I didn’t come from a fishing family. I found it on my own — casting into ponds with junk gear, jumping on inshore party boats whenever someone would let me work the rails. I was 12 when I started working on boats, just trying to stay on the water in any way I could. One day, I blew my savings on a train ticket to Montauk and a five-day tilefish trip aboard the Viking Starship, and that was it. Game over.
I got hooked on canyon fishing fast. I spent years working under Captain Steven Forsberg on the F/V Freetime and Viking Starship, learning the offshore game; long hours, heavy weather, big fish. Those years taught me how to fish hard and run smart. When the time came, I got my own boat and started building my own operation from the ground up.
I ran trips and fished commercially every chance I had, even while grinding my way through Bates College. I’d be offshore one day, then back in the classroom the next. I earned a degree in Environmental Science and Ecology, but the ocean’s always been my real classroom.
Now I run charters out of Freeport, New York, aboard the Aphotic. Whether we’re hunting big blackfish or venturing through the canyons, I bring the same focus to every trip. This isn’t just a job to me, it’s what I was built for.
If you want a captain who’s been through the grind and still shows up hungry, you’ve found him.
Capt. David: USCG Master's License
The captain and F/V Aphotic are not responsible for any injuries sustained when fishing aboard our vessels. The sport of fishing has inherent risks which must be considered when undertaking a trip, and any and all injuries or loss to persons/gear are the sole responsibility of the individual or group.
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