Rich Fishing Charters

Rich Fishing Charters is a small, independently run bass guide operation led by Captain Rich Tate, launching trips from the boat ramps at the Torry Island facility on West Canal Street North, just outside downtown Belle Glade. The charter has built a strong local reputation on Lake Okeechobee, holding a 4.9 star rating built off dozens of client reviews that consistently mention Tate’s deep familiarity with the lake’s structure and his patience with visiting families and first time bass anglers.

The operation runs a 22-foot Storm bass boat, capable of handling Okeechobee’s open water while still being nimble enough to work the shallow grass flats and reed lines where the lake’s largemouth bass concentrate. Trips carry up to three anglers at a time, a deliberately smaller group size than some competing charters, which Tate uses to give each angler more individual coaching and rod time rather than splitting attention across a full boat. Rods, reels, tackle, and lures are all provided, and Tate fishes both light and heavy tackle approaches depending on conditions, switching techniques as the lake’s notoriously changeable grass beds and water levels dictate.

Trip lengths are flexible, running anywhere from four hours for a shorter morning outing to a full eight hour day for anglers who want to fish through changing conditions and chase a personal best largemouth. That range makes the charter workable both for a casual half day add on to a family trip through the Glades and for a serious angler planning a dedicated day of tournament style fishing. Reviews specifically call out the captain’s approach with children and less experienced anglers, describing a guide who slows down and teaches technique rather than simply running clients to fish and expecting them to already know what to do.

Rich Fishing Charters operates out of the Torry Island Campground and Marina complex on West Canal Street, a public boating facility with boat ramps and lake access that has become a common launch point for several of Belle Glade’s independent fishing guides. Tate’s own business, however, is separate from the facility itself: a one captain, one boat operation that markets primarily through social media and word of mouth rather than a dedicated website. For visitors looking for a family oriented, smaller group bass fishing experience on Lake Okeechobee, based out of Belle Glade rather than the more heavily marketed operations out of Clewiston or Okeechobee City, Rich Fishing Charters represents the kind of low key, highly rated local guide service the area is known for.