Independent charter rankings No ads · No commissions · No paid placements
Operator review

Lucky Lady II

A well appointed 37 foot Barnstable Harbor charter with a perfect 5.0 across 49 trips and a comfortable cabin for the run out to the tuna and shark grounds. The honest limits are a shorter review record than the Barnstable leader and offshore prices you have to ask for.

Ranked #4 of 6 in Cape Cod Updated June 2026 Reviewed by the fishing desk

The Lucky Lady II is the deep sea charter to book on Cape Cod when you want a comfortable, well kept boat out of Barnstable Harbor with a clean record behind it. Captain John Carty runs this custom 37 foot Duffy, a boat with a private head, a berth, and a full galley, and it carries a perfect 5.0 across 49 trips. It fishes the inshore striped bass and bluefish grounds of Cape Cod Bay and runs offshore for bluefin tuna and shark, with the cabin comfort that the long offshore day rewards.

The verdict and where it ranks

At 8.2 this boat is fourth in the Cape Cod ranking and a strong, worth booking call, the pick for a group that values a comfortable boat and a spotless review record out of Barnstable. It suits an inshore bass day and an offshore tuna run alike. Two honest limits keep it just behind its harbormate. The review record, while a perfect 5.0, is shorter at 49 trips than the Lady J next door at 114, and the offshore tuna and shark prices are not posted, so you book the inshore trips by a clear rate and the offshore ones by a quote. Compare the field on the Cape Cod ranking.

The boat

The boat is a custom 37 foot Duffy sportfisher on a 700 horsepower Cummins diesel, cruising around 25 knots, with a private head, a berth, and a full galley below. That is more comfort than most boats this size carry, and it is the right setup for the long run out to the tuna grounds, where a cabin to get out of the weather and a galley make the day. Reviewers single out a clean, well maintained boat. It fishes up to six anglers, and the operation runs from May 15 to October 15, the Cape season.

The fishing and what you target

This is a striped bass, bluefish, and offshore boat. Inshore, it works Cape Cod Bay for striped bass, bluefish, and mackerel, the standard Cape charter fishery, under the one fish striped bass slot. Offshore, it runs for bluefin tuna and shark on the longer trips. One honest detail from the listing: the crew does not fish for black sea bass or scup, so this is not a bottom fishing boat. If you want sea bass and porgy, the Helen H head boat or Magellan is the better fit. The tuna and shark trips carry the federal Highly Migratory Species permit that the fishery requires.

Trips and prices

The inshore prices are clear: a 4 hour trip is $800 and a 5 hour is $850, booked by the whole boat for up to six. Tackle and bait are included, the catch is cleaned and bagged, and free cancellation runs to 7 days out, which is a clean, angler friendly setup. The gaps are the 6 and 8 hour rates and the offshore tuna and shark prices, which are not posted, so confirm them when you book. Our cost guide sets the rates in context, and the head boat versus private charter guide covers the private whole boat format.

The crew

Captain John Carty runs the boat with his mate, named Kevin in the reviews, and the 49 trips behind the perfect 5.0 describe a friendly, knowledgeable crew, high catch success, and a clean, family friendly boat. The record is shorter than the deepest in the port, but it is unblemished and recent, with the most recent reviewed trip in August 2025, so the sentiment is solid rather than thin. On a comfortable boat with a good mate, the inshore family trips draw particular praise.

Booking and what to know

Book through the FishingBooker listing, and ask for the 6 and 8 hour and the offshore tuna and shark rates if those are the trips you want. Bring food, drink, and a cooler; tackle, bait, and cleaning are covered, and the galley and head make the longer trips comfortable. Free cancellation with 7 days notice makes a weathered date easy to move.

How we scored it

It earns its 8.2 on a perfect, recent review record, a comfortable and well kept boat, and full inshore inclusions with a clear cancellation policy. Captain and crew and service are its strongest factors. It sits just behind the Barnstable leader on a shorter review record and on offshore prices that are not posted. See how we scored this boat and the Cape Cod rankings, including Lady J Sportfishing and FV Odysea.

Barnstable HarborCustom 37 foot DuffyCabin comfortPerfect rating
Typical Lucky Lady II rates · Up to 6 anglers
TripHoursRate
Inshore4 hr$800 for the boat
Inshore5 hr$850 for the boat
Tuna or shark (offshore)Full dayAsk when booking

Frequently asked questions

How much is a Lucky Lady II charter in Barnstable?

Booked by the whole boat for up to 6 anglers. A 4 hour trip is $800 and a 5 hour is $850, with the 6 and 8 hour rates and the offshore tuna and shark prices given on request. Tackle and bait are included, the catch is cleaned and bagged, and there is free cancellation with 7 days notice.

What kind of boat is it?

A custom 37 foot Duffy sportfisher on a 700 horsepower Cummins, cruising around 25 knots, with a private head, a berth, and a full galley. That cabin comfort matters on the longer run out to the tuna and shark grounds, and reviewers describe a clean, well kept boat. It fishes up to 6 anglers with Captain John Carty and his mate.

What do you catch on this boat?

Inshore it is striped bass, bluefish, and mackerel in Cape Cod Bay, the standard Cape charter fishery. Offshore the boat runs for bluefin tuna and shark. Note the crew does not target sea bass or scup, so this is a bass, bluefish, and offshore boat rather than a bottom fishing one. Striped bass runs under a one fish slot limit.

Compare in this port

Other ranked charters in Cape Cod

Full Cape Cod ranking
  1. 1
    Editor's Pick

    Helen H Fishing

    The most complete deep sea operation on Cape Cod and the largest fishing fleet in the northeast, running everything from a $110 per person porgy and sea bass trip out of Hyannis to offshore groundfish on Stellwagen Bank and multi day canyon tuna runs. The honest caveats are a paid rod rental and a run of Groupon complaints about anglers being booked onto a different trip than they expected.

    8.6/10
    Top of the port
  2. 2

    FV Odysea

    Provincetown's giant bluefin specialist, the boat from the Wicked Tuna TV show, with a perfect 5.0 across 98 trips and the Cape's shortest run to the Stellwagen Bank tuna grounds. The honest limit is size and scope: a 32 foot Downeast boat that fishes up to six, built around bluefin tuna and inshore striped bass rather than a full groundfish menu.

    8.5/10
    Top of the port
  3. 3

    Lady J Sportfishing

    A long running Barnstable Harbor charter under a Coast Guard master, with a deep 4.9 across 114 trips and a genuine offshore program for shark and giant bluefin tuna on the 10 to 12 hour run. The honest caveat is transparency: the striped bass rate is posted, but the offshore tuna and shark prices are quote only.

    8.3/10
    Strong choice