Short Skirts Sportfishing: Charleston's value Gulf Stream boat

Item: Short Skirts Sportfishing
Rating: 8.0
Author: Choose Your Charter

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.

Ranked #2 of 6 in Charleston Updated June 2026 Reviewed by the fishing desk

Short Skirts Sportfishing is the value pick for the Gulf Stream out of Charleston, a father and son operation that runs a well kept 30 foot center console, the Salt Shaker, on the long offshore haul for mahi, wahoo, and tuna. Captains Hayden and Chris carry the deepest and most consistent review record in the port, a 4.9 from 85 reviews on FishingBooker, and the boat reaches the bluewater grounds faster than many of the bigger sportfishers. For a small group that wants the Gulf Stream day without the top tier price, Short Skirts is the boat.

The verdict and where it ranks

At 8.0 Short Skirts is a strong choice and ranks second in Charleston, just behind 4 Sons Charters and just ahead of Daymaker Charters. The story is the trade between boat and value. Daymaker has more boat, a 58 foot sportfisher, but a higher price and a thinner public review pool; Short Skirts has the deepest verified reviews and the best Gulf Stream value, on a smaller boat. The honest limit is exactly that boat: a 30 foot center console makes the run and fishes it well on a fair day, but it is wetter and rougher than the big boats when the seas build, so the forecast matters more here. For the most boat in the port, look at 4 Sons or Daymaker; for a versatile mid priced ladder, Marsh View Fishing Charters; for the most awarded operation, RedFin Charters; and for an even cheaper run, Chasing Tail Charters. The full field is on the Charleston ranking.

The boat

The Salt Shaker is a 30 foot center console running new twin Yamaha 300 horsepower outboards, with a private head and room for up to six anglers. It is a capable, well kept offshore boat, and the twin engines give it the speed Short Skirts leans on: the operation notes it reaches the Gulf Stream grounds in under two hours where some of the bigger boats take three, so more of a 12 hour day is spent fishing. The honest caveat is size. At 30 feet it is smaller than the 45 to 58 foot boats above it in the ranking, and an open center console is wetter and takes the chop harder on the long run, so a rough forecast is felt more here than on a 50 foot sportfisher. For a fair day it is well suited to the run; for a rough one, the bigger boats are more comfortable.

The fishing and what you target

The headline is the full day Gulf Stream run, 50 to 75 miles out, trolling for mahi mahi, wahoo, blackfin tuna, sailfish, and the occasional marlin from late spring through fall, when the warm water pushes in. Closer to home the boat runs nearshore and shark trips, a good fit for a group that wants a shorter, calmer day. King mackerel show on the troll in spring and fall. Atlantic red snapper are abundant on the Charleston bottom 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 before you plan around them.

Trips and prices

Short Skirts prices by the whole boat, and it is the value end of the Gulf Stream fleet. The shorter nearshore and shark trips start at $625, and the full day, 12 hour Gulf Stream run is $2,500 for up to six anglers on the FishingBooker listing. Filled with six, that is the best per head value among the Charleston offshore boats, well under the $3,500 and up the bigger boats charge for the same run. Rods, reels, tackle, bait, and the license are included, and a customary crew tip is extra. Our cost guide sets the tiers side by side, and the party boat versus private charter guide covers why every Charleston deep sea trip is a private booking.

The crew

Short Skirts is run by a father and son, with Captain Hayden taking most of the trips and Captain Chris alongside. The sentiment is the deepest and most consistent in the port: across 85 FishingBooker reviews and more on Google, anglers describe captains who are knowledgeable and professional, keep the day fun, and work to put a mixed group on fish, with families and first timers singled out as well looked after. That depth of recent, positive sentiment is the main reason the boat ranks where it does, and it is what an owner run, single boat operation does at its best: the people you book are the people who meet you at the dock.

Booking and what to know

Book direct or through FishingBooker, choose between the full day Gulf Stream run and a shorter nearshore or shark trip, and watch the forecast for the long offshore day, since the 30 foot boat is more weather sensitive than the big sportfishers. Book 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.

How we scored it

Short Skirts scores 8.0: the best value on the Gulf Stream out of Charleston, with the deepest verified review record in the port and a fast, well kept boat, held below the top by a 30 foot center console that is smaller and wetter than the big sportfishers on a rough day. Captain and crew is its strongest factor. See how we scored this boat and the Charleston ranking for the field.

Private charterSix packBest Gulf Stream valueFather and sonDeepest review record

Typical Short Skirts Sportfishing rates · Up to 6 (private)
Trip	Hours	Rate
Nearshore / shark / inshore	varies	from $625 for the boat
Gulf Stream (full day)	12 hr	$2,500 for the boat (up to 6)

Typical Short Skirts Sportfishing rates · Up to 6 (private)

Trip

Hours

Rate

Nearshore / shark / inshore

varies

from $625 for the boat

Gulf Stream (full day)

12 hr

$2,500 for the boat (up to 6)

Frequently asked questions

How much is a Short Skirts Sportfishing trip in Charleston?

Rates are whole boat. The shorter nearshore and shark trips start at $625, and the full day, 12 hour Gulf Stream run is $2,500 for up to six anglers on the FishingBooker listing. Rods, reels, tackle, bait, and the license are included, and a customary crew tip is extra. That makes the bluewater day the best per head value among the Charleston offshore boats if you fill the deck.

How far is the Gulf Stream run with Short Skirts?

The full day trip is a 12 hour run to the Gulf Stream, roughly 50 to 75 miles offshore, which is the long haul every Charleston offshore boat has to make. Short Skirts notes its 30 foot center console reaches the grounds faster than many of the bigger boats, under two hours where some take three, so more of the day is spent fishing. The trade is comfort: a 30 foot open boat is wetter and rougher than a 50 foot sportfisher when the seas build.

What do you catch offshore with Short Skirts out of Charleston?

On the Gulf Stream run, mahi mahi, wahoo, blackfin tuna, sailfish, and the odd marlin from late spring through fall, with king mackerel and sharks closer in. The boat also runs nearshore and shark trips for groups that do not want the full bluewater day. Atlantic red snapper are abundant here 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.