30 Years on the Water: Thank You for Being Part of the Fish Tale Story
This year, we're celebrating something we don't take for granted: 30 years of putting Southwest Florida families on the water. Three decades of first boats and forever boats, of sea trials and sunrises, of kids who learned to fish off our docks and came back years later to buy a boat of their own. If you've spent any time on the water around Fort Myers, Naples, or Bonita Springs, there's a good chance we've shared part of that story with you — and we wanted to take a moment to say thank you.
It started with a boat washer
Fish Tale Boats didn't begin in a boardroom. It began with Bruce Fricke, who worked his way up through this business from the ground floor — washing boats, moving into sales, and eventually making the leap to buy the dealership from its retiring owner back in 1996. That earn-it, hands-on spirit is still who we are today. Bruce's wife, Diane, leads the company now, and their two sons, Travis and Justin, run it day to day.
It's a true Southwest Florida story, and it's the reason we do things the way we do.
"Thirty years ago, we set out to build something that would outlast us — a place where people trust the name on the door and come back to us for their next boat, and their children's first boat," says Diane Fricke. "That trust is everything."
The name on the door still knows your name
Here's what's changed in the boat business over the last 30 years: a lot of the family dealerships you grew up with have been bought up by big national and international chains. We haven't. Fish Tale Boats is still one of the few marine dealerships in Southwest Florida that's independently and locally owned — the decisions are still made by the same family that works the docks, not a corporate office in another state.
That independence isn't just a nice story. It's the difference you feel after the sale.
"When you buy from a big national chain, you're a ticket number, and after the sale you're on your own," says Travis Fricke. "Here, the family that owns the place knows your name. We come to your dock, we make sure you're confident on the water, and we're still there years later. That's what thirty years of doing it the right way looks like."
What that means for you
When you buy a new boat from us, you're not just driving off the lot and hoping for the best. Every new boat comes with the kind of support the big chains simply don't offer:
A free 20-hour first service — your first major service is on us.
Free on-water captaining — our captains ride along until you feel completely confident at the helm, however long that takes.
A full tank of fuel at delivery — you leave topped off and ready to run.
A full year of free service pickup and return — we'll come get your boat and bring it back.
Proactive mobile service — we come to your dock or driveway. No hauling it in and waiting weeks.
And when you buy from us, you're welcomed into the Fish Tale Boat Club — a local community of owners who love being on the water. We organize trips and bring in area fishing captains to share everything from care and maintenance tips to where the fish are actually biting.
Trusted by the best names in boating
Over three decades, we've earned the trust of both our customers and the most respected manufacturers in the industry. We're proud to carry Grady-White, Robalo, Chaparral, and Premier Pontoons — and to have earned recognition that's rare in this business:
#1 Global Robalo Dealer Worldwide for seven consecutive years
20-plus-year Grady-White Admiral Award winner — the highest honor Grady-White gives a dealer, for excellence in sales and service
The best and most reviewed boat dealership in Southwest Florida
We're also a Yamaha Key Dealer with the highest certifications and more onsite Yamaha-trained master technicians than any dealership in Southwest Florida — so the people servicing your boat really know it inside and out.
Boats built in America, sold by your neighbors
There's something we're especially proud of, and it's easy to miss. The boats we sell are part of one of America's great manufacturing stories. The U.S. recreational boating industry is a $230 billion economic engine supporting more than 812,000 jobs across 36,000 businesses, and boating and fishing together are the largest contributors to the nation's $1.3 trillion outdoor recreation economy.
Unlike so much of what we buy these days, the overwhelming majority of boats sold in this country are also built here — and our lineup reflects that. Your Grady-White is hand-built in Greenville, North Carolina. Your Robalo or Chaparral is built in Nashville, Georgia. Your Premier Pontoon comes from Wyoming, Minnesota. Every one of those boats represents American jobs and American craftsmanship — a line that runs from your dock in Southwest Florida all the way back to factory floors across the country.
Rooted right here at home
We've never forgotten that this community is what made us. With a team of around 50 people, we're proud to be a meaningful part of the Southwest Florida economy. Over the years we've invested in local charities and community infrastructure and volunteered alongside Florida Gulf Coast University — because reinvesting in the region that's supported us since 1996 isn't a marketing line for us. It's just what you do when a place is home.
That same loyalty runs through our team. Some of the faces you see on the docks and in the service bays have been here for decades — like Tim Newcomb, who's been helping customers find the right boat since 1989. When you come back year after year, you tend to see the same people who helped you the first time.
Here's to the next chapter
As we head into our fourth decade, nothing about what matters most is going to change: great boats, honest guidance, and long-term relationships with the boating families of Southwest Florida.
So whether you bought your first boat from us in the '90s, joined the Fish Tale family last season, or you're just now dreaming about your first day on the water — thank you. You're the reason we've made it 30 years, and the reason we're just getting started.
Come see us in Fort Myers, Naples, or Bonita Springs — and let's get you on the water.