C-DEVIL II CAPTAIN & CREW

  • From big game to light tackle, Captain Kelly Smith is an expert at putting his passengers on the fish. With a U.S. Coast Guard 100-Ton Master License and nearly 40 years at the helm, you can rest assured you and your crew are in highly capable hands. Kelly grew up in Portland, CT on the Connecticut River, where his love of boats began at the ripe old age of 12. Eventually, Kelly became a first mate aboard a charter boat fishing the waters of Connecticut and Rhode Island.

    He earned his Captain’s License in 1989, and became captain of the first C-Devil - a 22’ Grady White - taking clients fishing in pursuit of game fish. In 1993 he acquired the second C-Devil, a 26’ Fortier. In 1996 he traded the Fortier for a 32’ Topaz, which served him well for 22 seasons. The current C-Devil II is a beautiful 40-foot Duffy Downeast. Cap says this is his final vessel . (We shall see!) Kelly uses his expert knowledge of tides, currents, and the sea floor to provide clients with the finest and most productive fishing experience. He is a full time fisherman and earns his living on the water.

    Whether it’s taking kids out for fluke or striped bass, or fishing commercially, because of Kelly’s love of being out on the water, there is no other place he’d rather be. Captain Kelly has been a member of the Rhode Island Party and Charter Boat Association since 1993, and served as secretary from 1997 to 2009. He is a weekly contributor to On the Water Magazine, and has been featured by many fishing shows and magazines. He lives with his wife, Cheri, and stepdaughter, Camryn, in Charlestown, Rhode Island.

  • Gib is a USCG licensed Captain who was born and raised in Philadelphia PA. Growing up his father taught him how to fish, fly fishing in upstate PA and saltwater fishing in Rhode Island in the summers. Outside of fishing Gib was heavily involved in his school’s engineering and robotics program, which was no surprise because his father, a teacher, started and ran the program. In 2015 he met captain Kelly and began working on the C-Devil in the summers.

    After high school Gib attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute to study engineering. After a year and a half he decided WPI wasn’t a great fit for him, so he took time off and traveled through Mexico (he’d love to tell you stories about it). He then attended the University of Rhode Island where he studied oceanographic engineering for a short time. Ultimately his passion for fishing won out and he decided to become a full time fisherman, devoting all his time to learning about the New England fisheries and the fishing industry as a whole. While Gib had always enjoyed fishing as a kid, it was aboard the C-Devil II where his passion evolved into an obsession.

    Since 2018 Gib has been the full time mate on the C-Devil II, but he still finds time to go fishing for himself, primarily saltwater fly fishing. In the winter months he works on a commercial fishing boat out of Stonington CT. If you meet someone who’s more obsessed with fishing than Gib, let us know.

  • Chéri supports the back-office operations and marketing of the business. Growing up on the north shore of Massachusetts to a fishing family, angling courses through her veins. Every spare moment was dedicated to embracing the waters during Chéri’s childhood. During her teenage years, she learned to pilot powerboats and also shared her love for sailing by teaching at Community Boating in Boston. She is a longtime member and currently serves as the Tournament Chair for the Rhode Island Mobile Sportfishing organization.

    Chéri is the founder and CEO of the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy, a national nonprofit focused on solar economic development on tribal lands. She’s held senior roles at Tesla, SolarCity, and the U.S. Department of Energy. Since Cheri's heart always remains tied to the ocean, she's also been a consultant for companies in the fishing and boat-building industries in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. She raised her two sons and daughter on the shore in Tiverton, Rhode Island. Her son, Aidan – an Army veteran and wounded warrior – is now a certified marine technician and professional Florida fishing guide.

See what’s new aboard

F/V C-DEVIL II

C-Devil II is a beautiful 40-foot Duffy Downeast fishing vessel purpose-built for safety, stability, and speed, providing the ultimate in year-round fishing comfort. Repowered in 2023 with a high-performance clean diesel Scania 700 HP engine, we reach the fishing grounds before most other boats, so you spend less of your day traveling and more time landing trophy fish!

Inside, enjoy the impeccably clean, climate-controlled cabin with ample cushioned seating, private full-sized head (restroom), and galley with fridge and microwave. Outside is where the action happens in the large cockpit with twin fighting chairs, and top-of-the-line tackle, managed by your professional 1st Mate whose job it is to care for your every need from baiting hooks, setting lines, netting fish and cleaning and packaging your catch to take home.

C-Devil II is powered with a brand new Scania Di13 700HP Clean Turbo Diesel, which means we spend less time running to the fishing grounds and more time fishing!

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