MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — While our focus has been on homeowners and their next steps after the recent storms, out on the water, charter captains are working to get back to normal.

Griffin Deans, a charter captain and owner of Slot Machine Fishing Charters, takes an average of 30 groups a month out on the Manatee River and other waters in Manatee County. He started his business in 2017 and has enjoyed creating excitement and putting smiles on people’s faces ever since.

When Griffin Deans takes a group out on the water, he has one mission.

“Just trying to catch as many fish as we possibly can,” he said.

When the hurricanes hit, his business also took a hit, with clients calling to cancel their trips.

“I started getting a bunch of texts about people not coming down here and whatnot. Honestly, I was pretty worried because you’re not sure how long that’s going to last. You don’t know if that’s going to be a thing until the end of the year or if it’s just going to be a week thing,” he said.

When hurricanes Helene and Milton hit back-to-back, business for Slot Machine Fishing Charters also took a hit, with clients calling to cancel trips. (Spectrum News/Julia Hazel)

About 20 charter groups ended up canceling.

“I wasn’t sure if I was going to have to get another job,” he said.

Deans said those lost trips would have brought in thousands of dollars.

“It was definitely a big scare for a couple of weeks,” he said.

But now, he’s getting more charters back on the calendar.

Owner Griffin Deans (center) says his business is starting to rebound after the storms. (Spectrum News/Julia Hazel)

“Luckily, the locals have come through over the last two or three weeks. And we’ve gotten to be, I wouldn’t say busy, but halfway between, and things seem to be picking up," he said.

He’s reeling in more business, reeling in more fish, and hopeful for smooth sailing ahead.

Deans also advises caution on the water, especially for boaters. There’s still a lot of debris, such as large trees underwater and items floating above water.