These SC charter captains are among the best in the world, award ranking shows. Who made the cut?
Have you ever gone on a fishing charter from Hilton Head Island?
If so, your charter captain may have been one of eight that have been globally recognized after receiving FishingBooker’s Angler’s Choice award three times in a row.
The fishing around the island is reportedly one of the best areas in the state, and some of the best is for fish such as redfish, tarpon, cobia, bass, red snapper, sheepshead, sea trout and various shark species, according to hiltonhead.com.
Eight charter fishing captains from the island are reportedly among the “best in the world,” reported FishingBooker, an online marketplace that specializes in booking charter boats for recreational fishing and reports to be the world’s largest platform connecting anglers and fishing guides.
Every quarter, the platform announces its Angler’s Choice Award to account for the seasonality of the fishing business.
The recognition of this award “acknowledges charter operators for their exceptional customer service, reliability, and quality of fishing trips. Notably, some captains demonstrate consistent excellence across multiple seasons.”
However, this is reportedly the first time that the recognition of this award is given to guides who have won the award three times in a row.
Out of 7,242 captains worldwide that partner with FishingBooker, only 576, equaling 8% in total, were recognized for their excellence three separate times. Eight of these captains run their trips from Hilton Head Island, according to the booking site.
Out of all captains on the island that partner with FishingBooker, 23.5% of all captains received this annual Angler’s Choice recognition, which totaled to eight out of 34 in total and placed these charter captains above the national average.
The eight fishing charter captains on Hilton Head Island that received the Angler’s Choice Award three times in a row, according to FishingBooker, include:
Bill Kendrick of Sonrise Fishing Charters
Captain Buddy with Captain Buddy’s Fishing Charters
Chris Prince with Cool Cat Charters
David Spahr of Carolina Rig
Kurt Jeter with Aqua Excursions
Mark Morrell with Hilton Head Inshore
Rodney Summers with Southern Summers Charters
Tim Brashear of Rainmaker Fishing Charters
To be eligible for the award, charter operators are required to have received a 4.8 or higher out of a 5 star review rating from 10 or more verified reviews, a 98% reliability score and response rate as well as having a full business verification over the past 12 months. A triple Angler’s Choice Award winner would have had to meet this criteria three times in a row.
What to know about the Hilton Head charters
Sonrise Fishing Charters offers three separate primary charters. The charters include 3 hours for $400, a 4 hour charter for $500 and 5 hours for $600.
Captain Buddy’s Fishing Charters offers several charter options for inshore, shark fishing as well as nearshore and offshore fishing. Starting rates begin at $450 but can reach prices of $750 depending on the charter selected and length such as the offshore and nearshore six hour private trip. Anglers on this charter can also keep their catch as well as have the opportunity to clean their catch and have it filleted.
Cool Cat offers features such as keeping your catch as well as catch cleaning and filleting. Several charter options are available beginning at a four hour nearshore trip for $750 and going up to a 10 hour trip for $1,900.
Carolina Rig has customizable rates for charters such as a two hour charter for $300 going up to a five hour nearshore trip for $625. Angler who attend a charter can keep their catch.
Aqua Excursions on the island starts with two hour trips, including one for beginners or children, for $325 and goes up to five hour inshore trips rated at $625. Guests can keep their catch.
Hilton Head Inshore includes the ability to keep your catch with additional catch cleaning and filleting and starts their rates with a two hour, inshore shark fishing charter for $350 and can go up to a five hour inshore charter for $700.
Southern Summers Charters begins with two hour inshore or shark fishing charters for $325 and can go up to a five hour inshore/nearshore trip for $625. Keeping your catch and additional catch cleaning and filleting is also available at this charter.
- Rainmaker Fishing Charter includes catch keeping with the additional catch cleaning and filleting. Trips begin at $360 for a two hour shark trip and can go up to $1,300 for a deep sea-reef charter trip.
This story was originally published May 18, 2023 at 8:00 AM.
