Our area’s waterways are plied by a multitude of experienced charter fishing captains who put their guests ‘on the fish’ and their catches in the cooler.
But what if your day’s catch went from the cooler on the boat to the kitchen of a skilled chef to be enjoyed fresh, fabulous and with friends that very same evening? The uniquely tempting answer to this intriguing question is why Dave Snyder, owner and executive chef of Halyards and Tramici restaurants, created Hook and Knife Charters.
Those who know Chef Dave know that his passion is creating great food for his restaurants’ guests, but only by the smallest of margins over his love of fishing. In fact, the catch of the day at Halyards or Tramici is often the ‘catch of the Dave.’
Lawrence and Vicki Certain, frequent guests at Halyards, recall the evening they arrived at Halyards for dinner at the same time Chef Dave did after his afternoon of fishing. “He motioned us to the back of the truck, lifted the top of the cooler and revealed his catch of trout. ‘Get your table, don’t order. I’ve got dinner,’ Dave said to us. It was the best fish we’ve ever tasted,” Lawrence remembers. And while these guests weren’t with Chef Dave to catch those fresh fish that day, that wondrously short intimacy between a hook in the water and a knife in the kitchen is the essence of Hook and Knife Charters.
“Every day on this earth, and particularly those enjoyed in this great coastal community of ours, is a gift. Making any day even better includes a hook to catch a fish and a knife to make it into a delicious meal. Nothing is better than cooking up the day’s catch for dinner with friends,” says Chef Dave.
Sharing the variety of fish species from local waters in the form of sensational meals has always been Dave’s passion. He’s been grilling trout for friends at his home or tempura-frying black sea bass for guests at one of his restaurants for the past 18 years. What’s new is Hook and Knife Charters–his new charter fishing business concentrating on the inshore waters of The Golden Isles.
After obtaining his captain license from the U.S. Coast Guard, Chef Dave (now also Capt. Dave) set about shaping a wholly different fishing experience for his charter guests. “Hook and Knife Charters don’t end at the dock after fishing. The day on the water is a prelude to a fun evening at one of the restaurants as I create dishes from what we caught. No pressure, right? If we don’t land a keeper, I’ll fry off the bait shrimp,” he joked. Depending on the charter, Chef Dave has two fishing vessels ready to launch: a 17-foot Bohemian and a 23-foot Tides. His charters are available for up to three persons.
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Hook and Knife Charters allow guests to be able to ‘talk turkey’ with Chef Dave during their outing about the restaurant business, our local waters, how dinner will be prepared and how important local, regional, and worldwide sustainability is to our ocean ecosystems. “I want to share my love of fishing with others as we enjoy these spectacular coastal waters together. It goes beyond what we catch and what we eat. It’s about a deeper understanding of this place we live in and what we all must do to sustain its bounty for future generations.” Dave’s participation on the Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel for the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is an indicator of how much he wants to make a difference. “Hook and Knife Charters gives me another opportunity to spread the word about fishery conservation and sustainability. Whether it’s redfish locally or red snapper in the South Atlantic, locals and visitors need to know that our waters and all its inhabitants are important. It’s vital that people hear, understand and act responsibly. Conservation is about the short and long-term decisions that seek the balance between sustaining fish habitats, saving jobs, our coastal heritage and the regional communities that depend on fishing.”
Chef Dave looks ahead to when Hook and Knife Charters will one day include trips to fishing sojourns outside The Golden Isles, including Islamorada in the Florida Keys and Lanark in the Florida panhandle. “It will be great fun to go to both unknown and popular spots to catch, cook and eat with guests. These more distant excursions will provide a way for us to learn how other regions protect their fish species.”
To learn more about Hook and Knife Charters with Chef Dave, call 912.399.3813. (If he doesn’t answer, he’s likely fishing for today’s catch.)
