Distraction is the boat we point people to when they say “we’ve got kids and we’ve never done this before.” Capt. Troy Frady has been running private charters out of Orange Beach Marina since 2002 — slip E-12, tagline “Bent Poles & Smiling Faces” — and the roughly 1,000 five-star reviews are mostly some version of the same story: a family that didn’t know what they were doing came back with fish and a good day.
The boat
A 41-foot Hatteras rigged for six passengers, private — no strangers filling out the manifest. Air-conditioned cabin and a real restroom, which matters more than you think when it’s July and somebody’s eight.
The trips
The 6-hour family trip is the bread and butter; 8- and 10-hour days go farther for bigger bottom fish. Depending on season you’re on red snapper, vermilion snapper, triggerfish, amberjack, king mackerel, grouper. Troy and his mate coach beginners without making it feel like school.
Good to know
No deposit to book, and fish cleaning is included — you leave with fillets, not a project. Frady’s been on Discovery, Outdoor Channel, and National Geographic, but the operation stays a small family thing, which is the point.
