AquaMan Sportfishing is the most versatile operation in Virginia Beach, a multi boat fleet led by the 54 foot Game On, which the operation bills as the boat with the most fishing room in the port. Out of Rudee Inlet it runs the full range, canyon tuna and marlin, deep drop trips for tilefish and jumbo sea bass, nearshore cobia and king mackerel, and inshore bottom fishing, and the Game On carries a deep record, a 4.8 across more than 200 trips. It ranks near the top on the strength of the boat and the access, with the honest marks against it being price clarity and a fleet that runs more than one captain.
The verdict and where it ranks
AquaMan is a strong choice and one of the two strongest boats in the port, just behind E-Fishinsea on the tie break. Where E-Fishinsea is the tight owner run canyon boat, AquaMan is the big, do everything operation: the Game On has the room and the range for a full day offshore or a deep drop trip, and the fleet covers trips no single six pack can. It gives ground on two things. The published price spans $110 to $3,300 with no per trip breakdown, so you cannot see what your trip costs without asking, and the operation runs several captains across its boats, so the skipper you draw can vary. Book it for an offshore or deep drop day with room to spread out, especially for a larger group. For the newest, most comfortable big boat on the long run, the Top Notch is the alternative.
The boat
The headline boat is the Game On, a 54 foot custom sportfisher with a 1,015 horsepower engine, Coast Guard certified for up to 18 passengers, with a climate controlled cabin that seats 10 and, by the operation’s own description, the most fishing space of any boat in Virginia Beach. That room is the point: it makes a full day offshore or a deep drop trip comfortable for a bigger group in a way a six pack cannot. The fleet also runs the Flat Line, a 42 foot Jersey sportfisherman for groups of up to six. Both are capable offshore platforms, and the Game On in particular is built for the long run and the crowd.
The fishing and what you target
AquaMan fishes close to everything the port offers, which is its real strength. The offshore canyon trips troll the blue water 50 to 70 miles out for yellowfin and bluefin tuna, mahi mahi, wahoo, and marlin. The deep drop trips work the bottom in deep water for blueline and golden tilefish and jumbo black sea bass, a specialty fewer boats run. Closer in, the nearshore trips target cobia and king mackerel in season, and the inshore trips work rockfish, flounder, sea bass, tautog, black drum, and redfish around the bay mouth. That spread, from the canyons to the deep drop to the inshore grounds, is wider than any other boat we rank here.
Trips and prices
AquaMan sells by the whole boat, private and group, up to six on the Flat Line and up to 18 on the Game On, with trips from a few hours nearshore to a full day in the canyons. The honest mark against it is price clarity: the site publishes a range of $110 to $3,300 but does not break it down by trip type or duration, so unlike the posted rate boats you have to ask what your specific trip costs. The value can be genuine, especially splitting a big boat across a group, but you cannot compare it up front. Our cost guide frames what a full offshore day generally runs against a nearshore trip and a head boat seat.
The crew
The operation is owned by Captain Agner, and the reviews name Captain Chris on the offshore and deep drop trips with a mate, Max, singled out repeatedly for putting people on blueline tilefish and jumbo sea bass. The record is deep and consistent, a 4.8 across more than 200 trips on the Game On, and the service reviews are strong. The honest qualifier is the one that comes with any multi boat fleet: more than one captain runs the boats, so the person on the bridge can vary by trip and boat, and it is worth asking who is running yours when you book. Within that, the crew sentiment is clearly positive.
Booking and what to know
Book through the operator’s site or its FishingBooker listings. The boats leave from Rudee Inlet at 308 Mediterranean Avenue, and the offshore and deep drop trips sail early for the long run, so arrive ahead of departure to load and park. No fishing license is needed, the boats cover it. Bring food, drinks, sunscreen, and motion sickness medication for the long offshore days, and confirm the trip type, the boat, and the price when you book, since the fleet runs several different trips.
How we scored it
AquaMan scores near the top of the port: the most versatile fleet in Virginia Beach, led by the 54 foot Game On with the most fishing room and the widest trip menu here, from canyon tuna to deep drop tilefish, with a deep record, held just off the top by a published price range that is not broken out per trip and a fleet that runs more than one captain. Trips and access and the boat are its strongest factors. See how we scored this boat, and compare it against the rest of our Virginia Beach rankings.