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Operator review

Daymaker Charters

The most boat and the most billfish pedigree in Charleston: a 58 foot custom Carolina sportfisher under a Coast Guard certified captain with 30 years and a tournament record, built for the long bluewater troll. The trade is a narrow, top end only menu, the highest price in the port, and a thin pool of public customer reviews next to the booking platform boats. A strong choice for a serious marlin, tuna, and wahoo day, less so for a first timer or a half day.

Ranked #3 of 6 in Charleston Updated June 2026 Reviewed by the fishing desk

Daymaker Charters is the most boat and the most billfish pedigree in Charleston, a 58 foot custom Carolina sportfisher run by Captain Bobby Krivohlavek, a Coast Guard certified captain with 30 years on the water and a tournament record on the South Carolina billfish circuit. Where the rest of the port runs center consoles, Daymaker is a true bluewater sportfisher built for the long troll to the Gulf Stream, with the cockpit, the electronics, and the range to fish it in comfort. For a serious marlin, tuna, or wahoo day, it is the most capable boat in the Charleston fleet.

The verdict and where it ranks

At 7.9 Daymaker is a strong choice and ranks third in Charleston, just behind Short Skirts Sportfishing and 4 Sons Charters. It has the best boat and the most experienced billfish captain in the port, which is why boat and equipment is its standout factor, but the rubric weights more than hardware. The honest limits are three: a narrow menu, since Daymaker runs the top end bluewater day and little else, where 4 Sons and Marsh View offer a full ladder; the highest price in the port; and a thin pool of public customer reviews, with none shown on the operator site, where Short Skirts and Chasing Tail Charters carry deep verified records. For the deepest reviews, Short Skirts is the pick; for the most awarded all round operation, RedFin Charters leads. The full field is on the Charleston ranking.

The boat

The Daymaker is a 58 foot custom Carolina sportfisher, built in Wanchese, North Carolina, and running twin C-15 Caterpillar engines at 800 horsepower. It is the most capable offshore boat in the Charleston fleet: a large cockpit with a full fighting chair and mezzanine seating for the troll, Omni sonar and the latest Garmin electronics to find fish, and an air conditioned salon with a galley and a full head for the long day. On the Atlantic side, where the Gulf Stream is a 50 to 75 mile run, a boat this size is a real advantage in comfort and range over a center console when the seas build offshore. The boat is the reason to book Daymaker, and it carries the score.

The fishing and what you target

Daymaker is a bluewater specialist. The full day trolls the Gulf Stream for mahi mahi, wahoo, yellowfin and blackfin tuna, sailfish, and blue and white marlin from late spring through fall, the billfish run the captain fishes in tournaments. The boat also runs bottom trips for grouper, snapper, and amberjack on the live bottom closer in. This is not a half day or a first timer boat by design; it is built for the long offshore troll. 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

Daymaker prices by the whole boat for up to six anglers, and it is the top of the port: the offshore full day is $4,000 and the three quarter day is $3,600, with licenses, bait, tackle, and ice included. The price buys the largest boat and the most experienced billfish captain in Charleston, which for a serious bluewater day is a fair trade, but it is a real step up from the $2,300 to $3,500 the smaller boats charge, and there is no shorter, cheaper option to ease into. The booking is direct by phone with the captain rather than through a marketplace listing, so there is no posted online rate sheet to compare; confirm the current price when you call. Our cost guide sets the tiers side by side.

The crew

Captain Bobby Krivohlavek owns and runs Daymaker, a Coast Guard certified captain with 30 years on the water, and fishes it on the South Carolina billfish tournament circuit, with a win at the Edisto Invitational Billfish Tournament on the record; Captain Michael Krivohlavek runs as mate with seven years of experience. That longevity, the certification, and the tournament standing are real and verifiable, and they carry the track record score. The honest gap is customer sentiment: public review volume is thin across the booking platforms and Google, with none shown on the operator site, so unlike the boats with 40 to 85 reviews behind them, the day to day customer record here is hard to read in volume. We score the captain on the verifiable record and flag the thin review pool rather than inflate it.

Booking and what to know

Book direct by phone with Captain Bobby; there is no marketplace listing to book through, so this is a call rather than a click. Be clear that this is a top end bluewater boat: the trips are the three quarter day and the full day offshore, not a short nearshore run. The boat leaves from Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant. Book well ahead in the summer billfish months. Bring food, drinks, sunscreen, and a cooler with ice; the boat covers the license, bait, tackle, and ice, and has an air conditioned salon for the run out.

How we scored it

Daymaker scores 7.9: the largest, most capable bluewater boat in Charleston under a 30 year tournament captain, held just behind the leaders by the highest price in the port, a narrow top end only menu, and a thin pool of public customer reviews rather than any weakness in the boat or the captain. Boat and equipment is its standout factor. See how we scored this boat and the Charleston ranking for the field.

Private charterBluewater sportfisherTournament captainBiggest boat in the portBillfish specialist
Typical Daymaker Charters rates · Up to 6 (private)
TripHoursRate
Three quarter day (offshore)3/4 day$3,600 for the boat
Full day (Gulf Stream)full day$4,000 for the boat

Frequently asked questions

How much is a Daymaker Charters trip in Charleston?

Rates are whole boat for up to six anglers, booked direct by phone with the captain. The offshore full day is $4,000 for the boat and the three quarter day is $3,600. Licenses, bait, tackle, and ice are included. It is the highest priced boat in the Charleston ranking, which buys the largest boat and the most experienced billfish captain in the port. Confirm the current rate when you book.

What kind of boat is Daymaker?

Daymaker is a 58 foot custom Carolina sportfisher, built in Wanchese, North Carolina, running twin C-15 Caterpillar engines at 800 horsepower. It carries a large cockpit with a full fighting chair, mezzanine seating, Omni sonar, the latest Garmin electronics, and an air conditioned salon with a galley and a full head. It is the most capable bluewater boat in the Charleston offshore fleet, built for the long troll to the Gulf Stream.

What do you catch on Daymaker out of Charleston?

Daymaker specializes in the bluewater troll for mahi mahi, wahoo, yellowfin and blackfin tuna, sailfish, and blue and white marlin from late spring through fall, and also runs bottom trips for grouper, snapper, and amberjack. 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.

Compare in this port

Other ranked charters in Charleston

Full Charleston ranking
  1. 1
    Editor's Pick

    4 Sons Charters

    The most complete deep sea operation in Charleston: two purpose built offshore boats, a 45 foot SeaHunter and a 52 foot Viking, a full trip ladder from the nearshore reefs to the 50 to 75 mile Gulf Stream run, and a family crew with a deep, specific review record. The trade is the price, the highest tier in the port for the bluewater days, and a roster across two boats that means you do not always draw the same captain. A strong choice for a serious offshore or Gulf Stream day with a group, less so on a tight budget.

    8.2/10
    Strong choice
  2. 2

    Short Skirts Sportfishing

    The value pick for the Gulf Stream out of Charleston: a well kept 30 foot center console run by a father and son team with the deepest, most consistent review record in the port, and a faster ride to the offshore grounds than most. The trade is the boat itself, since a 30 foot center console is smaller and wetter than the big sportfishers on a 12 hour day in a chop. A strong choice for a small group chasing mahi and wahoo on a fair weather day, less so when the forecast turns.

    8.0/10
    Strong choice
  3. 4

    Marsh View Fishing Charters

    The most versatile mid priced offshore boat in Charleston: a 32 foot Contender under Captain Tim Mullins, a Charleston native with 30 years on this water, running the clearest trip ladder in the port from a 5 hour nearshore wreck trip to a 12 hour Gulf Stream run, with free cancellation. The trade is a review record that, while positive, sits a notch below the port's best at 4.7, and an older hull. A strong choice for a group that wants to match the trip to the budget and the bite, less so if you want the newest or biggest boat.

    7.7/10
    Strong choice