Wet N Wild Sportfishing is the deep sea charter to book out of Wilmington when you want the most complete bluewater operation in the port. It runs out of the Carolina Beach municipal docks under Captain Keith Green, a tournament angler with more than 30 years on this coast, and it fishes a proper 54 foot Carolina sportfisher that can make the long run to the Gulf Stream in comfort. The trip menu covers everything from a nearshore half day on the mackerel to the 13 hour all day tuna and billfish run, and the review record behind it is one of the deepest at Carolina Beach.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 8.8 this is the top of the Wilmington field and a book with confidence call, the pick when you want a real Gulf Stream day on the best bluewater platform in the port. It suits a serious crew after tuna, mahi mahi, and sailfish on the long run, and it still works for a family half day on the king mackerel. Two honest caveats hold it short of a perfect grade. The headline hull is around 20 years old, well kept but not new, and the operator notes a fuel surcharge that can be added on top of the quoted rate when fuel prices run high, so the all day price is not always fixed at $3,000. For the deepest single review record in the port, the Captain Big Fish review is close behind, and for the most transparent pricing in the field Tail Chaser is the value pick. Compare the whole field on the Wilmington ranking.
The boat
The Wet N Wild is a 54 foot Custom Carolina sportfisher built by Gillikin, the right kind of boat for a port whose Gulf Stream sits a long way out. Twin 800 horsepower Caterpillar diesels push it offshore at a cruise that turns the roughly 60 mile run into a manageable morning, and the air conditioned cabin, two heads, and cockpit fighting chairs make the long day comfortable rather than a slog. It is a 2001 era build, so it is not new, but the reviews do not flag the boat as a weak point and the maintenance shows. A second, smaller boat, the 31 foot center console No Mercy under Captain Dylan Scott, handles the lighter nearshore trips, which lets the operation match the boat to the trip instead of taking a big diesel out for a short mackerel run.
The fishing and what you target
This is a trolling and bluewater operation that also fishes the nearshore well. Close to the beach the boats work for king and Spanish mackerel, false albacore, bonito, barracuda, and amberjack, the mixed bag that fills a half day box off Carolina Beach. The signature trip is the 13 hour Gulf Stream run, where the target shifts to yellowfin and blackfin tuna, mahi mahi, wahoo, and sailfish on the blue water past Frying Pan Tower. Mahi mahi and sailfish show through the warm months, wahoo run strongest in the fall, and the nearshore mackerel fish well across much of the year. Captain Green’s tournament background, which includes the Big Rock blue marlin event and a string of bluewater wins, is the kind of experience that earns this score on the long trolling spread.
Trips and prices
The price ladder is clear and posted by the whole boat for up to 6 anglers. A 4 hour nearshore trolling trip is $800, a 5 hour trip (morning or afternoon) is $950, a 6 hour live bait trip is $1,400, an 8 hour is $1,800, a 10 hour is $2,100, and the 13 hour all day Gulf Stream run is $3,000. Rods, reels, bait, lures, tackle, the fishing license, and catch cleaning are included, which is most of what you need covered. The one transparency wrinkle is the fuel surcharge, which the operator says may be added temporarily when fuel prices are high, without a fixed threshold, so confirm the final number before you commit. A mate gratuity of around 20 percent is described as customary rather than required. Our cost guide sets these rates in context, and because every trip here is the whole boat, the walk on versus private charter guide covers the private format you are booking.
The crew
Captain Keith Green owns and runs the operation, which he established in 2002 after a long career in Wilmington, and he brings the tournament resume to the bluewater trolling. Reviewers consistently describe a well organized trip, clear communication before you arrive about parking and what to bring, and a captain and mate who put families and first time anglers at ease while still finding fish. The mate work on deck, rigging baits and clearing lines on the troll, draws steady praise. On the nearshore boat you fish with Captain Dylan Scott, so ask which captain and which boat your trip is on when you book.
Booking and what to know
Book direct through the operator site or its FishingBooker listing, and book well ahead for the prime summer and fall weeks, since this is one of the most requested boats in the port. Free cancellation runs up to 14 days out. Bring food, drink, sunscreen, a hat, and a cooler for your fillets; the gear, bait, license, and cleaning are covered. For the tuna and billfish, book the 13 hour Gulf Stream day and start early, because the blue water is a long run from Carolina Beach.
How we scored it
Wet N Wild earns its 8.8 on the best combination in the port: a tournament captain, a 54 foot Gulf Stream sportfisher, the fullest trip ladder, and a deep, current review record at 4.9 across 167 reviews. Captain and crew and the boat are its strongest factors. It is held a step below a perfect grade by value and transparency, where the fuel surcharge can lift the posted rate, and by a hull that is no longer young. See how we scored this boat and the Wilmington rankings for the field, including Captain Big Fish and S.S. Fish Witch II.