🎣 Hilton Head Island
Hilton Head's fishing charter scene runs from $375 half-day flats trips for redfish and trout to $3,000 Gulf Stream runs for marlin and tuna. The captain matters more than the boat — three of these guys have been guiding Calibogue Sound for 30+ years.
Fly + light-tackle inshore with a 30-year HHI native.
Capt. Brian Vaughn is the only operator on the island who is genuinely fluent in fly fishing — an 18ft Hells Bay flats skiff and a 25ft Estero bay boat, guiding Calibogue Sound, the May River, and Broad Creek for 30+ years. Trips start at $375/3hr inshore.
📍HHI / Calibogue Sound, Hilton Head Island
Private 11-mile lagoon, electric flats skiff.
Capt. Trent Malphrus runs the only fishing charter on the private 11-mile Palmetto Dunes lagoon — flat-calm water, electric boat, fly + light-tackle for redfish and trout. Featured on ESPN and Outdoors Channel.
📍Palmetto Dunes, Hilton Head Island
Three-boat fleet since 1970.
Three boats (Bay Runner, Fin-Atic, Phantom) — only multi-boat operator on the island. Capt. Miles Altman has 50+ years experience. Phantom is offshore-capable for 6-8 hour reef trips.
📍Hilton Head Island, Hilton Head Island
All-purpose nearshore/offshore with a 31ft platform.
Capt. Jackson Larson took over from legendary Capt. Bill Parker in 2018. 31ft, 12ft beam, 6 anglers — covers tarpon, cobia, shark, deep-sea on one boat.
📍2 Hudson Rd, Hilton Head Island
Capt. "Gumbo" DeLoach — inshore + offshore at $150/hr.
Capt. Jon 'Gumbo' DeLoach runs cobia, tarpon, shark, redfish, and Spanish/king mackerel trips. 20+ years local. $150/hr (up to 6 anglers); $270 for a 2-hour evening shark trip.
📍3 Hudson Rd, Hilton Head Island
Light tackle + well-known shark trips.
Capt. Terry Hall has been a USCG Master Captain since 2012, running light-tackle inshore plus the most consistently-recommended shark trips on the island.
📍Hilton Head Island / Bluffton, Hilton Head Island
Backwater redfish + nearshore tarpon, 30+ years local.
Capt. Kent Bird, 30+ years local, runs a 23ft Parker SE for backwater redfish stalking and nearshore tarpon. Half-day $625; full $1,100; 3-hour shark $475 (group of 4).
📍90 Helmsman Way, Palmetto Bay Marina, Hilton Head Island
29ft Freeman cat — fast, dry ride for cruise + fish combos.
Capt. Blair Willis has been guiding since 1996. 29ft Freeman high-performance catamaran — fast, dry ride. Right for families wanting a flexible day mixing cruising and fishing.
📍Skull Creek, Hilton Head Island
70ft party boat — kids, first-timers, no-experience-needed.
Family-owned since 1996, 150K+ guests served. 70ft x 21ft boat, A/C cabin, 2 restrooms, sun deck, 60-angler capacity. 5.5-hour offshore wreck trips Tue/Thu/Sat (Mar-Nov), evening shark trips mid-May to August.
📍1 Shelter Cove Ln, Dock C, Hilton Head Island
Budget half-day inshore from Broad Creek.
25ft Classic Seacat with twin Yamaha 150s, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Budget pick for half-day inshore and nearshore from Broad Creek.
📍18 Simmons Rd, Broad Creek Marina, Hilton Head Island
Redfish-focused inshore with Capt. Dan Utley.
Capt. Dan Utley, 30+ years USCG-licensed local, runs a 22ft Century Bay Boat with a wraparound deck. Redfish specialist; cobia/tarpon/shark seasonal.
📍Hilton Head Island, Hilton Head Island
38ft Rampage Express — Gulf Stream platform.
38ft Rampage Express with twin CAT diesels, fighting chair, tuna tower, A/C cabin. 8-10 hr bottom @ $2,000 (50 mi); 12 hr Gulf Stream @ $3,000 (100 mi). 6 guests max.
📍Hilton Head Island, Hilton Head Island
37ft power cat — smoother ride, bigger groups.
37ft Tideline power catamaran with twin Yamaha 450s — one of the larger center-console-style cats on the island. Smoother ride and more deck for groups of 6.
📍North End Charter Fleet, Hilton Head Island
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Half-day inshore: $400-$700 for up to 4 anglers. Full-day inshore: $700-$1,200. Nearshore reef: $600-$1,500. Gulf Stream offshore (10-12 hours): $2,000-$3,000+. The party-boat option (Captain Hook) is per-person ~$80, no minimum group.
No — charter customers are covered under the captain's license. Bring shoes that can get wet, polarized sunglasses, sunscreen, water, a hat. Most captains provide all gear and bait.
Year-round, but each season has a target. Spring: cobia (April-May), red drum, sheepshead. Summer: tarpon (June-September), Spanish mackerel, mahi nearshore. Fall: bull redfish, king mackerel, big trout. Winter: trophy trout, sheepshead, redfish in skinny water.
First-timers and families: inshore. Half-day, smoother ride, kids see fish in the boat in the first 15 minutes. Trophy hunters: offshore or nearshore reefs. Gulf Stream is a 10-12 hour day — pick a calm-weather window.
Yes. Most inshore captains love kid trips. Captain Hook party boat is built for them. Avoid offshore for anyone under 12 unless they're sailors. Capt. Trent Malphrus's Palmetto Lagoon is the calmest water on the island.