Top Shot Sport Fishing is the most reviewed deep sea boat in Hilton Head, a 31 foot Morgan sportfisher that owner captain Jay Prescott runs off the south end of the island. Prescott has fished Hilton Head for more than 40 years and run Top Shot as a charter for over 30, the longest record we found in the port, and his FishingBooker listing carries around 380 reviews at 4.8, the deepest review trail of any charter we rank here. The pricing is posted in full and all inclusive, the trip menu runs from a short shark trip to a 10 hour bottom run, and the boat sits near the top of our field on the strength of the captain and that long, consistent record.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.9 Top Shot is a strong choice and the second boat in our Hilton Head ranking, a hair behind the catamaran at Stray Cat Charters and a hair ahead of Bulldog Fishing Charters. It leads the port on track record and on clear pricing, and Captain Jay’s four decades on the water carry the crew score. What holds it just below the top is the boat itself: a 1989 single engine hull, capable and well kept but slower and shorter on range than the twin engine catamarans, so the long offshore run eats more of the day. Book it for a nearshore reef or bottom day, or the 10 hour snapper banks trip, with a captain who knows this water as well as anyone. For a steadier, longer offshore run, the Stray Cat catamaran is the better hull.
The boat
The Top Shot is a 31 foot Morgan sportfisher built in 1989 and restored in 2007, powered by a single Caterpillar 3126 turbo diesel, with a cuddy cabin and a toilet. It carries up to 6 anglers, the Coast Guard limit on a six pack boat. It is a proven, well maintained bottom and nearshore platform rather than a fast offshore boat: the single diesel cruises at a working pace, so a long run to the deeper bottom spends a real share of the charter getting there and back. For the nearshore reefs and the bottom trips that make up most of Hilton Head’s deep sea fishing, that is a fair trade, and the boat is set up for it.
The fishing and what you target
Top Shot fishes the season in front of it. The cooler months, roughly November into April, are the bottom season, when the boat works the nearshore reefs and live bottom for black sea bass, triggerfish, grouper, and snapper. The warmer months bring king and Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and sharks on the troll and around the wrecks, and the 3 hour shark trip is a favorite with families and kids. The 10 hour offshore snapper banks run pushes farther out to the deeper bottom for a better grade of fish. The reviews describe a captain who teaches as he goes and is candid about a slow day, which is what you want from a boat at this end of the port.
Trips and prices
Top Shot sells by the whole boat for up to 6 anglers, private only, and the pricing is the clearest in the port. The posted rates are $650 for a 4 hour half day, $800 for 5 hours, $950 for a 6 hour three quarter day, $1,300 for an 8 hour full day, and $1,650 for the 10 hour snapper banks run, with a 3 hour shark trip at $500. The fishing license, live bait, and catch cleaning are included, the basis is stated plainly, and cancellation is free with a day’s notice. That transparency is a real strength and better than several boats in the port manage. Our cost guide sets these whole boat numbers in context against a shared seat on a party boat.
The crew
Captain Jay Prescott is the reason this boat ranks where it does. He has lived on Hilton Head for more than 40 years and run Top Shot for over 30, owns and runs the boat himself, and is described across the reviews as friendly, patient with beginners, and quick to teach the local fishery and the island. The FishingBooker record bears it out: around 380 reviews at 4.8, with 87.4 percent at five stars, the deepest and most consistent trail of any deep sea boat in the port. The honest qualifier is the shape of a few low reviews, which are mostly slow weather days rather than anything on the captain, and a catch that, like everywhere here, depends on the season and the conditions.
Booking and what to know
Book through the operator’s site or its FishingBooker listing, which carries the full menu, the rates, and the review record, with free cancellation a day out. The boat leaves from the south end of Hilton Head, and the run to the grounds passes Daufuskie Island. No fishing license is needed, since the boat covers it, the crew cleans your catch, and you keep what you land. Bring food, drinks, sunscreen, and motion sickness medication for the longer bottom runs, since the deeper spots are a real distance offshore. For a walk on seat at a fraction of the private rate, the Drifter party boat is the budget alternative.
How we scored it
Top Shot scores 7.9: the most reviewed and longest running deep sea boat in Hilton Head, owner run for over 30 years, with the clearest all inclusive pricing and the fullest trip menu in the port. Track record, captain and crew, and value are its top factors. It sits just below the top boat because the hull is an older single engine sportfisher, slower and shorter on range than the twin engine catamarans, which matters most on the long offshore runs. See how we scored this boat, and compare it against the rest of the Hilton Head fleet.