About A2 Fishing Charters
The Story Behind Every Trip
A2 Fishing Charters is built around one guide, one boat, and three decades on Everglades water.
Growing Up on the Water
Armando Alejo's connection to fishing started long before he ever ran a charter. Born in Cuba in 1976, he was casting a line by age six, developing the patience and quiet observation that would later define how he guides. As a teenager he found a role model in angler and conservationist Jose Wejebe — not just for what he caught, but for how he treated the water and the people he took out on it.
That influence shaped the decades that followed. Long before he was a licensed captain, Armando spent years fishing the Everglades on his own time, learning tides, seasonal movement, and backcountry structure the slow way — through repetition, not shortcuts. By the time he started guiding professionally, he already knew this water better than most captains twice his age in the business.
From Weekend Angler to Licensed Captain
Turning a lifelong hobby into a profession meant earning his USCG Merchant Mariner Credential and OUPV Six-Pack license, then committing to guiding clients rather than just fishing for himself. For more than ten years, that has meant running trips out of the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City across every season the Everglades has to offer.
Running the same water year after year gives Armando an edge that's hard to replicate — he isn't guessing where the fish might be based on a forecast. He's adjusting a game plan he has already tested that week.
Teaching, Not Just Fishing
Armando would rather see a first-time angler land one solid snook, understand why it struck, and know how to do it again, than run through a dozen spots without explaining any of it. That mindset shapes every trip, whether he's working with a family who has never held a rod or a fly fisherman chasing a specific presentation.
Fluent in both English and Spanish, he adjusts pace and instruction to whoever is on the boat — slowing down for beginners, dialing in on technique for experienced anglers, and keeping things relaxed for families and kids.
Conservation on Every Trip
A decade of guiding in the Everglades has made Armando protective of it. He fishes with tackle sized to reduce fight time and fish mortality, handles catches with care, and teaches guests proper release technique instead of just netting and moving on. Slot limits and closed seasons aren't an inconvenience — they're part of why this fishery is still this good.
That reputation among other local guides earned him the Top Guide Award at the Swamp Guides Ball in 2019, along with a first place finish in the Hook'em in the Glades tournament — both recognitions from a community of captains who fish this water every day and know the difference between a good trip and a sustainable one.
Fish With Captain Armando
Ready to see this water firsthand? Take a look at the available charter packages on the homepage, call directly to check availability, or get in touch with any questions.