The dock is quiet before sunrise. The air is heavy with salt and humidity, bait tanks humming softly as the tide moves beneath the hull. Headlamps flicker in the dark while gear is loaded with practiced efficiency. In Florida, where the water never really rests and there’s no true offseason, the day starts long before the first cast.
For Cody, this hour is routine. It’s where preparation begins: lines checked, ice packed, fuel topped off, knives exactly where they should be. Fishing isn’t just something he does; it’s the life he’s built around these waters. And out here, being ready isn’t optional. It’s the baseline.
Meet Cody Chivas: From Dock Kid to Gulf Captain
Cody Chivas grew up fishing off the dock behind his house, tagging along with his dad on the flats before he had any real sense of what the water would eventually mean to him. What followed were years of watching and absorbing; tournaments with his dad, time aboard commercial boats, early access to guides and captains who were genuinely good at their craft. "I got to see very fortunately what it took to be good at each aspect," he says, "and I molded my business from a lot of those lessons I learned at a young age."
By the time most kids were learning to drive, Cody was already running charters and working the gulf on his own terms. Today, his operation splits between competitive tournament fishing and guiding clients through some of Florida's most remarkable waters. The business has grown, but the standards he built it on haven't changed much at all.
Florida: A Fishery Without Limits
Florida isn’t just a place to fish, it’s a place built around water. The coastline is still wild and diverse, stretching from quiet rivers and inland lakes to the Gulf and open ocean. There are few places where you can chase one species at sunrise and another by afternoon, shifting with tides instead of seasons. Here, there is no real offseason. The fishery moves year-round, and so do the people who make their living from it.
For Cody, that constant motion is what separates a pastime from a way of life. “What separates someone who casually enjoys fishing and somebody whose life revolves around it simply comes down to the number of memories and experiences created on the water.” Success isn’t only measured by what’s in the cooler, it’s measured in shared days, hard lessons, and stories that last far longer than the tide that carried them in.
What It Takes to Live the Lifestyle
There’s a visible difference between someone who enjoys fishing and someone who lives it. Sometimes it shows up as a permanent sunburn and weathered hands. More often, it shows up in the schedule, early mornings, late nights, and no true offseason in a place like Florida.
Fishing for a living is hard in ways most people don’t see. It’s rewarding, but not always monetarily. It demands consistency, patience, and the willingness to keep showing up when conditions aren’t ideal. Over time, the lifestyle becomes less about a single catch and more about building something steady: skill, reputation, and days on the water that mean something long after they’re over.
Out here, the difference is commitment.
Preparation and Readiness
A day on the water starts well before the boat leaves the dock. Gear loaded, tackle rigged, ice packed, fuel topped off, bait caught if needed. But the physical checklist is only half of it. Tides, weather windows, positioning, every variable gets accounted for before the first line hits the water. "The right gear prep," Cody says, "is what separates a good fish story and a bad one."
Florida makes all of it harder. The salt, the heat, the relentless use, the environment tests gear constantly and forgives very little. Over the years, Cody's approach has only gotten more refined. More experience means fewer assumptions, and less tolerance for tools that can't keep up.
The Fillet Table: Where the Day Is Measured
The fillet table is where success is measured. After hours on the water, this is where the harvest comes to fruition — not in the size of the catch, but in the quality of the work. “This is the place often where success is measured and dialogue respected in the form of harvest,” he says.
By the time the fish hits the table, exhaustion sets in, but so does a quiet satisfaction. The process comes full circle, and it’s here that respect for the fish and the work is most evident. “It’s a place where prep and a day’s hard work come to fruition.”
In these moments, the right tool makes all the difference. "Having a knife you have the utmost confidence in and is going to give that fish respect with the best possible tool is special."
Tools of the Trade: His Benchmade Picks
When a fishery runs year-round, gear doesn't get a break. What earns a permanent spot on Cody's boat has to meet one standard above all else. "First and foremost, it's simple. It's got to work," he says. "From the first use to the thousandth."
Each water knife in his kit serves a distinct purpose, especially the Fishcrafter™ fillet lineup. For larger grouper, snapper, amberjack, and big pelagics, he reaches for the 9" Fishcrafter™. Smaller snapper, grouper under eight or nine pounds, and inshore species of similar size get the 7" Fishcrafter™. The 5" Fishcrafter™ is where precision takes over. "It has the perfect flex to get a yield where those large knives can't," he says. What sets the lineup apart, above everything else, is the edge. "I'm blown away and slightly perplexed on how many times I have used these fillet knives and how phenomenally sharp they are," Cody says. "Before Benchmade, my fillet table routine was started by sharpening. With the Fishcrafter™, I literally take it out of its sheath and go to work."
Beyond the fillet table, the Adira™ handles everyday tasks on the boat. “The Adira™ is part of everyday gear prep on the water.” The Station Knife, meanwhile, has earned its place in the kitchen too. "I don't think my kitchen would be the same without it."
Advice for the Next Generation
For those looking to build a career on the water, mentoring under someone successful is key. "Getting that experience as mate or deckhand is invaluable and the best opportunity to learn," he says. Time spent on the water isn't just hours logged; it's an investment in your craft and knowledge. "Mold your own path from the tools you acquire and spend as much time as you can afford on the water honing those skills and figuring out a fishery," he says.
After that, it comes down to presence and patience. Learn the fishery. "Never be afraid to try things you haven't seen or done before on the water," he says.
For Southeast anglers unfamiliar with Benchmade, his recommendation is simple: "If you want the best knives, you've found them."
Built for the Water. Yours for Life.
Cody’s life on the water has always been about tools he can trust. From the constant exposure to salt, heat, and relentless use, his water knives have to perform day in and day out. Benchmade knives are built for that kind of reliability in Our Factory, Oregon City, USA, and backed by a Lifetime Warranty and LifeSharp service, built to stay on the boat, season after season.