Captain Eddie Herbert

Captain Eddie Herbert has spent more than five decades pursuing sportfishing around the world. Born and raised in Key Biscayne, Florida, Herbert grew up fishing whenever possible and spent time on charter docks studying daily catches. His career began after being invited aboard a charter, where he caught his first sailfish.

His first boat was a 23-foot SeaCraft named Bounty Hunter, aboard which he landed his first blue marlin off Bimini. He later operated his own charter boat, El Lobo, out of Bahia Mar in Fort Lauderdale, with IGFA Fishing Hall of Famer Skip Smith as mate. The pair ran charters and tournaments throughout the mid-1970s, and Herbert continued charter operations through the 1980s aboard Bootlegger.

In 1995, Herbert began an 18-year tenure running Jim Lambert Sr.’s renowned Reel Tight program, first on a 50-foot Bertram and later on an 80-foot Merritt. Fishing 200 to 240 days annually, the team traveled extensively to premier destinations including Panama, Costa Rica, Bermuda, The Bahamas and St. Thomas. Their dominance on the Virgin Islands’ North Drop became legendary, often releasing multiple blue marlin before sunrise.

Herbert refined his approach under mentors such as IGFA Fishing Hall of Famer Peter B. Wright and through the influence of innovative captains like IGFA Tommy Gifford Awards recipient Brad Simonds. Following Lambert’s passing in 2008, Herbert continued at the highest level, captaining Jim Carr’s Never Say Never, based in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and fishing throughout the Pacific, including Magdalena Bay.

After more than 50 years on the water, Capt. Eddie Herbert remains one of sportfishing’s most respected figures, defined by professionalism, passion and legacy.