Private Charter

Private fishing charters in Galveston, TX.

One boat. One captain. Six anglers, and they are all people you brought. Capt. Shannon LaBauve owns the Half Time, runs every trip on it himself, and has never dispatched anybody else to do it for him.

Check Availability Call (713) 962-7502

Replies within the hour. The captain answers his own phone.

What Private Means Here

The whole boat, and the man who owns it.

Plenty of Galveston operators sell something called a private charter. It is worth being precise about what it means on this one.

Six anglers is the Coast Guard capacity on the Half Time, and the trip is priced for the boat rather than the seat. Book it with two people and you have the same boat you would have with six. Nobody else is added to fill it out. There is no shared rail, no stranger next to your kid, and no waiting on a group to assemble before the boat leaves the slip.

There is also only one boat. Shannon is not running a fleet and dispatching whoever is free that morning, so the captain you spoke to on the phone is the captain who unties the lines. He has held a USCG license since 1995 and has been guiding out of the Galveston Yacht Basin the whole time. First mate Blake comes aboard for offshore runs and the longer nearshore days.

That continuity is the product. It is why the boat moves when a spot goes quiet instead of waiting out the clock, and why a trip can change shape mid-morning if the bite says it should. Nobody has to call a manager to approve it.

The Difference

Private charter, head boat, and fleet.

Three different products get sold as Galveston fishing. They are not the same day on the water.

Head or party boat

Per-seat, shared, thirty-plus anglers.

You buy a ticket, not a boat. Cheapest way onto the water and the right answer for some trips, but you fish shoulder to shoulder, the boat goes where the group goes, and the crew is splitting attention across dozens of lines.

Not what this is

Fleet charter

Private boat, assigned captain.

The boat is yours for the day, but the operator runs several and assigns whoever is available. You often do not know which captain or which hull until you arrive, and the person who answered the phone is rarely the person driving.

Common in Galveston

This boat

One owner-operator, one hull.

Six anglers max on the 31 ft Ocean Master Half Time, with Shannon aboard every trip since 1995. You know the boat and the captain before you book, because there is only one of each.

1,129 reviews at 4.9

Who Books It

Four groups this suits.

Families

Children 3 and up.

Kid-sized life jackets aboard on every trip.
The jetty runs stay in the calmest water Galveston has, minutes from the dock.
No strangers on the boat, which matters more with small children than most people expect.
The captain has thirty years of practice getting a first fish onto a small rod.

Small groups

Two to six anglers.

Priced per boat, so a group of six splits the same total a pair would pay on the five-hour trips.
Jetty half-days are the exception: $495 covers two, then $50 for each additional angler.
Six is a hard Coast Guard limit. Larger groups run two trips on consecutive days.
Cash, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express at the dock.

First-timers

Never held a saltwater rod.

Rods, Shimano reels, bait, and rigging are handled for you.
Nobody else is watching while you learn.
The captain will point you at the right trip rather than the expensive one if the group is unsure about open water.
Catch cleaning and filleting at the dock is included.

Serious anglers

You know what you came for.

Federal NOAA permits, vessel 1109029, out to 60 miles.
Named target trips: the Red Shark Hunt and Iron Fist Fall exist because somebody asked for them.
Garmin radar and chart plotter, live bait well, thirty years of numbers.
Tell him the target when you book and he plans the run line around it.

Book It

Every trip on this boat is private.

Thirteen variants across three distances. All whole-boat pricing, all with the same captain.

Trip	Hours	Season	Price
Jetty half-day, morning or afternoon	4 hours	Year-round	$495
Jetty extended, morning or afternoon	5 hours	May 15 to Nov 15	$800
Red Shark Hunt	5 hours	May 15 to Nov 15	$900
Galveston Nearshore	5 hours	May 1 to Oct 31	$1,200
Iron Fist Fall	7 hours	Sep 1 to Oct 31	$1,500
Federal Offshore	6 to 8 hours	Four seasonal windows	$2,500
Offshore Long-Run	10 hours	Jun 1 to Oct 26	$2,500

Jetty half-days cover two anglers with $50 for each additional. Everything else is a flat rate for up to six. Fuel, tackle, bait, ice, and cleaning are included on all of them, and there is no fuel surcharge at any distance.

Frequently Asked

Private charter questions.

Is the price per person or for the whole boat?

For the whole boat on every trip except the four-hour jetty half-days, which cover two anglers and add $50 for each additional. A group of six on a nearshore trip pays the same $1,200 a pair would.

Will anyone else be on the boat?

No. Only the people you book with, plus Capt. Shannon and, on offshore and longer nearshore trips, first mate Blake. The boat is never filled out with strangers.

Do I get to pick the captain?

There is only one. Shannon owns the Half Time and runs every trip on it. He also answers his own phone, so the person you talk to when you book is the person driving.

How many people can come?

Six anglers is the Coast Guard capacity on a 31 ft Ocean Master. Larger groups book two trips on consecutive days or need a bigger vessel, and the captain will say so rather than squeezing you aboard.

Can we bring children?

Children 3 and up are welcome and kid-sized life jackets are aboard. Jetty trips are the calmest water and the usual recommendation for a first outing with young kids.

How do we book?

Through the calendar on the booking page, or call (713) 962-7502 and talk to the captain. Free cancellation up to 30 days out, and weather cancellations called by the captain move to the next available date at no charge.