PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — A Punta Gorda fisherman who was berated in a viral confrontation on the Peace River earlier this year is now using the experience to launch a new career as a charter captain.
In April, a video posted by 22-year-old Gage Towles showed charter captain Brock Horner driving up to his boat near the U.S. 41 bridge in Punta Gorda, shouting profanities before boarding Towles’ vessel.
Watch Fox 4's Alex Orenczuk report on what Gage Towles has been up to since the viral boat rage video in April:
“I’m the best charter captain you will ever meet,” Horner can be heard yelling before boarding Towles boat in a part of the video that’s now become infamous.
“It was pretty intimidating obviously,” Towles said.
Towles, who often recorded his fishing trips with a GoPro for social media, said he didn’t initially plan to share the video.
“I was going to just delete it but, I guess I’m glad I didn’t,” Towles told Fox 4. “This changed my life for the better.”
The video quickly spread online, gaining millions of views.
“Once I posted the video, I mean, overnight, I had like, seven or eight million views,” Towles said. “And then from there, it just slowly progressed and kept getting bigger and kept getting more eyes on it.”
Towles said initially the confrontation made him question whether he wanted to pursue his dream of becoming a charter captain, but he persevered.
“It kind of turned me off to the idea a little bit, but then when I kind of got to thinking about it, I could be, not the best charter captain, but I could be a better one. I could set a better example to the people that are coming out on the boat with me.”
Towles has since received his Merchant Mariner credential and his charter captain’s license, and is finalizing plans to launch his own charter business. He said the support he’s received since posting the video has helped push him forward.
“For the most part, I'm trying to make a career out of this more than anything take people fishing and share the love and the knowledge I have for fishing with other people,” he said.
His personal growth hasn’t been limited to the water and fishing. On land he’s taken up Jiu-Jitsu with a local instructor, Spencer Mumme. Mumme posted a reaction to Towles’ video on Facebook and challenged Horner to take his anger out in the gym. He also extended that invitation to Towles to come and train with him for free.
“Knowing that I was gonna hold my end of the bargain up, it’s been nothing but rewarding to see his progress since,” Mumme said.
Towles said his charter business Sixfourfishing (named after his height) should be ready to start accepting clients in the next few weeks.
“That’s my ultimate plan,” Towles said. “I just want people to come out here and share the beautiful dream that I live every time I come out here. I mean I always said to people, "I don't want to be rich, I just want to be on the water, every day.”
Towles made a police report the day of the incident, April 1, and Horner was arrested soon after. Horner faces a charge of burglary with assault or battery, and interfering with the taking off fish or game, along with several violations from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. He is due back in court in September.
