Amick’s Deep Sea Fishing is the steady, long running bottom fishing option in the Savannah port, a 41 foot boat that has worked the Georgia reefs for 37 seasons under Captain Scott Amick. It runs half and full day trips out of the Bull River Marina between Savannah and Tybee Island, reaching the live bottom 20 to 55 miles offshore, and it has built one of the longest track records on this coast. For an angler who wants an experienced crew, a boat with room to fish, and a no fuss day of reef fishing, it is a dependable call.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.2 Amick’s is a strong choice and third in the Savannah field. Its case is longevity and the boat: 37 seasons is a record only Miss Judy beats in this port, and a 41 foot hull rides a chop better and fishes six in more comfort than the center consoles that make up much of the local offshore fleet. What holds it back is the booking and the boat’s age. Rates are not posted, so you call for a quote, and the hull is an older, working deep sea boat without the frills. Book it for a bottom fishing day with a crew that has done it for decades. If you want posted rates, Georgia Coast Charters lists every price, and for a Gulf Stream run the Miss Judy fleet is the better fit.
The boat
The boat is a 41 foot custom deep sea hull, the kind of dedicated bottom fishing platform that this coast was built around. The size is the point: a 41 footer carries the range and the fuel for the long run to the reefs, rides the offshore chop more kindly than a small center console, and gives six anglers room to work the rail on a full day. The trade is age and simplicity. This is a working boat, not a new sportfisher, so set your expectations on a functional deck and basic comforts rather than an air conditioned cabin. The operator does not publish the electronics package, so we score the boat on its size, its range, and what the reviews describe rather than on a posted spec.
The fishing and what you target
Amick’s is a bottom fishing operation, and it fishes the reefs and live bottom hard. The 8 hour trip works 20 to 35 miles out and the 10 hour reaches 25 to 55 miles, far enough to get onto good structure on a coast where the productive bottom sits a long way from the beach. The catch is the Georgia reef spread: black sea bass, open all year and the staple of these trips, with vermilion snapper, triggerfish, grouper, and amberjack on their own federal schedules, and king mackerel, cobia, and sharks closer in. Red snapper are on the same bottom but federally restricted, so they are mostly released. What the boat does not do is the long Gulf Stream pelagic run, so if mahi and tuna are the goal, this is not the trip.
Trips and prices
Amick’s does not post rates, so you book by phone at (912) 897-6759 for a current quote. Half day trips run 4 to 6 hours and full days 8 to 12 hours, private for up to 6 anglers, with the rod, reel, bait, tackle, and fishing license included and lunch and drinks your own. Explore Georgia has listed a full day from about $95 per person, which would make it one of the cheaper ways to fish offshore here, but that figure sits on a secondary listing and may be out of date, so treat it as a starting point and confirm the current price, and whether the trip is private or shared, when you call. Our cost guide sets the Savannah numbers in context.
The crew
The crew is the heart of the operation’s reputation. Across TripAdvisor, Yelp, and the local review sites, the recurring themes are patience with first timers, a safe and friendly trip, and captains who know where the fish hold, with Scott, Brad, and Jimmy Armel named most often. The record runs to about 4.5 stars over roughly 50 reviews, a solid showing without the depth of the busiest boats, and a handful of reviews note the ordinary ups and downs of bottom fishing on a slow day. With more than one captain running the boat across a long season, the skipper you draw can vary, so ask who is aboard when you book.
Booking and what to know
Book by phone with the office, and confirm the trip length, the price, the meeting time, and the weather policy on the call, since none of it is posted. The boat leaves from the Bull River Marina on US Highway 80, the road between Savannah and Tybee Island, so it is an easy drive from either. No license is needed, the crew handles the fish, and you bring your own lunch and drinks for a long day. Bring sunscreen, a hat, and motion sickness medication for the run out, because the reefs are far enough offshore to make for a full day on the water.
How we scored it
Amick’s scores 7.2, third in the Savannah port. Track record is its strongest factor, 37 seasons on the Georgia coast, with captain and crew and trips and access close behind on an experienced crew and a boat with the range to fish the reefs properly. It is marked down on value and transparency, where nothing is posted and you book by phone, and on boat and equipment for an older, no frills hull. See how we scored this boat for the full rubric, and compare it against the rest of our Savannah rankings.