up and fish.

@florlessrods