Deep sea fishing in Savannah and Tybee, ranked

Deep sea fishing in Savannah is shaped by one fact of geography: the Georgia coast sits on a wide, shallow shelf, so the deep water is a long way out. Most trips bottom fish the artificial reefs and live bottom 15 to 40 miles offshore for black sea bass and the rest of the reef spread, and only the long full day and overnight runs reach the Gulf Stream and its mahi mahi, wahoo, and tuna, 60 miles and more out. The fleet that fishes it is small but real, anchored by a 70 year institution and a handful of Tybee Island boats. This page ranks the Savannah and Tybee charters worth booking on our published method, and names the ones it set aside and why.

What you catch and when

The thing to understand about Savannah is the run. Because the shelf is shallow and the good bottom is far out, the fishing breaks into three layers by distance. Close in, the nearshore troll picks up king and Spanish mackerel, cobia, and sharks through the warm months. The middle layer, the artificial reefs and live bottom 15 to 40 miles out, is the heart of it: black sea bass year round, the staple of nearly every trip, with vermilion snapper, gray triggerfish, gag grouper, amberjack, and sheepshead on their own federal schedules. Red snapper are thick on the same structure but federally restricted, so they are mostly caught and released, and the rules moved again in 2026, when a court halted the state permit season weeks before it was due to open. The outer layer, the Gulf Stream 60 miles and more offshore, holds mahi mahi, wahoo, tuna, and sailfish, and only the long trips reach it, best from July into September. Confirm the current seasons with Georgia DNR and NOAA Fisheries before a target trip, since the bottom and snapper rules shift year to year.

The boats and operators

The Savannah and Tybee offshore fleet is small and mostly private. Outside of one big group boat, the offshore boats here cap at 6 anglers and you book the whole hull, so this is a private charter port more than a walk on one. The boats themselves are working platforms rather than new sportfishers: a couple of older cabin boats in the 31 to 43 foot range, and Miss Judy’s dedicated offshore fleet, which is the only one set up to run the full Gulf Stream program. The honest backdrop is scope. Several of the most reviewed offshore operations marketed to Savannah actually launch from Midway, roughly 30 miles south, and the town also has a large inshore fleet working the sounds for redfish and trout, so the genuine Savannah and Tybee deep sea field is smaller than a search makes it look. The cut note below names the boats we assessed and set aside.

How the field ranks

The Savannah field is short and clear, one institution at the top and three honest options behind it. Miss Judy Charters takes first at 8.3, the family operation running since 1956, with the deepest captain bench on the coast and the only full Gulf Stream program in the port, held off the very top only by rates you have to call for and a roster where the captain you draw varies. Georgia Coast Charters is second at 7.3, the most transparent Tybee boat, with posted rates and a clean 4.9 record, marked down for an older 1982 hull that cruises slow and keeps it on the closer reefs. Amick’s Deep Sea Fishing follows at 7.2, the 37 season bottom fishing operation on a roomy 41 foot boat, held back by phone only pricing and an older, no frills hull. Reel ‘Em N rounds out the ranked boats at 6.3, a mixed call: the one boat built to take a big group of up to 20, but dragged down by mixed reviews, a complaint that the paid clock starts at the dock, and a mandatory 18 percent gratuity. The cards below carry each boat’s verdict and score.

Trip types and what they cost

Savannah fishes mostly as a private port, and the trip you pick is really a choice of distance. A half day barely clears the closer reefs, so the value here is in the longer trips: a full day, 8 to 10 hours, gets you onto good bottom 25 to 55 miles out, and only a 12 hour or overnight run reaches the Gulf Stream. Posted private rates run from about $800 for a 4 hour Tybee half day on Georgia Coast Charters up to $2,200 to $2,800 for a full or extended day on the larger boats, all by the boat for up to 6 anglers, with the price splitting better the more of your own group you bring. Miss Judy and Amick’s quote their offshore rates by phone rather than posting them, so call for a number. The one boat that takes a large group, Reel ‘Em N, runs up to 20 anglers for an added per person charge. Bait, tackle, and the fishing license are included across the fleet, and the crews clean your catch. Our cost guide breaks down the tiers, and the party boat versus private charter guide helps you choose the format.

How to pick the right trip

Match the trip to your group and your stomach, because the long run is the rule here. If you want the most capable operation and a real shot at the Gulf Stream, book the Miss Judy fleet and ask which boat and captain you are getting. For a straightforward Tybee bottom day with a price you can see up front, Georgia Coast Charters is the easiest boat to deal with, and Amick’s is the experienced, longer running alternative if you do not mind calling for a quote. For a large party, Reel ‘Em N is the only boat with the room, so long as you book a longer trip and confirm how the time is counted. Whichever you pick, take the full day over the half: on this coast a half day spends most of its time running, and the longer trip fishes far better.

Getting there and what to bring

Most of the fleet runs from Tybee Island and the Bull River, about a 20 minute drive east of downtown Savannah on US Highway 80, with Miss Judy’s office on Wilmington Island along the way. Savannah and Hilton Head airports are both close, and the marinas have parking, though it fills in season, so arrive 30 to 45 minutes before departure to park, load, and check in. Bring sunscreen, a hat, polarized sunglasses, food and drinks, and a cooler with ice for your fillets, plus motion sickness medication if your stomach is a question, since the long run to the reefs and the offshore chop make for a full day on the water. No fishing license is needed on a licensed charter, and the first time guide walks a beginner through the rest.

Savannah anchors the Georgia end of the Carolinas and Georgia coast we cover, and the same Gulf Stream fishery runs up into South Carolina at Hilton Head and Charleston just north. For more of the state, see deep sea fishing in Georgia.