4 Sons Charters is the most complete deep sea operation in Charleston, and the reason is the fleet. Where most of the port runs a single center console, 4 Sons fishes two purpose built offshore boats: a 45 foot SeaHunter, billed as the largest center console offshore charter boat in the city, and a 52 foot Viking convertible sportfisher with the range and the comfort for the long bluewater day. It is a family operation, the four sons of the name, with a deep and specific review record across the platforms. For a serious offshore or Gulf Stream day out of Charleston, it is the first boat to call.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 8.2 it is our highest scored boat in Charleston, a strong choice and the top of the port, just ahead of Short Skirts Sportfishing. The two trade strengths: Short Skirts has the deepest verified review record and the better Gulf Stream value, while 4 Sons has the boats, two of them, and the wider trip ladder. The honest limits are price and crew consistency. The bluewater days are the highest priced in the port, and a family roster across two boats means you do not always draw the same captain. For the most boat and the most billfish pedigree, Daymaker Charters runs a 58 foot sportfisher; for a versatile mid priced ladder, Marsh View Fishing Charters is the call; for the most awarded all round operation, RedFin Charters leads on reviews; and for the cheapest way to the Gulf Stream, Chasing Tail Charters is the budget option. The full field is on the Charleston ranking.
The boats
The fleet is the heart of the score. The 45 foot SeaHunter is a fast center console running quad 350 horsepower Suzukis, with an oversized T-top for shade, a private head in the console, and Garmin electronics. At 45 feet it is a genuine offshore platform, quick enough to cut the 50 to 75 mile run to the Gulf Stream and big enough to fish it in comfort, and the operator calls it the largest center console offshore charter boat in Charleston. The 52 foot Viking convertible is the step up for the long bluewater day: a 142 square foot cockpit, a flying bridge, a full head, and a galley, with the cabin and the ride that a 12 hour day in a chop rewards. Two boats this capable are rare in this port, where the long Atlantic run makes boat size and range count for more than they do on the Gulf side, and they are why boat and equipment is the strongest factor here.
The fishing and what you target
The trips follow the season and the run. The Gulf Stream days, 50 to 75 miles out, troll for mahi mahi, wahoo, blackfin tuna, sailfish, and blue marlin from late spring through fall, the trips the big boats are built for. The reef and nearshore trips work the live bottom closer in for grouper, snapper, amberjack, and black sea bass, with king mackerel and cobia on the troll in spring and fall. Atlantic red snapper are abundant on the Charleston ledges but the federal South Atlantic season is very short, and South Carolina’s expanded 2026 season was paused by a court order on May 21, 2026, so harvest is closed; confirm the current status with NOAA Fisheries. Shallow water grouper, including gag, are closed January 1 to April 30 and reopen May 1.
Trips and prices
Rates are whole boat for up to six anglers, and the spread is wide. On the 45 foot SeaHunter, the FishingBooker listing posts $2,200 for a 6 hour nearshore trip, $2,850 for an 8 hour reef trip, and $3,500 for a 10 hour Gulf Stream run. The 52 foot Viking runs higher, and the operator site quotes a deep sea range up to $4,900 for the larger boat on the longest bluewater days. Rods, tackle, the license, live bait, ice, drinks, and a private head are included, and the crew cleans your catch at the dock; deposits are non refundable. The pricing is fair for boats of this size, but it is the top tier in the port, and the gap between the operator site range and the FishingBooker rate is worth confirming when you book. Our cost guide sets the tiers side by side, and the party boat versus private charter guide explains why a private boat is the only way to fish the Gulf Stream here.
The crew
4 Sons is a family operation, run by the McCurry family with Captain Johnston McCurry, a Charleston native who caught his first billfish at 13, among the captains, alongside crew the reviews name as Andrew, Taylor, and Whitney. The sentiment is consistently strong and often specific: reviewers describe a professional crew that keeps a mixed group on fish and looks after first timers, including one account of a seasick angler the crew got back on deck in time to fight a wahoo. The honest trade of a two boat family operation is that you do not always draw the same captain, and the deepest review volume sits on the inshore boats rather than the offshore ones, so the offshore record, while strong, is not the deepest in the port.
Booking and what to know
Book direct or through FishingBooker, and confirm which boat you are on and your departure marina, since 4 Sons runs from the Charleston side at Ripley Point and from Tollers Cove Marina in Mount Pleasant. Match the boat to the trip: the 45 foot SeaHunter for the reef and shorter Gulf Stream runs, the 52 foot Viking for the long bluewater day. Book well ahead in summer, when the Gulf Stream trips fill. Bring food, drinks, sunscreen, and a cooler with ice for your fillets; the boat covers the rods, tackle, bait, and license, and cleans your catch.
How we scored it
4 Sons scores 8.2: the most capable offshore fleet in Charleston, two purpose built boats with the range a long Atlantic run rewards and a strong, specific crew record, held just out of the top band by the highest prices in the port and an offshore review pool that is strong rather than the deepest. Boat and equipment is its standout factor. See how we scored this boat and the Charleston ranking for the field.