The Captain Hook is the cheapest way to fish offshore on Hilton Head, a 70 foot party boat out of Shelter Cove that sells a seat on a 5.5 hour wreck trip for about $75 with everything included. It is the better of the island’s two party boats, a big, comfortable head boat with an enclosed cabin, a galley, two restrooms, and a sun deck, and it is built to get a full boat of first timers and families fishing quickly. As a budget, all in, sociable day on the water it does its job. As a way to catch fish it carries real caveats, which is why it sits in the mixed tier rather than higher.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 6.4 Captain Hook is a mixed option and the fifth boat in our Hilton Head ranking, ahead of the other party boat at Drifter Excursions and below the private sportfishers. It earns its place as the budget choice: the per person fare is a fraction of a private charter, the trip is genuinely all inclusive, and the staff are good at the logistics of a shared boat. What holds it down is the experience on the water. The reviews repeatedly note that a 5.5 hour trip spends a good share of itself steaming out and back, so the actual fishing time is shorter than the headline, and the catch is mostly small reef fish with few keepers on a slow day. Book it for a cheap family outing, not for a serious day of catching.
The boat
The Captain Hook is a 70 foot party boat, also called a head boat, the largest fishing boat working out of Hilton Head, with room for up to about 60 anglers on the public trips. It has an enclosed, air conditioned cabin, shaded and seated fishing areas, a galley serving hot and cold food and drinks, two restrooms, and an upper deck. For a shared boat that needs to keep dozens of people comfortable and fishing at once, it is well set up, and the stability of a boat this size is part of why it suits families and anyone unsure of their sea legs. The operator also runs a 28 foot Glacier Bay for private inshore charters, a separate trip from the party boat covered here.
The fishing and what you target
The party trip fishes the nearshore wrecks and reefs, and the target is a mix of black sea bass, triggerfish, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, and the occasional shark. This is reef and bottom fishing for a spread of mostly modest fish rather than a run at offshore pelagics, which is the right expectation to set: on a good day the rail stays busy, and on a slow one the box holds few keepers. A night shark trip runs in the warmer months and targets coastal sharks, a livelier draw for older kids and teenagers. The fishing is sold on access and price, not on the grade of the catch.
Trips and prices
Captain Hook sells by the seat on its public trips, which is the whole point of a party boat: you pay per person rather than for the boat, so a single angler or a small family fishes offshore for far less than a private charter costs. The offshore trip starts near $75 per person for about 5.5 hours, leaving around 9 a.m. from March into December, with the rod, reel, bait, tackle, fishing license, and ice all included. The whole boat can be booked privately for a group of up to about 60. The party boat versus private charter guide works through when the shared format is the right call, and the cost guide sets the per person fare against the cost of a private boat like Top Shot.
The crew
A party boat runs on its deckhands rather than a single named captain, and the reviews credit the Captain Hook crew with the thing that matters most on a head boat: getting a full load of people rigged, baited, and fishing quickly, and keeping them fishing. They draw consistent praise for patience with beginners and children. The flip side, and the reason the crew score is not higher, is that the personal attention a private six pack boat gives is not possible with dozens aboard, and the rotating staff means the experience is less consistent than an owner run boat. The catch related complaints are about the fishing and the steaming time more than the crew.
Booking and what to know
Book online or by phone, and arrive early to park at Shelter Cove and check in, since the public trips fill in the busy months. The boat leaves from 1 Shelter Cove Lane, Dock C. Everything for fishing is provided, so you need only food, drinks, sunscreen, and cash for the galley and a tip for the mates. No fishing license is needed, since the boat covers it. Set your expectations to a sociable few hours of reef fishing for a mix of small fish, and it is an easy, affordable first trip. For the other party boat option, on the south end of the island, see Drifter Excursions.
How we scored it
Captain Hook scores 6.4: the cheapest and most accessible way to fish offshore on Hilton Head, a big, comfortable, all inclusive party boat that is good with families and first timers. Boat and service are its top factors. It sits in the mixed tier because the fishing is the weak point, a 5.5 hour trip with a short actual fishing window and a catch of mostly small reef fish, and a shared head boat cannot match the attention or the catch of a private charter. See how we scored this boat, and compare it against the rest of the Hilton Head fleet.