Tuna Tail Charters is the deep sea boat to book in Gloucester. It is a 35 foot Duffy called the Lobster Tales, freshly restored, run by senior Captain John DeMarco, who has 45 years of commercial and charter fishing behind him, and it carries a near perfect FishingBooker record and an all included, fully posted price. The boat fishes the whole Cape Ann calendar, cod and haddock on the offshore grounds, striped bass close in, and giant bluefin tuna in the warm months, and it was voted Best of Gloucester Charter Boat in 2022. For a private day on the water here, it is hard to fault.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 8.5 Tuna Tail tops the Gloucester ranking, the only boat in the port in our top band. It earns it on the whole package: a veteran captain reviewers single out by name, a freshly restored boat, a transparent price with everything included, and a 5.0 record across dozens of trips. It suits almost anyone, a family on a short trip, a serious groundfish crew, or a group chasing a giant bluefin. The one real trade is capacity: it is a six pack, so it takes up to six anglers, and the best summer dates go early. For the deepest tuna pedigree, 10 Point is the bluefin specialist; for the cheapest way onto the cod grounds, the Yankee Fleet head boats sell by the seat. Compare the field on the Gloucester ranking.
The boat
The Lobster Tales is a 35 foot Duffy, the Maine built Downeast hull that New England charter captains favor for its sea keeping, on a single 440 horsepower Caterpillar that cruises around 24 knots. It was built in 2007 and restored in 2025, so it is one of the freshest hulls in the ranked fleet, with the deck space for six anglers to fish without crowding. It is a working six pack rather than a luxury boat, and on the long 12 hour tuna days a small group spends a full day aboard, so pack for the weather, but the boat is well found and kept up.
The fishing and what you target
Tuna Tail moves with the season the way a Gloucester boat should. Spring through fall it runs cod and haddock trips to the offshore grounds, Stellwagen Bank and Jeffreys Ledge, where haddock is the steady keeper and cod is tightly limited. Striped bass and bluefish fish close in through the summer. The headline is the giant bluefin tuna run, which builds through summer into fall, the fishery that made Gloucester famous. Cod is the one to plan around, since the recreational season is short and the limit is one fish; haddock and pollock fill the box the rest of the year. Confirm the current cod and haddock dates with NOAA Fisheries and the bluefin retention with NOAA’s HMS division, since both shift year to year.
Trips and prices
Tuna Tail posts a full grid of per boat prices on its FishingBooker listing, which is the clearest pricing in the port. A 3 hour family trip is $579, a 5 hour striped bass or cod and haddock trip $779, a 7 hour trip $1,279, a 9 hour trip about $1,476, and a 12 hour tuna or marathon $1,779, all for up to six anglers. Rods, reels, terminal tackle, the fishing license, live bait, catch cleaning, and beverages are included, and you keep your catch, so the number you see is close to the number you pay, with the mate’s gratuity on top. Our cost guide puts a private New England day in context, and the head boat versus private guide weighs it against the Gloucester party boats.
The crew
Captain John DeMarco is the reason the boat sits at the top. A senior captain with 45 years fishing commercially and professionally from Mexico to New England, in and offshore, he brings a depth of knowledge few charter captains match, and the reviews say it plainly: a skilled, patient captain and a first mate, Jeff, who is great with kids and keeps anglers on fish all day. The FishingBooker record is a 5.0 across dozens of trips, and the operation took Best of Gloucester Charter Boat in 2022 and a FishingBooker Anglers’ Choice award. That is the deepest, cleanest standalone trail of any six pack in the port.
Booking and what to know
Book through the operator’s site or its FishingBooker listing, well ahead for summer tuna and weekend groundfish dates. Bring food beyond the included beverages, warm and waterproof layers even in summer (the Gulf of Maine runs cold), sunscreen, and a cooler for your fillets; the tackle, license, bait, and cleaning are covered. For the 12 hour tuna trips, plan for a long day and an early start.
How we scored it
Tuna Tail earns its 8.5 on a standout 45 year captain, a freshly restored boat, the clearest pricing in the port, and a near perfect review record, held just short of a higher grade only by the limits of a six pack on the busiest dates. Captain and crew is its strongest factor by a clear margin. See how we scored this boat and the Gloucester ranking for the field.