On The Hook Charters is a family run offshore and inshore charter out of Port Orange, on the Halifax River a short run from Ponce Inlet and Daytona Beach. Captain Corey Simmons has fished Daytona’s waters professionally for more than 35 years, as a guide and a commercial fisherman, and runs the boat with first mate Melissa Leone, a USCG licensed captain in her own right. The boat is a clean 29 foot center console, and the operation has built one of the deepest, most positive review records in the port. For a small group that wants an experienced captain and a hands on offshore day, it is an easy recommendation.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.9 On The Hook is a strong choice and the second of the private offshore boats in Daytona, just behind Waterproof Charters among them. The draw is the captain and the record: 35 years of local knowledge and a long run of strong reviews. The limits are honest ones. It is a 29 foot center console, so it is best on the nearer offshore and the reefs rather than the longest Gulf Stream runs that Waterproof’s larger boat makes, and the rates are not posted, so you call for a quote. For seats by the person, the Sea Spirit head boat is far cheaper; for another private boat with a posted rate card, Rare Breed Charters is the comparison. The full field is on the Daytona Beach ranking.
The boat
The On The Hook is a 29 foot C-Hawk on twin 250 horsepower Suzuki four strokes, licensed for up to 6 anglers, with room to move for trolling and sight fishing. Reviewers describe a clean, well kept boat. As a center console it rides faster and more open than a cabin boat, which is fine for the nearer offshore and the reefs but a wetter, more exposed ride on a long run in a chop, so a true Gulf Stream day is not its strength. For a small group fishing the closer grounds, it is a comfortable, capable boat with an experienced crew aboard.
The fishing and what you target
On The Hook fishes both the troll and the bottom off Daytona. The offshore trips produce mahi mahi, king mackerel, cobia, barracuda, and the occasional sailfish or wahoo on the troll, with gag grouper, snapper, amberjack, and triggerfish on the bottom. Nearshore shark trips and inshore Halifax River trips fill out the menu, so the boat covers a lot of ground. The Atlantic seasons set the targets: gag grouper is open in summer, black sea bass through much of the year, and red snapper, the prize, has had its 2026 season paused by a court order, so the captain will steer you to what is open.
Trips and prices
The trip menu is offshore bottom fishing or trolling at 5 and 8 hours, a 3 hour nearshore shark trip, and inshore Halifax River trips, all private and whole boat for up to 6. The weak point on a value read is that the rates are not posted; the operation quotes by phone, so there is no published price to check against the field, which is what holds the transparency score down. Gear and tackle are included. Pin down the rate, what is covered, and the deposit and weather policy when you call. Our cost guide and the party boat versus private charter guide give you the benchmarks to weigh the quote against.
The crew
The crew is the strength and the reason for the score. Across a deep, strongly positive review record, reviewers describe Captain Corey as honest about the fishing, generous with first timers, and willing to suggest a different trip when it suits the angler rather than the sale, and they single out the husband and wife team of Corey and Melissa by name. The sentiment is both deep and consistent, which for a single boat operation is a real mark in its favor, and the honesty reviewers describe is rarer than a full cooler.
Booking and what to know
Book by phone, since that is also how you get a price, and ask directly about the rate, the trip length, what is included, and the deposit and weather policy. Confirm the target so the plan matches the season, especially with red snapper closed. Bring food, drinks, sunscreen, and a cooler; as a licensed charter the boat covers the gear and the license.
How we scored it
On The Hook scores 7.9: a 35 year local captain and a deep, honest review record on a clean center console, held below the top by a smaller boat that caps the longest offshore runs and by rates it does not post. Captain and crew is its strongest factor by a clear margin, with value the one that pulls it down. See how we scored this boat for the rubric and weighting, and the Daytona Beach ranking for where it lands.