Good Time Charlie Sportfishing is one of the two boats at the top of the Newport field, and the pick if you want a credentialed captain who reviewers trust by name. Captain Joe Schaumburg holds a US Coast Guard Master credential and a licensed Oregon guide permit, runs a modern 27 foot Northwest boat out of South Beach Marina, and carries a 5.0 record across 125 trips. The boat fishes rockfish and lingcod close in, Chinook and coho salmon and Pacific halibut through the season, and albacore tuna offshore in late summer. For a small group that values the person running the boat as much as the boat itself, Good Time Charlie is hard to beat.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 8.5 Good Time Charlie sits second in Newport, a hair behind Prospector’s and clear of the head boats. The two are closely matched: both are flawless, deeply reviewed six packs under owner operators who know the grounds cold. Prospector’s edges ahead only on the boat, a larger twin engine hull, while Good Time Charlie has the stronger paper credentials and the slightly deeper review count. It suits any group that wants a personal day with a captain who teaches, from a first time angler to a serious halibut crew. The trade is the same as its rival: it is a six pack with a single engine, so it takes up to six and the best dates go fast. For a bigger boat and a per person seat, see the Yaquina Bay Charters head boats. Compare the field on the Newport ranking.
The boat
The boat is a 27 foot Northwest sportfisher, built in 2021 and powered by a single 300 horsepower Yamaha, with a full cabin that gets anglers out of the weather on the run to the grounds. It is one of the newer hulls in the Newport fleet, clean and well kept, and the cabin is a real comfort on a cold central Oregon morning. It takes up to six anglers, which keeps the deck workable. The one honest mark against it next to the port leader is the single engine: Prospector’s twin outboards carry an extra margin on the long offshore runs to the halibut and tuna grounds. For nearshore bottom fishing and salmon, the difference rarely matters; for a 60 mile tuna run, some anglers will weigh it.
The fishing and what you target
Good Time Charlie covers the whole Newport menu. Lingcod and rockfish run year round close to shore, with a winter schedule when the weather allows, under the 2026 limits of four rockfish and three lingcod per angler. Salmon, both Chinook and coho, fish from summer into early fall, and Pacific halibut opens on the central Oregon coast all depth dates, May 1 to July 31 and August 1 to October 31 in 2026, quota managed and able to close early. Albacore tuna are the late summer prize offshore. Captain Joe posts trips by species and season on his listing, so you book the trip that matches what is open. Confirm the current halibut and salmon openings with ODFW before a season specific date, since the quotas can close a fishery early.
Trips and prices
The pricing is posted in full and easy to read, which is not true of every boat in the port. Shared trips are priced for two adults: a 6 hour half day for rockfish and lingcod is $350, and an 8 hour full day for rockfish, lingcod, or salmon is $500. Booked private for the whole boat, the half day is $1,000, the full day $1,400, and a 9 hour Pacific halibut trip $1,600, all for up to six anglers. Rods, reels, and terminal tackle are included. As on every Oregon charter, each angler buys their own Oregon fishing license, the salmon or halibut tags, and the new Ocean Endorsement, so budget for that on top. Our cost guide sets an Oregon day against the rest of the country, and the party boat versus private charter guide helps you decide between a six pack like this and a head boat seat.
The crew
Captain Joe Schaumburg is the heart of the operation and the reason it scores where it does. The Coast Guard Master credential and the Oregon guide license are the paper; the reviews are the proof. Across 125 FishingBooker trips, 121 of them five star, anglers describe a captain who knows the best spots, gets first timers onto their limits, and looks after the people who get seasick, in one case waking a queasy angler to reel in a fish. That kind of attentiveness, named over and over, is the clearest captain and crew evidence in Newport, and it is what holds the boat level with the port leader despite the smaller hull.
Booking and what to know
Book through the operator’s site or its FishingBooker listing, well ahead for the summer salmon, halibut, and tuna dates. Bring food and drink, warm waterproof layers even in July, sunscreen, and a cooler for your fillets. Buy your Oregon license, tags, and Ocean Endorsement online before you arrive, since the boat does not sell them. The tackle is provided. Trips leave South Beach Marina early, so plan for a pre dawn start, and keep the date flexible in case the bar or the weather forces a call.
How we scored it
Good Time Charlie earns its 8.5 on a credentialed, deeply praised captain, a modern and comfortable boat, transparent pricing, and a near flawless 125 trip record. The single engine and slightly smaller hull are the only reasons it sits a step below the port leader on boat and equipment rather than alongside it. Captain and crew is its standout factor by a wide margin. See how we scored this boat and the rest of the Newport ranking.