Chasing Tail Charters: Charleston's budget Gulf Stream boat

Item: Chasing Tail Charters
Rating: 7.3
Author: Choose Your Charter

Chasing Tail Charters

The budget way to the Gulf Stream out of Charleston: a 26 foot Sea Fox run by an active duty Coast Guardsman with a strong recent review record, fishing the offshore bottom and the bluewater for a lower rate than the bigger boats. The trade is the boat, since at 26 feet it is the smallest in the ranked field on the long offshore run, so it is weather sensitive, and it is a newer operation with a shorter track record. A strong choice for a cost conscious small group on a calm day, less so when the seas build.

Ranked #6 of 6 in Charleston Updated June 2026 Reviewed by the fishing desk

Chasing Tail Charters is the budget way to the Gulf Stream out of Charleston, a 26 foot Sea Fox run by Captain Brad Beyer, an active duty Coast Guardsman with a strong recent review record. It fishes the offshore bottom and the bluewater for a lower rate than the bigger boats, which makes it the cheapest way onto the Gulf Stream among the ranked Charleston charters if you fill the deck. For a cost conscious small group on a fair weather day, it is a genuine option.

The verdict and where it ranks

At 7.3 Chasing Tail is a strong choice and ranks sixth in Charleston, the value end of the ranked field. It sits behind Marsh View Fishing Charters and RedFin Charters, and well behind the bigger boats. Its strengths are a strong, recent review record, an owner who runs every trip, and the lowest price on the Gulf Stream run. The honest limits are the boat and the history: at 26 feet it is the smallest in the ranked field on a 50 to 75 mile run, so it is the most weather sensitive, and it is a newer operation with a shorter track record than the established names. For the most boat, 4 Sons Charters and Daymaker Charters lead; for the deepest reviews and the best value on a slightly bigger boat, Short Skirts Sportfishing is the pick. The full field is on the Charleston ranking.

The boat

The boat is a 26 foot Sea Fox center console running twin 150 horsepower Yamaha outboards, with room for up to six anglers. The twin engines give it a margin of safety and the range to reach the offshore grounds, and for the nearshore and bottom trips it is well suited. The honest caveat is the heart of the score: at 26 feet it is the smallest boat in the ranked Charleston field, and the Gulf Stream is a long run. On a calm day it fishes the bluewater fine; when the seas build, an open boat this size is wet and rough, and the long offshore day is more weather dependent than it is on the 45 to 58 foot boats. Boat and equipment is the factor that holds the overall where it is.

The fishing and what you target

Chasing Tail fishes the offshore bottom and the Gulf Stream, targeting mahi mahi, wahoo, blackfin tuna, and king mackerel on the troll and grouper and black sea bass on the bottom, with a shot at sailfish in the summer. The shorter nearshore trips work the closer ground for a calmer day. Atlantic red snapper are abundant on the Charleston ledges but the federal South Atlantic season is very short and was closed by a court order for 2026, so 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

Chasing Tail prices by the whole boat, and it is the value end of the Gulf Stream fleet. The full day, 10 hour offshore run to the Gulf Stream is about $1,776 for the boat for up to six anglers on the FishingBooker listing, and the shorter nearshore and bottom trips run less. A deposit holds the date, and tackle and the license are included. Filled with six, the Gulf Stream day is the cheapest way onto the bluewater among the ranked boats, the trade being the smaller boat that money buys. Our cost guide sets the tiers side by side, and the first time guide is worth a read if this is your first offshore trip.

The crew

Captain Brad Beyer owns and runs Chasing Tail, an active duty Coast Guardsman who started the charter business in 2021. The sentiment is strong and recent: across 44 FishingBooker reviews and more on Google, anglers describe a patient captain who keeps the group on fish and welcomes first timers, with a 4.9 rating. The record is genuinely good, held a step below the longest established boats only by its length: a few years and 44 reviews is a solid, recent record rather than the decade deep one the veteran operations have built, so the track record score reflects a young operation doing well rather than a long proven one.

Booking and what to know

Book direct or through FishingBooker, and watch the forecast closely for the long offshore day, since the 26 foot boat is the most weather sensitive in the ranked field. Tell Captain Brad your group size and experience, and he will set the trip to match; first timers are welcome. The boat runs out of the Charleston area on the Mount Pleasant and North Charleston side. Bring food, drinks, sunscreen, and a cooler with ice for your fillets; the boat covers the tackle and the license.

How we scored it

Chasing Tail scores 7.3: the budget way to the Gulf Stream out of Charleston, with a strong recent review record and an owner who runs every trip, held to the value end of the field by a 26 foot boat that is the smallest on the long offshore run and a newer operation with a shorter track record. Captain and crew and service are its strongest factors. See how we scored this boat and the Charleston ranking for the field.

Private charterSix packBudget Gulf StreamOwner runNewer operation

Typical Chasing Tail Charters rates · Up to 6 (private)
Trip	Hours	Rate
Gulf Stream / offshore	10 hr	about $1,776 for the boat (up to 6)
Nearshore / bottom	shorter	less; confirm when booking

Typical Chasing Tail Charters rates · Up to 6 (private)

Trip

Hours

Rate

Gulf Stream / offshore

10 hr

about $1,776 for the boat (up to 6)

Nearshore / bottom

shorter

less; confirm when booking

Frequently asked questions

How much is a Chasing Tail Charters trip in Charleston?

Rates are whole boat. The full day, 10 hour offshore run to the Gulf Stream is about $1,776 for the boat for up to six anglers on the FishingBooker listing, and the shorter nearshore and bottom trips run less. A deposit holds the date, and tackle and the license are included. Filled with a group, it is the cheapest way to the Gulf Stream among the ranked Charleston boats.

Is a 26 foot boat big enough for the Gulf Stream out of Charleston?

It makes the run, but it is the smallest boat in our ranked Charleston field, and the Gulf Stream is a 50 to 75 mile haul. On a calm day a 26 foot Sea Fox with twin engines fishes the bluewater well; when the seas build, an open boat this size is wet and rough, and trips are more weather dependent than on the 45 to 58 foot boats. Watch the forecast and keep the long offshore day for fair weather.

What do you catch with Chasing Tail out of Charleston?

On the Gulf Stream and offshore runs, mahi mahi, wahoo, blackfin tuna, and king mackerel, with grouper and black sea bass on the bottom and a shot at sailfish in summer. Atlantic red snapper are abundant on the Charleston ledges but the South Atlantic season is very short and was closed by a court order for 2026, so confirm the current status before you target them.