Spellbound is the big-boat option in Miami deep sea fishing, a 57 foot offshore sportfisher out of Haulover that carries large groups in comfort and has logged more reviews than any private boat in the port. Long run by Captain Jay under the Capt. Jay’s banner, it is now owned by his lifelong friend Captain Manny after Jay’s passing, with Captains Jordan and Brian on the roster. The boat is roomy and well equipped, the trip menu is broad, and the record across hundreds of reviews is mostly strong. It ranks mid-field because one serious, specific complaint sits in that record alongside the praise.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.5 Spellbound is a strong choice and the fourth ranked boat in Miami, the best fit in the port for a larger group that wants space rather than a tight six-angler sportfisher. It carries more people than the Sea Cross or Lady Mitchell hulls and offers an occasional shared seat, which is unusual among the private boats. What holds it below them is captain and crew: against a deep run of positive reviews sits a notable individual complaint alleging the owner made offensive remarks on a private trip, and the usual reports of the odd slow day at a four-figure price. Book it for a family or a group; read recent reviews first. The full field is on the Miami ranking.
The boat
Spellbound is a 57 foot custom offshore boat built in 2009, with twin diesels, an air conditioned cabin, a full bathroom, a refrigerator, flybridge seating for around a dozen, and six fighting chairs. Its defining feature is room: the operator says it is licensed to carry up to 27 aboard, while the booking listing caps it at 20, with 5 to 6 anglers fishing lines at a time. That makes it a strong pick for a big group that wants to bring non-anglers along, and a poor match if you want every person fishing a line at once. Reviewers consistently call it clean, comfortable, and well kept.
The fishing and what you target
Off Haulover the Gulf Stream is close, and Spellbound reaches the offshore grounds quickly. It trolls and live baits for sailfish in the cooler months, mahi mahi from late spring into the fall, blackfin tuna and king mackerel through the year, and wahoo in the fall, and it runs day and night swordfish trips out to the deep. It also bottom fishes the reefs and wrecks for grouper, snapper, and tilefish. Reviews regularly describe big mixed hauls, which suits the boat’s larger groups, though as on any boat the catch varies with the day and the season.
Trips and prices
The private rates published on FishingBooker are $750 for the boat for a 4 hour half day, $1,125 for a three quarter day, and $1,500 for a full day, for 1 to 6 anglers, with higher tiers for groups of 7 to 10. Tackle, the license, live bait, and cleaning are included, and a mate gratuity is extra. The operator’s own rates page is not public, and the one price it does post is a shared split-party seat at $200 per person, set higher than a private share because those trips can sail with as few as three people. That is a transparency gap, but the booking-platform rates are clear. The cost guide and the party boat versus private charter guide help you weigh the shared seat against the whole boat.
The crew
Captain Manny owns and runs the operation with two other captains, and the FishingBooker record, more than 300 reviews running heavily positive, credits a hardworking, personable crew who are good with families and beginners. The reason captain and crew is the lowest factor here is one specific review that alleges the owner made unsolicited offensive and racist remarks on a private charter. It is a single account against a large, mostly happy base, and we cannot verify it independently, but it is pointed enough that a fair review names it rather than burying it. A handful of other reviews note a slow trip with little caught despite the cost.
Booking and what to know
Book direct by phone or text, or through FishingBooker, which lists free cancellation with seven days’ notice. Bring your own food and drinks and a sturdy cooler, since a couple of reviews flag the catch bags as flimsy. No license is needed, and the crew cleans your catch at the dock. If you are booking the shared seat, confirm the departure and how many anglers are aboard, since those trips run with small numbers.
How we scored it
Spellbound scores 7.5: a roomy, well-equipped big boat with a broad trip menu and a deep, mostly positive review base, marked down on captain and crew for a serious isolated complaint and on value for the unposted private rates. Boat and equipment and trips and access are its strongest factors. See how we scored this boat and see where it lands among the Miami charters we rank.