Push the Limit Sportfishing: a local Montauk six pack

Item: Push the Limit Sportfishing
Rating: 7.6
Author: Choose Your Charter

Push the Limit Sportfishing

An owner run six pack with a born and raised local at the helm: Captain Ben McCarron, a Montauk native who grew up on these boats, runs a 31 foot Downeaster for light tackle tuna, sharks, and the inshore bottom, with a flawless review record. The trade is a younger operation with a shorter track record and a smaller boat than the offshore specialists, on a wide menu. A strong choice for a small group that wants a hungry local captain and a hands on light tackle day, less so for a big group or the longest canyon run.

Ranked #6 of 7 in Montauk Updated June 2026 Reviewed by the fishing desk

Push the Limit Sportfishing is an owner run six pack with a born and raised local at the helm. Captain Ben McCarron grew up on Montauk’s boats, started working decks at 12, and won surfcasting tournaments before he ran charters, and he is on the water nearly every day. He fishes a 31 foot Downeaster for light tackle tuna, sharks, and the inshore bottom, and the boat carries a flawless review record. For a small group that wants a hungry local captain and a hands on day, Push the Limit is a strong call.

The verdict and where it ranks

At 7.6 Push the Limit is a strong choice and ranks sixth in Montauk, ahead of Lazybones on the strength of its captain score, and behind the bigger and longer established boats, TailWrapped, Moondance, Susie E II, Crunch Time, and the Viking Fleet. Its strength is the captain: a local who knows this water as well as anyone and a clean 5.0 record. The honest limits are the shorter history, since the operation started in 2017, and a 31 foot boat that is smaller than the offshore specialists, better for a small group and the light tackle game than a big party or the longest run. The full field is on the Montauk ranking.

The boat

Push the Limit is a 31 foot Downeaster running a diesel engine, with radar, a fish finder, and a finished interior with a head. A Downeaster is a comfortable, seaworthy hull, and the diesel and the electronics make it a capable boat for the offshore runs, which Captain Ben takes 10 to 80 miles out. It carries up to six anglers, so it is a small group boat rather than a big party boat, and at 31 feet it is smaller than the 48 foot sportfishers higher in the ranking, which is the honest trade on a long, rough offshore day. For the light tackle tuna game and the inshore trips that are its bread and butter, the boat is well chosen.

The fishing and what you target

The boat fishes inshore and offshore. Close in, around the lighthouse and the rips, porgy, sea bass, fluke, striped bass, and bluefish on the bottom and the troll. Offshore, 10 to 80 miles out, sharks, mahi mahi, marlin, and tuna, with a specialty in light tackle jig and pop tuna trips, which is a hands on, sporting way to fish the bluefin and yellowfin. Shortfin mako are catch and release only under current federal and state rules. Striped bass run a one fish slot of 28 to less than 31 inches in New York, and the Montauk fall run is the highlight of the striper season. Confirm the current seasons with New York DEC and NOAA Fisheries.

Trips and prices

Push the Limit runs whole boat private charters from around $700, booked direct or through FishingBooker, with the rate set by the trip and the run. The half day inshore trips are the value end, and the offshore tuna and shark days, especially the longer runs, cost more. The boat covers the gear. The rates are competitive for an owner run six pack, and the light tackle tuna trips are a distinctive option you will not find on every boat. Confirm the current rate and the trip type when you book. Our cost guide sets the tiers side by side, and the first time guide is worth a read if this is your first offshore trip.

The crew

Captain Ben McCarron is the reason to book Push the Limit. A Montauk native who started on boats at 12 and won surfcasting tournaments before running charters, he is on the water nearly every day, and the local knowledge shows in the reviews, which run a clean 5.0 across 44 trips and describe a hardworking captain who puts anglers on fish and keeps the day hands on. As an owner run boat, the captain you book is the captain you fish with. The record is genuinely strong, held a step below the veterans only by length: a newer operation since 2017 has a shorter track record than a boat with decades behind it, which is what the track record score reflects.

Booking and what to know

Book direct or through FishingBooker, and tell Captain Ben your group and what you want to fish, since the boat runs inshore bottom days and offshore tuna and shark trips. Confirm the rate, the trip length, and the run. The boat leaves from Montauk Marine Basin on West Lake Drive. Bring food, drinks, and warm layers for the offshore and night trips; the boat covers the gear.

How we scored it

Push the Limit scores 7.6: an owner run six pack under a born and raised local captain with a clean 5.0 record and a distinctive light tackle tuna program, held below the leaders by a newer operation with a shorter history and a 31 foot boat smaller than the offshore specialists. Captain and crew is its standout factor. See how we scored this boat and the Montauk ranking for the field.

Private charterOwner runLocal captainLight tackle tunaSix pack

Typical Push the Limit Sportfishing rates · Up to 6 (private)
Trip	Hours	Rate
Private charter (from)	half day	from about $700 for the boat
Offshore / full day	full day	higher; confirm rate

Typical Push the Limit Sportfishing rates · Up to 6 (private)

Trip

Hours

Rate

Private charter (from)

half day

from about $700 for the boat

Offshore / full day

full day

higher; confirm rate

Frequently asked questions

How much is a Push the Limit Sportfishing charter in Montauk?

Push the Limit runs whole boat private charters from around $700, booked direct or through FishingBooker, with the rate set by the trip and the run. The offshore tuna and shark days cost more than a half day inshore. The boat covers the gear. Confirm the current rate and the trip type when you book, since the inshore bottom trips and the offshore runs are planned differently.

Who is the captain of Push the Limit?

Captain Ben McCarron, a Montauk native who started working on fishing boats at 12 and won multiple surfcasting tournaments before running charters, on the water nearly every day. He started Push the Limit in 2017. The owner run model and the strong, recent reviews are the main reasons the boat ranks where it does, with local knowledge its strongest card.

What do you catch with Push the Limit out of Montauk?

Inshore, porgy, sea bass, fluke, striped bass, and bluefish on the bottom and the rips. Offshore, 10 to 80 miles out, sharks, mahi mahi, marlin, and tuna, with a specialty in light tackle jig and pop tuna trips. Shortfin mako are catch and release only under current federal and state rules. Confirm the seasons with New York DEC and NOAA before you book.