Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 409 is a conversation with Capt. Peter Deeks, a versatile Florida fishing guide based on Merritt Island who built his reputation by following the fish across a huge operational area from Palm Beach to Daytona. He tells me how going all-in, and putting roughly 100,000 miles on his truck, transformed his guiding, how he came to film shows with Bill Dance and teach through Salt Strong, and how he also runs a hunting outfitter offering alligator hunts.
▶ Watch on YouTube · 🎧 Listen now
Capt. Peter Deeks is a versatile Florida fishing guide based on Merritt Island, in the east-central part of the state. Known on Instagram as Captain Peter Deeks, he is recognized for a wide operational area and for filming fishing shows with Bill Dance, as well as teaching fishing courses and educational videos for Salt Strong. He also owns a hunting outfitter that runs alligator hunts.
Peter made a deliberate decision years ago to follow the fish rather than be a guide tied to one marina, where a slow bite means a slow day. He committed to going all-in no matter the cost in fuel, motors, or mileage, and that approach has put around 100,000 miles on his truck as he chases the best bite across Florida.
From his Merritt Island base, Peter ranges as far south as Palm Beach and as far north as Daytona, often letting clients pick the species they want and then traveling to wherever those fish are biting best. The wide range is a defining part of his reputation as one of the most versatile guides around.
Peter films fishing shows with the legendary Bill Dance and is close with him. He recalls his first big year going all-in producing incredible shows with Dance, including an eleven-and-a-half-pound trout on one show and a couple of forty-inch snook on another, which proved to him that committing fully brings outsized rewards.
Peter teaches fishing courses and creates educational videos for the Salt Strong platform, sharing the techniques behind his versatile, travel-heavy approach to inshore and nearshore fishing. He has been featured with Salt Strong branding, including a wrapped yellowfin tied to the platform.
Yes. In addition to guiding, Peter owns a hunting outfitter where he runs alligator hunts and offers the best of what Florida has to offer outdoors. Between the fishing, the shows, the teaching, and the outfitting, he describes living the whole fishing-and-hunting life.
I had heard so many good things about Peter, and not from random sources, from people I genuinely respect like Joe Simonds and Bill Dance. He has a reputation as an unusually versatile guide with a huge operational area, and we had actually never met, so this was a chance to get to know him on the air, with the hope it leads to fishing together down the line. Press play in the YouTube player above.
Peter tells the story of a turning point: a slumping economy and fading tournaments left him feeling lost, unwilling to be a one-marina guide at the mercy of one bite, so he prayed on it and went all-in, deciding it did not matter how much fuel, how many motors, or how many miles it cost, he would simply follow the fish. That decision is the foundation of everything that came after. Listen to how it unfolded in the episode.
Going all-in put roughly 100,000 miles on Peter's truck, and the first year alone proved the bet. He filmed incredible shows, including an eleven-and-a-half-pound trout and a couple of forty-inch snook, and learned that if you go all-in the rewards are outsized. He now treats every guide day like a tournament. Hear what that commitment has produced in the player above.
Peter is close with Bill Dance and films shows with him, and he reflects on what makes Dance special: the ability to entertain and educate while walking the fine line of representing sponsors, and the fact that fishing the same waters for the same fish for decades never gets old for his audience. It is a thoughtful tribute to a legend from someone who works alongside him. Listen to that section in the episode.
Peter does not just guide. He teaches fishing courses and makes educational videos for Salt Strong, and he owns a hunting outfitter that runs alligator hunts and showcases the best of Florida's outdoors. He describes living the whole fishing-and-hunting life, and how the pieces feed each other. Press play to hear how he built such a varied operation.
▶ Watch on YouTube · 🎧 Listen now
What I took from Peter is that the 100,000 miles are really a story about commitment. He refused to let one slow marina define his career, and the willingness to chase the bite anywhere is what built his reputation.
It was great to finally get to know him, and I hope it leads to time on the water together. Listen to the whole conversation.
The Tom Rowland Podcast brings you long-form conversations with the most accomplished anglers, hunters, conservationists, and outdoor professionals in the game. Listen to every full-length Tom Rowland Podcast interview.
Capt. Peter Deeks is a versatile Florida fishing guide based on Merritt Island in the east-central part of the state, known for following the fish across a wide operational area from Palm Beach to Daytona. He films fishing shows with the legendary Bill Dance, teaches fishing courses and produces educational videos for Salt Strong, and owns a hunting outfitter that runs alligator hunts. His all-in, follow-the-fish philosophy has put roughly 100,000 miles on his truck and built his reputation as one of the most adaptable guides around.
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