Sam holding a big wahoo caught on a full day trip.
Meet Sam, the person who spends the most time with your family on the back deck, coaching, teaching, helping, and keeping the trip running smoothly.
On a private fishing charter, the captain runs the boat.
The mate helps run the experience.
Your mate is the person beside you when the fishing starts. He helps bait hooks, untangle lines, explain what is happening, coach kids, guide beginners, handle fish safely, take pictures, clean fish, and keep the deck organized.
That matters more than most people realize before they step aboard.
Your mate is the person who helps turn a fishing trip into a comfortable, coached, hands-on experience.
Sam is with guests throughout the trip, helping kids and beginners feel confident, keeping tackle ready, watching safety, explaining what we are doing, and making the day feel easier for your family.
That is why the right mate matters so much on a private family fishing charter.
Your mate and deckhand aboard Distraction is Captain Sam McClaren.
Sam is from the Tallahassee, Florida area. He is married, has two young children, and genuinely enjoys helping kids and families experience offshore fishing.
He is calm, soft-spoken, patient, and steady. That combination matters on a fishing boat.
When the bite turns on, Sam becomes your coach, tackle hand, fish handler, safety helper, and back-deck problem solver all at once.
He is also the one answering questions from kids, parents, grandparents, and first-timers while keeping the trip moving.
Many guests spend more time directly with the mate than they do with the captain.
That is not because the captain is not involved. It is because the mate is working beside you where the fishing happens.
Sam is the one helping your child hold the rod correctly. He is the one showing a beginner what to do when a fish bites. He is the one watching hooks, sinkers, fish teeth, sharp fins, and excited kids with big smiles.
When the back deck feels calm, organized, and fun, a good mate is usually the reason.
The captain gets you there and makes the big decisions.
The mate helps your family understand, participate, learn, laugh, and enjoy the fishing once the lines go in the water.
A good mate does much more than bait hooks.
Sam helps with:
That work is constant from the time the trip starts until the boat is cleaned and ready again.
Families notice when someone is paying attention.
They notice when kids are helped instead of rushed.
They notice when a beginner is coached instead of corrected.
They notice when the deck feels organized, safe, and calm.
They notice when the person helping them actually enjoys helping them.
That is the kind of mate Sam is.
See the Family-Friendly Charter Difference
Kids learn fast when they are encouraged.
Sam helps kids understand what to do without making the moment feel too serious or too technical.
Sometimes that means helping them hold the rod. Sometimes it means explaining what kind of fish they caught. Sometimes it means calming the excitement just enough to keep everyone safe.
The goal is simple: help kids feel proud, included, and excited to keep trying.
Learn About Kids Fishing Charters
If you have never fished offshore before, you are not behind.
That is exactly why a good mate matters.
Sam helps guests understand how to hold the rod, when to reel, what to do when a fish bites, and how to stay safe around hooks, fish, and tackle.
You do not have to show up knowing everything. You just need to be willing to listen, learn, and enjoy the day.
Fishing is fun, but a fishing boat has real things to pay attention to.
Hooks are sharp. Fish have teeth and spines. Sinkers are heavy. The boat moves. Kids get excited. Adults get excited too.
Sam helps keep the back deck organized and watches the little things before they become bigger problems.
That kind of quiet awareness is one of the most valuable parts of a good mate’s job.
Learn About Fishing Charter Safety
One of the best parts of a private charter is that your group gets to learn as the day unfolds.
Sam helps explain what we are doing, why we are moving, what kind of fish we are targeting, why some fish can be kept, and why some fish must be released.
For families, that turns the trip into more than just catching fish.
It becomes a real Gulf Coast learning experience.
Read About Responsible Fishing
At Distraction Charters, the mate is not an afterthought.
The mate represents the boat, the captain, the business, and the experience your family came to enjoy.
We need someone who can fish, work hard, stay calm, think ahead, teach clearly, handle people well, and care about the guest experience.
Sam fits that role.
He understands that his job is not just handling fish. It is helping people.
A great mate can rig tackle, land fish, clean fish, and fix problems.
But on a family charter, he also needs patience, awareness, kindness, timing, and the ability to help guests feel comfortable.
While Captain Troy is running the boat, watching conditions, making decisions, and positioning the trip, Sam is helping keep the back deck working.
That teamwork matters.
The captain and mate have different jobs, but both jobs are connected. The trip works best when the boat, deck, guests, tackle, safety, and fishing plan are all working together.
That is why Sam’s role is so important.
We believe guests should understand this before the trip.
The mate’s gratuity is separate from the charter price and is best handled in cash after the trip.
Sam works hard from dock to dock: baiting hooks, rigging tackle, coaching beginners, helping kids, fixing tangles, unhooking fish, taking pictures, watching safety, cleaning fish, bagging fish, and resetting the boat after the trip.
A common guideline for mate gratuity is at least 20% of the charter price.
Bringing cash for your mate helps make sure the person working directly with your family on the back deck is taken care of properly.
Cash is the cleanest and most direct way to take care of your mate after the trip.
It avoids confusion, delays, and extra handling.
If you are unsure what is customary, just ask. We would rather you feel informed than awkward or caught off guard.
See Current Fishing Charter Prices
When your group keeps fish, Sam helps clean and bag them after the trip.
Fish cleaning and bagging are included with Distraction Charters when fish are kept.
That is part of the service, and it is also part of the work your mate handles after the fishing is done.
Please remember that fish cleaning time, dock cleanup, and boat reset are still part of the mate’s workday.
Guests often remember Sam because he is the one beside them in the action.
He helps when the reel tangles. He explains what happened when a fish gets off. He celebrates when a kid lands one. He keeps things moving when the deck gets busy.
That kind of help changes the whole feel of a trip.
It is the difference between “we went fishing” and “we were taken care of.”
Most families, kids, first-timers, grandparents, and mixed-experience groups should start with the 6 Hour Family Fun Trip.
It gives your family a real private offshore fishing experience without making the day too long or complicated.
If you are unsure, choose “Not sure yet. Please help me choose” on the reservation form. Captain Troy will help guide you before your reservation is confirmed.
The captain makes the final weather call based on safety, wind, seas, wave period, storms, lightning risk, comfort, and the group going that day.
Safe offshore conditions do not always mean flat calm water, so guests should prepare honestly for motion and comfort.
If a group chooses to return early because of seasickness, fatigue, or discomfort after departure, the full trip rate still applies.
Sam helps keep the deck calm and safe during the trip, but weather and sea decisions belong to the captain.
If you want a private Orange Beach fishing charter where your family is coached, helped, encouraged, and looked after on the back deck, Sam is a big part of what makes that happen.
Check Availability and Request Your Trip
You can also call or text Captain Troy at 251-975-8111.
Your mate and deckhand is Captain Sam McClaren. He works with guests on the back deck throughout the trip.
The mate helps with bait, tackle, coaching, safety, fish handling, photos, tangles, fish cleaning, and keeping the trip running smoothly.
Yes. Helping kids and beginners is a major part of Sam’s role on the boat.
No. Beginners are welcome. Sam helps guests learn what to do so they can relax and enjoy the trip.
Yes. The mate’s gratuity is separate from the charter price and is best handled in cash after the trip. A common guideline is at least 20% of the charter price.
For more answers, visit our Orange Beach Fishing Charter FAQ.
Orange Beach Marina, Slip E-12
27075 Marina Road
Orange Beach, AL 36561
Call/Text: 251-975-8111
We depart from Orange Beach Marina, which is convenient for guests staying in Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, Fort Morgan, Perdido Key, and along the Alabama Gulf Coast.
Directions to Orange Beach Marina
Sam enjoys waking up every day seeing the sunrise on the Gulf.
Giving Back – Sam talking to kids at local high school about careers in charter fishing
Deep water grouper caught on full day trip -way offshore
Sam helping hold a greater amberjack
Sam holding a triggerfish
Park in lot on the right (yellow). Walk west on the (red line) walkway past the Restaurant and to the left side of the dock store.
Distraction Charters © 2026 All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy