A group of Baldwin County fishing guides is earning national recognition for excellence on the water.

FishingBooker, the world's largest platform connecting anglers with charter captains, has named 25 local guides winners of its 2024 Angler's Choice Award, a distinction reserved for the most reliable and highly rated professionals in the industry.

Out of 144 Baldwin County captains listed on FishingBooker, 25 received the honor — an 18% success rate that places the coastal Alabama county well above the national average of 7.7% according to FishingBooker. In total, just 672 captains out of 8,732 on the platform earned the award.

"The Angler's Choice Award puts your name out there as an experienced captain with all the credentials there is in the Gulf of America," said Mike Salley, captain of Sure Shot Fishing Charters in Orange Beach.

Established in 2015, the annual award highlights fishing guides who consistently deliver outstanding customer service and top-tier angling experiences. Alabama ranked third nationwide in percentage of winning captains, with 16% of its guides receiving the honor.

To qualify, captains must maintain a minimum average review score of 4.8 out of 5 from at least 10 verified reviews. They must also have a response rate and reliability score of 98% or higher and complete full business verification to ensure legal compliance and safety.

FishingBooker, founded in 2013, currently offers more than 45,000 trips in over 2,150 destinations worldwide.

BALDWIN COUNTY'S 2024 ANGLER'S CHOICE AWARD WINNERS:

Orange Beach

• Bobby Kelly and crew, Southern Star Outfitters

• Tom Myers, Double A Charters

• Seth Wilson, Riptide

• Mike Salley and crew, Sure Shot Fishing Charters

• Blake May, Mad Hatter

• Corey Hebert, Wahoodat Fishing Charters

• Benjamin Knight, Great Southern Fishing Charters

• Kyle Smith, Prodigy Charters – Inshore/Nearshore

• Albert L. Stinson and crew, Jus Cuz Fishing Charters

• JT Orr, Redline Inshore Fishing Charters

• Charlie Williams, Southern Sun Fishing Charters

• Will Owens, Great Escape Charters

Gulf Shores

• Marty Conni, Addicted 2 Fishing Charters

• Scott Luster and crew, Stressed Out Charters

• Stephen Crews, Black Flag Company

• Gary Bryant and crew, Red Eye Charters

• Bill Walsh, 6deep Charter Fishing

• Perry Davis and crew, Off The Hook Charters

• Randy Reese, Due South Fishing II

• Patrick Gallagher and crew, Trick'em Charters

• Donnie Vinson, Team Vinson Charters

Fort Morgan

• Jason Shields, Shields Charter Service

• Seth Hartleroad and crew, Nauti-Nurse Sportfishing

• Tim Birrell, Easy Livin' Charters

Fairhope

• David Rice, Middle Bay Fishing Charters

For a full list of winners by state and more information about the Angler's Choice Award, visit https://fishingbooker.com/blog/annual-anglers-choice-award-fishingbooker.