A Dream Catch

“The best fishing trips in Texas and beyond are now at your fingertips with Captain Experiences.

Sweat beading down his brow, left hand on the rod, and right hand quickly stripping line, Jonathan Newar just hooked the catch of a lifetime: a Tanzanian Tigerfish in the depths of the Ruaha National Park in Tanzania, Africa. Newar shouts, “Fish on!” From 50 feet down the bank, Attison Barnes starts pounding dirt to capture the moment and cheer his buddy on. The battle ends with a 40” toothy creature on the end of the rod, and after a quick CPR (catch, photo, release), the fish is back swimming in the Great Ruaha River.

The pure elation that comes from a catch, an amalgamation of adrenaline and nostalgia, is the feeling that inspired this duo to start Captain Experiences, with the mission to Unlock the Outdoors for all. The team’s African fishing excursion—and all the incredible fish caught—didn’t happen overnight. It’s the sum of years spent building their company, Captain.

Back in 2019, Newar was working in oil and gas finance in his hometown of Houston when the company was preparing to be acquired. He suggested celebrating with a team fishing trip. Newar was tasked with planning and booking the trip. “How hard can it be?” he asked himself.

Very, as it turned out. He began running into hurdle after hurdle—from playing phone tag with captains, to outdated charter websites with no price transparency, there were numerous pain points. Newar contrasted the laborious experience to the ease of using platforms like Airbnb or Uber, which streamline the process of linking consumers with providers.

As an avid outdoorsman himself, Newar felt a calling to make outdoor sports like fishing more accessible. He set out walking the docks in Galveston, asking guides about their marketing process and pitching them on the loose framework of a website that helps connect them with customers.”

To read the article from Texas Monthly and find out more, click here.

Photo Credit: Original Author

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