Class Act Charters runs one of the larger inspected boats in Orange Beach, a 52 foot custom sportfisher out of Zeke’s Landing, with a 38 foot Hatteras alongside it for the smaller and overnight trips. The big boat is Coast Guard inspected and certified to carry up to 15, which makes Class Act a strong pick for a large family or group, and it is owner run by Captain Dale Woodruff, in the business since 1999. It sits sixth in our ranking, a capable and well kept boat with a real safety credential, held back from the boats above it by a moderate review trail and a price that differs between the marina and the booking platform.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.3 Class Act is a strong choice and the sixth boat in our Orange Beach ranking. It earns its place on the boat and the captain: a 52 foot inspected sportfisher that takes a big group in comfort, run by an owner with more than 25 years on the water, plus the annual Coast Guard inspection that few six pack boats carry. Where it gives ground is the evidence and the pricing clarity. Its review trail, about 43 on FishingBooker and 57 on TripAdvisor, is solid but well short of the hundreds the top boats carry, and the rates differ between the FishingBooker listing and the Zeke’s Landing marina, so the price is less settled than it should be. Book it for a group or an inspected boat on a long reef day; confirm the rate before you go.
The boats
Class Act runs two boats. The Class Act is a 52 foot Miller custom sportfisher with a flybridge, an air conditioned cabin, satellite TV, and a grill, Coast Guard inspected and certified to carry up to 15, which is the headline: an inspected boat held to a higher safety standard than the uninspected six pack boats, and roomy enough for a large party. Daddy’s Baby is a 38 foot Hatteras with bunks, a head, and a shower for up to 6, the boat for smaller groups and overnight runs. The honest notes on the big boat are its single 585 horsepower engine and a cruise around 14 knots, which is on the slower side, and a hull that dates to 1988, restored in 2010. It is comfortable and well found, but not fast.
The fishing and what you target
Class Act fishes the Orange Beach reef zone for bottom fish, red snapper, vermilion snapper, amberjack, and triggerfish in their seasons, with king and Spanish mackerel on the troll. Red snapper is the in season headline, fished on the federal for-hire season that runs June 1 to October 26 in 2026. The crew runs bottom fishing, trolling, drifting, jigging, and kite fishing as the day and the weather call for, and the longer 8 and 12 hour trips, plus the overnight on Daddy’s Baby, reach farther out for a bigger box and the chance at deeper water fish. The reviews credit steady catch rates and a captain who knows the grounds.
Trips and prices
Class Act sells by the whole boat, priced for up to 10 anglers, so the per person cost drops with a full group. On the 52 foot boat the rates run about $950 for 3 hours, $1,300 for a 4 hour troll, $1,700 for 5 hours, $2,000 for 6 hours, $2,800 for 8 hours, and $3,800 for 12 hours. Rods, tackle, and the fishing license are included, fish cleaning is free on the shorter trips and about $0.30 per pound on the longer ones, and a $200 deposit holds the date. The one real friction is transparency: the Zeke’s Landing marina lists slightly higher figures for the same trips than the FishingBooker listing, and the operator’s own site was hard to read prices from, so confirm the rate directly when you book. Our cost guide shows how a big boat works out per head with a full group.
The crew
Class Act is owner run by Captain Dale Woodruff, in the fishing business since 1999, with the mates Kendall on the big boat and Jacob on Daddy’s Baby named warmly in the reviews. The recurring praise is local knowledge, a safety first attitude, patience with beginners, and the room and comfort of the 52 foot boat for a group. The honest qualifier is the depth of the record: the reviews are strongly positive but moderate in number, with little critical feedback to test them against, so we score the track record on what is verifiable rather than reading a clean sheet as proof of no weakness. Daddy’s Baby runs with its own captain, so the crew you draw depends on the boat.
Booking and what to know
Book through the FishingBooker listing, the Zeke’s Landing marina, or the operator directly, and confirm the rate, since the marina and the platform differ. The boats leave from Zeke’s Landing Marina, Slip B4, at 26619 Perdido Beach Blvd, reaching the Gulf through Perdido Pass. No fishing license is needed, the boat covers it. Bring a cooler with food and drinks, sunscreen, and motion sickness medication, and for the overnight on Daddy’s Baby, warm layers. For the other Zeke’s area sportfisher, see Cool Change, and for the biggest boats and overnight tuna, Gulf Rebel.
How we scored it
Class Act scores 7.3: a Coast Guard inspected 52 foot sportfisher with the room for a big group, an owner captain with more than 25 years on the water, and a smaller overnight boat alongside it. The inspection is a genuine point in its favor. It sits below the boats above it because the review trail is moderate in depth and the price differs between the marina and the booking platform, which costs it on value and transparency. See how we scored this boat, and compare it against the rest of the Orange Beach charters.