FoxSea Lady Fishing Charters is the deep sea charter to book out of Wilmington when you want a classic boat in fresh condition for a nearshore or bottom fishing day. Captain Fox Johnson runs a 35 foot Bertram out of Carolina Beach, a 1976 hull fully restored in 2024, and it carries a perfect 5.0 across 75 trips. It is an affordable, comfortable way onto the water for Spanish mackerel, Atlantic bonito, amberjack, and black sea bass, and the restoration shows in a boat that reviewers describe as a real pleasure to fish.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 8.2 FoxSea Lady is seventh in the Wilmington ranking and a strong, worth booking call, the pick for a family or a group that wants a comfortable, well priced nearshore and bottom fishing day on a characterful boat. It suits the half day mackerel and bonito trips and the offshore bottom runs. The honest limit is range. The menu tops out at an 8 hour day, which does not reach the Gulf Stream, so this is not the boat for a long tuna and wahoo run. For that, the Wet N Wild review and the Carolina Beach Sportfishing review cover the bluewater boats. Compare the field on the Wilmington ranking.
The boat
The boat is a 35 foot Bertram sportfisher, one of the classic sea kindly hulls, built in 1976 and fully restored in 2024 on twin 370 horsepower Cummins diesels. The restoration is the story: an old boat brought back to fresh condition, which means the comfort and ride of a Bertram without the tiredness an unrestored hull of that age would carry. It is a mid size sportfisher with a cabin, suited to the nearshore and bottom trips it runs, and the reviews single out the boat’s condition as a highlight rather than a worry.
The fishing and what you target
This is a nearshore and offshore bottom operation. The shorter trips troll the nearshore for Spanish mackerel and Atlantic bonito and work the reefs, the 4 hour reef trip targets the structure directly, and the longer 6 and 8 hour live bait and trolling trips reach the offshore bottom for greater amberjack and black sea bass and the mackerel grounds. Black sea bass is a reliable bottom target through its open season, the Spanish mackerel and bonito run the nearshore in the warm months, and the amberjack hold on the wrecks and live bottom. What it does not do is run the long Gulf Stream pelagic trip, which is the honest boundary on the menu.
Trips and prices
The ladder is affordable and clear, booked by the whole boat for up to 6 anglers. A 3 hour morning trip is $650, a 4 hour is $800, a 4 hour reef trip is $825, a 5 hour is $950, a 6 hour live bait or trolling trip is $1,350 (offered seasonally, May into March), and the longest, an 8 hour live bait or trolling run, is $1,700. Rods, reels, bait, and the fishing license are included. For anglers who only want the cabin comfort of a sportfisher without the bluewater day or the bluewater price, this is among the better value boats in the port. A 2 hour sunset cruise without fishing is also offered at $400. Our cost guide sets the rates in context, and the walk on versus private charter guide covers the private format.
The crew
Captain Fox Johnson runs the boat, and the 75 reviews behind a perfect 5.0 describe a friendly, capable captain who is good with families and keeps the group on fish on the nearshore and bottom grounds. The record is shallower than the port’s busiest boats, at 75 trips rather than several hundred, but it is perfect and current into this season, and the investment in restoring the boat in 2024 reads as an operator taking the work seriously.
Booking and what to know
Book through the FishingBooker listing, and pick the trip length to the fishing: the shorter runs for mackerel and bonito, the 6 or 8 hour trips for the bottom grounds. Bring food, drink, sunscreen, and a cooler; the gear, bait, and license are covered. For a Gulf Stream day, book one of the long range boats instead.
How we scored it
FoxSea Lady earns its 8.2 on a perfect, current review record, a classic boat in fresh restored condition, friendly family focused crew, and affordable, clear prices. Captain and crew and track record are its strongest factors. It sits at the foot of the ranked field on trips and access, because the menu stops at an 8 hour day and does not reach the Gulf Stream that the boats above it run. See how we scored this boat and the Wilmington rankings, including Tail Chaser and Captain Big Fish.