When asked what advice he would give a new entrepreneur, Blake Hunter says with absolute conviction, “You have to take a chance. Without jumping head first into something, you will never know what you can create.”
Life is all about constants; and, if you have ever ridden a bike, walked the dog or driven a car down 30A, one of the constants you’ll see is the yellow and black stickers for Hunter’s business, Reel30A. The eye-catching logo has become almost ubiquitous in the beach communities that make Destin, 30A and Panama City Beach so enchanting — not only for visitors who frequent the area but also for those who call it home.
The business itself is unique, born out of a void that Hunter felt was massively lacking in the local fishing community — a dedicated surf fishing charter company that would provide fun for families of all ages in a convenient, cost-efficient and safe environment.
“When I really started spending a lot of time fishing on the beach, I realized that everyone else out there with me was also just trying to figure it out,” Hunter said. “The professional anglers were busy taking clients out offshore in big boats, and the guys that knew about surf fishing were busy running the tackle shops in town; they were not out there helping people catch fish.”
So, in early 2016, Hunter told his family that he wanted to begin offering surf fishing as a professional service to visitors and locals in Walton and Okaloosa Counties. Bear in mind, the announcement came 16 months after closing on his family’s newly built house, four months after welcoming their first baby girl to the world — and while holding a steady job in medical devices that he ran with his best friend.
“My family was not entirely on board at first, but I was intentional with starting small and allowing the community to dictate how big I was able to grow the business,” he offered.
Originally from Naples, Florida, Hunter grew up with a passion for fishing. Whether on the beach, from the pier or out on a kayak or a center console, fishing was also something he found himself drawn to.
“I have to give it to my dad,” Hunter said. “He was not much of a fisherman himself when I was a kid, but he did everything he could to fuel my passion for me. That same curiosity about fishing that I had as a kid is what led me to start my surf fishing business here on 30A.”
It was his stepmother who coined the brand name, “Reel30A.”
As of today, Reel30A has won four Diamond Awards from Visit South Walton’s “Perfect in Walton County Awards” for best fishing charter, a category that has him regularly competing with offshore captains and commercial fleets.
Ironically, it was those large-scale fishing charters that influenced Hunter to double down on surfing as an offering.
“Fishing from the beach removes a lot of obstacles for people. Some people don’t feel safe on a boat, and some people get sick. It’s also hard to have really little kids on a boat, and if they are, not everyone in the group can fish because they are tending to the children in the group,” Hunter explained. “By setting up on the sand, everyone in the party gets to have fun. The kids can play in the sand until a fish gets on the line, and people can relax. We are integrating fishing into someone’s beach day, not taking them away from the beach to go fishing.”
From an angler’s perspective, surf fishing can also be more exciting thanks to the varieties of fish that can be caught. Hunter told stories of a party that caught 11 or more fish species in a single three-hour charter. In-shore fishing in the bay mainly includes seeing three to four fish species.
On social media, Hunter is known as the guy who catches fish, not just takes you fishing. When asked how he has gotten so good at knowing how to help his groups fetch 20-25 fish on a terrific spring or fall day, he is humble, attributing his success to the “10,000-hour rule.”
“If you do something consistently enough times, you figure out what works and what doesn’t,” he offered.
Hunter is not only putting in the hours with his clients; his entire lifestyle revolves around the beach and the ecosystem that surrounds us here in Walton County, and most important to him, family memories.
“Ever since our daughter Sloane was little, I’ve always tried to bring fishing rods with us to the beach. When you incorporate fishing into your trip, it always helps make memories. When you have kids, there is a finite amount of time in life you know you get to be with them, and when they are in that growth phase, it is important to set up as many opportunities for lifelong memories as possible,” he explained. “That is the core message in my business: to make key memories that kids will remember for their lifetime.”
Hunter has been on this mission for nearly a decade now, and while business has expanded for him and his wife Paige, so has his family, who they feel blessed to be raising at the beach. His daughter, Sloane, and two boys, Crosby and Rivers, can regularly be seen in Reel30A’s marketing, showcasing just why Hunter is so very good at the services he provides through his business — he lives it every day.
Reel30A continues to expand its territory and service offerings to clients, with inshore charters in Choctawhatchee Bay launching in late 2023 with the business’ acquisition of a center console that can easily accommodate four anglers for up to eight-hour charters for redfish and speckled trout.
When asked what he loves best about living in northwest Florida and serving the visitors and residents here, his response was as effortless as if he’d said it a thousand times.
“This area is full of a lot of good people who are just trying to make a living, raise a family and do the right thing,” Hunter said. “It’s one of the reasons why no matter where we have lived before, the Florida Panhandle will always be home for us.” | reel30a.com
