LiveLiner Charters is the full menu boat of the Portland deep sea fishing fleet, a 31 foot sportfisher that Captain Hugh has run out of South Portland for more than 20 years. It covers the whole Gulf of Maine range on one boat, offshore groundfish for cod and haddock, bluefin tuna and shark in summer, and shorter inshore trips, with posted rates and a captain who draws steady praise for teaching newer anglers. For a group that wants options and a clear price, it is one of the most flexible deep sea choices in the port.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.8 LiveLiner is a strong choice and fourth in the southern Maine field. It earns the place on the range and the transparency: posted rates for every trip, a captain with two decades on the water, and a menu that reaches groundfish, tuna, and shark from a single hull. What holds it back is the boat and the record. At 31 feet the Liveliner is most comfortable with four or five anglers and tight with a full six, which the operator is honest about, and its public review count is thinner than the busiest Portland boats, so the strong sentiment rests on a smaller base. Book it for a well rounded offshore day with room to learn. For a pure groundfish specialist, Kristin K fishes farther out, and the larger Teazer has more deck for a full six.
The boat
The Liveliner is a 31 foot sportfishing boat rigged for the full offshore range. The operator is upfront that it fishes best with four to five anglers and charges $100 for a sixth, which is a fair read of a 31 footer on a long day: comfortable for a small group, tight with a full load. It carries the gear and the range for a 15 to 30 mile run to the groundfish, and the electronics and tackle draw no complaints in the reviews. For a serious offshore day, keep the group to four or five and the boat has the room it needs.
The fishing and what you target
LiveLiner fishes the widest menu in the Portland fleet. The offshore groundfish trips run 15 to 30 miles out for cod, haddock, hake, and pollock, with haddock the keeper under the 2026 limits and cod mostly released. In summer the boat switches to dedicated bluefin tuna trips, which need the HMS permit the boat carries, and to shark trips, and there are shorter inshore runs for striped bass and bluefish. That breadth is the appeal: one boat that can put a family on groundfish in spring and chase a giant tuna in August. The crew has a reputation for teaching, so it suits a group with mixed experience.
Trips and prices
The rates are posted and sold by the boat. Offshore groundfish is $1,350 for 8 hours or $895 for 6, the shark trip is $1,350 for 8 hours, and the bluefin tuna trip is $1,350 for 8 to 9 hours, with shorter inshore trips from $595. The boat takes up to 6, most comfortably 4 or 5, with a $100 charge for the sixth angler. Rods, tackle, bait, and instruction are included and the crew fillets and packages the catch, with a 10 to 20 percent tip customary for the mate. A private boat works out per head with a full group. Our cost guide sets the private rate against a shared head boat seat.
The crew
Captain Hugh has fished the waters off the New England coast for more than 20 years, and the reviews are positive and warm: anglers describe him teaching, finding fish, and running a clean boat, with mate Nick and deckhand Miles named for their work on deck. One repeat note is how accommodating the crew is with kids and first timers, which fits the boat’s range from a family groundfish trip to a serious tuna run. The honest qualifier is volume: the public review count is smaller than the busiest Portland boats, so the strong sentiment sits on a thinner base than a 4.9 over a hundred trips. Read the recent reviews when you book.
Booking and what to know
Book direct through the operator’s site or by phone. The boat leaves from South Portland in Casco Bay, so arrive early to park and load, and keep the group to four or five for the most room on a long offshore day. No license is needed on the charter, the crew handles the catch, and you bring food, drinks, and layers, plus motion sickness medication for the run out. For a summer tuna or shark trip, ask about the season and the retention rules when you book, since those are set year to year. The party boat versus private charter guide helps if you are weighing this against a shared head boat seat.
How we scored it
LiveLiner scores 7.8, fourth in the southern Maine port. Trips and access and value and transparency are its strongest factors, on the widest menu in the fleet and posted rates for every trip, with captain and crew close behind on a long tenured, teaching skipper. It is marked down on boat and equipment for a 31 foot hull that is tight with a full six, and on track record for a thinner public review base than the busiest boats. See how we scored this boat for the full rubric, and compare it against the rest of our southern Maine rankings.