This is the trip you plan for.
We run 70-80 miles out to the edge of the continental shelf, where the bottom falls away into deep water and the Gulf Stream pushes warm blue water over some of the most productive structure in the Atlantic.
Tilefish, snowy grouper, yellowedge grouper, big snapper, and more live at this range, and nothing closer to the beach compares. It is a full day of fishing in every sense of the phrase, and the size of the fish reflects every mile of the run.
You’ll leave the dock before first light, clear the inlet, and run 70 plus miles. Along the way the captain works the trolling spread for whatever are running, then settles on deep structure for serious bottom work before the run home.
This is not a casual day on the water. The run is real, the fish are big, and the action on the bottom can be relentless when the conditions line up. Come prepared, come rested, and come hungry to fish.
Trips run seasonally, weather and conditions permitting.
What to bring: A full day’s worth of food and non-glass drinks, sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, soft-soled shoes, and seasickness medication taken well before departure. This is a 10 hour offshore day. Pack accordingly and plan to be comfortable from the start.
Red snapper are hard-pulling, strikingly beautiful, and among the best eating fish in the ocean — and the shelf edge is where the bigger class fish live. Vermilion snapper fill in the action between drops and are willing biters in deep water. Federal seasons and bag limits apply, and your captain stays current on all regulations.
Yellowedge grouper are one of the premier deep-drop species in the Atlantic, recognizable by their heavy body and vivid yellow fin edges.
Reef donkeys at any depth, but the ones living on shelf-edge structure are a different animal entirely. Deep-water AJ’s are bigger, meaner, and have nowhere to go but down. This is a fish that will make your arms ache and your drag smoke. If you want a true test of offshore bottom fishing, a 60-plus-pound amberjack at depth will answer the question.
Kings and cobia don’t disappear at this range — they often get bigger. The run to live bottom and wrecks crosses prime king territory, and cobia roam open water and structure at any depth. Both species are bonus targets on the way out and back, and neither turns down a well-presented live bait.
Deep drop fishing means dropping baits 400 to 800 feet down on heavy conventional or electric reels to target species that live beyond normal bottom fishing depths, like golden tilefish and snowy grouper. It is a specialized style of fishing, and we supply all the gear and coach you through it.
The shelf edge is approximately 70-80 miles offshore from Murrells Inlet. That is where the bottom drops into deep water and the Gulf Stream brings the warm blue water and bait concentrations that define this style of fishing.
Depth and fish class. Nearshore and mid-range trips target fish in 30 to 100 feet of water. The shelf edge puts you on structure in 100 to 200-plus feet, with deep drop opportunities reaching 400 to 800 feet for tilefish and deep-water grouper. The fish living at that depth are larger, harder fighting, and largely unreachable from shorter trips.
The 10 hour Gulf Stream deep drop charter is $2,800 for up to 6 anglers. That includes the captain and mate, all rods, reels, tackle, bait, deep drop gear, fishing license coverage, and coolers and ice for your catch.
Beginners are welcome, but this is a serious offshore trip with a 70 mile run and full-day conditions. Arrive well rested, take seasickness medication before departure, and be ready for a physically demanding day. The mates will coach anyone through the fishing. The ocean is the variable.
The 8 hour trip reaches genuine blue water for mahi and wahoo and covers deep ledge bottom fishing within reasonable range. The 10 hour deep drop runs all the way to the shelf edge, a different category of depth, structure, and fish size. Tilefish, snowy grouper, large gags, and truly big amberjack live at this range. If you have done the 8 hour and want to know what the next level looks like, this is the answer.