Captain Big Fish is the deep sea charter to book out of Wilmington when you want the surest thing in the port. The Wrightsville Beach operation carries the deepest review record of the Wilmington charters by a clear margin, a near perfect 5.0 across more than 360 trips, and it fishes a fast, well kept 2015 Grady White that gets a small group to the offshore grounds quickly. Captain Monty Childers runs a tidy, family friendly day, and the boxes come back full enough, trip after trip, that the consistency is the whole story here.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 8.7 Captain Big Fish is second in the Wilmington ranking and a book with confidence call, the pick for a family or a mixed group that wants a reliable offshore day without gambling on an unknown. It suits a half day on the mackerel just as well as a full day on the bottom grounds. Two honest limits hold it a step behind the leader. The boat is an open center console, which rides faster but wetter than the cabin sportfishers above and below it, so a long day in a chop is less comfortable. And the trip menu stops at a 10 hour run to 65 miles, short of the dedicated 13 hour Gulf Stream tuna day that Wet N Wild and S.S. Fish Witch II run. Compare the field on the Wilmington ranking.
The boat
The boat is a 37 foot Grady White center console from 2015, rigged with three 300 horsepower Yamaha outboards and a cruise that touches 35 knots. That speed is the point: it shortens the long Wilmington run to the offshore bottom, leaving more time fishing and less time riding. As an open boat it is fast and fishes a group of six hard, with the trade off that it has no cabin to duck into and rides wetter than a sportfisher when the wind is up. For a half day or a calm full day it is ideal, and on a rougher long day you will want dry layers. The 2015 build makes it the newest hull in the ranked field, and it shows in the upkeep.
The fishing and what you target
This is a nearshore and offshore bottom operation that reaches the close edge of the bluewater on the long day. Close in, the boat trolls for king and Spanish mackerel and hunts cobia, and works the structure for the bottom fish. Out on the ledges it is vermilion snapper, gag grouper, and greater amberjack, the bread and butter of a Carolina offshore box, with gag grouper open in its summer window. The 10 hour full day pushes up to 65 miles, far enough to reach the deeper bottom and, in the warm months, mahi mahi and the odd sailfish on the near edge of the Gulf Stream. It is not a dedicated tuna boat, but for snapper, grouper, and mackerel it is as steady as they come.
Trips and prices
Three trips, all booked by the whole boat for up to 6 anglers, and all clearly priced. The 5 hour half day nearshore trip is $650, the 8 hour three quarter day is $1,400, and the 10 hour full day offshore to 65 miles is $2,400. The inclusions are generous: the fishing license, live bait, catch cleaning and filleting, and even drinks and snacks are covered, so there is little to add but your own food if you want more. Free cancellation runs up to 7 days out. That mix of a clear price, full inclusions, and a no quibble cancellation window is why value and transparency scores well here. Our cost guide puts the numbers in context, and the walk on versus private charter guide covers the whole boat format.
The crew
Captain Monty Childers runs the boat as an owner operator, so you fish with the same captain who takes your booking. The sentiment behind the 5.0 rating is remarkably consistent: reviewers describe a patient, friendly captain who is good with kids and beginners, keeps the group on fish, and runs an organized, on time trip. With more than 360 reviews and a 5.0 captain and crew sub score, this is the most uniformly praised crew in the port, and the volume is what separates a genuine pattern from a lucky run of good days.
Booking and what to know
Book through the FishingBooker listing, well ahead for summer weekends, since this is one of the most requested boats in the area. Bring food and drink beyond the snacks provided, sunscreen, a hat, and dry layers for the long day, plus a cooler for your fillets; the gear, bait, license, and cleaning are covered. Free cancellation up to 7 days out makes it easy to move a weathered date.
How we scored it
Captain Big Fish earns its 8.7 on the deepest, most consistent review record in Wilmington, a fast and well kept 2015 boat, full inclusions, and a clear price. Track record and captain and crew are its standout factors. It sits just below the leader because the open center console is less comfortable than a cabin sportfisher on a long day, and the menu stops short of the full Gulf Stream run. See how we scored this boat and the Wilmington rankings, including Wet N Wild and Carolina Beach Sportfishing.