Top Notch Charter Fishing runs the newest and largest charter boat in Virginia Beach, a 58 foot sportfisherman built in 2023, and it is the most comfortable ride to the canyons in the port. Captain Russ Kostinas has 30 years on the bridge and another 15 as a mate, the boat carries a 4.9 rating, and three air conditioning units and a large salon make the long offshore run easier than any other boat here. It ranks among the strong choices in the port on the boat and the captain, held off the very top by a shorter review record than the field leaders and by prices that are quoted rather than posted.
The verdict and where it ranks
Top Notch is a strong choice and one of a cluster of boats scoring near the top of the port. On the two factors that carry the most weight, the boat and the captain, it scores as high as anything on this page: the newest, largest hull in Virginia Beach under a captain with decades on the water. What holds it a step below the leaders is the rest. The review record, while excellent, is shorter than the deep records on the boats above it, the rates are quoted rather than posted, and it is the priciest way out of the port. Book it for an offshore canyon day when comfort and a big new boat matter most. For a posted offshore rate, E-Fishinsea is the move; for the most fishing room, the AquaMan Game On.
The boat
The Top Notch is a 58 foot sportfisherman built in 2023, marketed as the largest charter boat in Virginia Beach, with three air conditioning units, a large salon, and shaded outside seating. For the 60 mile run to the canyons, that size and comfort are the selling point: a new, big boat rides a heavy offshore sea better than the smaller hulls in the port and gives a group somewhere to settle on the long day. It is the best boat we rank here on the equipment alone. It fishes as a private charter for up to six anglers, so the comfort is not shared with strangers.
The fishing and what you target
Top Notch is built around the offshore canyon trip, 12 or more hours and roughly 60 miles out, trolling for bluefin and yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi, white and blue marlin, and sailfish, with the billfish mostly caught and released. The boat also runs nearshore trips, which often start by catching bluefish or menhaden for live bait before working larger fish, and inshore trips for Spanish mackerel and small bluefish that suit kids, which fits the family friendly billing. The deep canyon run is the reason to book the boat, and the captain matches the trip to the season and the offshore forecast.
Trips and prices
Top Notch sells by the whole boat, private only. The honest mark against it on value is transparency: the rates are not posted online and are quoted when you book, and as the newest and largest boat in the port it sits at the top of the price range. The price is defensible for a big new boat with an experienced captain, but you cannot compare it up front the way you can with the posted rate boats. Our cost guide explains what a full offshore day generally runs and why a big new sportfisherman sits where it does on price.
The crew
Captain Russ Kostinas runs the boat, with over 30 years as a captain and another 15 as a mate, and the reviews describe a knowledgeable, accommodating crew, with one recurring note about the captain taking a group out at short notice when another charter fell through. The rating is a 4.9, but across about 45 reviews, a shorter record than the deep review trails on the field leaders, so the track record factor sits a step below them. The experience and the rating are both strong; there is simply less of the record to read than on the boats with two hundred reviews or more.
Booking and what to know
Book by phone with Captain Russ or through the FishingBooker listing. The boat leaves from Rudee Inlet, and the offshore canyon trip sails early for the roughly 60 mile run, so plan an early arrival to load and park for a full day. No fishing license is needed, the boat covers it. Bring food, drinks, sunscreen, and motion sickness medication for the long offshore day, though the air conditioned salon on a boat this size makes the run out and back more comfortable than most.
How we scored it
Top Notch scores near the top of the port: the newest and largest charter boat in Virginia Beach under a captain with 30 years on the bridge, the most comfortable ride to the canyons, held off the lead by a review record shorter than the field leaders and by quoted, top of the range prices. Boat and equipment and captain and crew are its strongest factors; value and track record are where the price opacity and the thinner record cost it. See how we scored this boat, and compare it against the rest of our Virginia Beach rankings.