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Fishing Charter Questions

Read below for the most commonly asked questions we have gotten over the years. We think these questions and answers will help you in preparing for your fishing charter! If you do not find the answer you seek, please contact us here.

What should I bring?

We suggest that customers bring drinks, lunch, snacks, sunscreen, fishing clothes, hats, boat shoes, beach and hand towels, sunglasses and medication that are needed.

What is provided?

Everything you need for saltwater fishing. Rod, reels, bait, tackle, ice, and fishing license. Fish cleaning and great service with a great attitude.

What and why should I tip the captain?

The crew work for a daily wage and tips just like waiters and waitresses. Tips are discretionary; however, it is customary to tip the crew 20% for good service.

Is the price of the charter for each person or for the whole group?

The price listed is for your entire group. You can have up to 4 people in your group. This is a private charter; therefore, we do not group you with other people.  It will only be your group on the boat with the captain.

Can I have more than 4 people?

We feel up to 4 people is the best number for the best fishing experience but the max we can take is 6 passengers, whether they are fishing or not. This is not our rule, it is how the U.S. Coast Guard licenses private charters. Most private charters operate under this type of licensing. If you have more than 4 people, you can inquire at time of booking and accommodations can be made. If you have a large group of more than 6 and need help organizing multiple boats, please let us know and we can help you get it all organized!

We only have a couple of people; can we share a charter with another group?

We have tried to arrange split charters in the past and 90% of the time, they did not work out. With split charters, you always have the risk of the other party canceling last minute and ruining your plans. You also have the chance of being paired with a group that has different goals and idea of fun than you. And, you might run into a situation where the other group is fighting a fish of a lifetime for a couple of hours and you get to sit and watch. Since we have encountered these situations while running split trips, we have decided to focus only on private charters. This allows us to provide you the best service that we can to make it an experience of a lifetime! Feel free to book a private charter even by yourself, which means that you get to catch ALL of the fish.

We are coming to the Myrtle Beach, is Little River too far to drive?

Not at all, we are located just 24 miles from central Myrtle Beach. It is straight drive with great roads. We are located right on the beautiful Intercostal Waterway at Cricket Cove Marina. 4495 Baker Street, Little River, SC 29566.

Why should we choose Coastal Marsh Adventures?

The main reason we feel you should give us a chance is that we LOVE to fish. The second reason is that fishing is what we do full time. We don’t have side jobs and we didn’t wait until we retired to make fishing our career. The only way to make coastal saltwater fishing your full-time job is to have the capability to fish every day the ocean conditions are safe. Thirdly, we understand that it is very important to be customer friendly. We love to see people enjoy their fishing trips with us and we are great with kids and people that have never fished before. We give instruction and encouragement while out on the water. This is why we have so many repeat customers and great reviews. In many cases, our customers become our friends and call or e-mail us on a regular basis to talk about fishing as well as to set up future trips.

Fourth, we feel we are the best. This is a bold statement but we truly feel nobody provides a better charter fishing experience. We look forward to the opportunity to prove this statement.

Will there be a Captain and a deck hand?

Usually, you will have a Captain but no deck hand. Our boats are set up with auto-pilots and laid out in a manner that the captain is able to drive the boat and provide excellent service with the fishing. Our Captains are very good at catering to various levels of expertise from beginners that have never held a rod to avid fishermen. Many of our customers have commented that they really enjoyed this style better because they get to be more hands on.

Sometimes, our Captains will choose to have a deck hand or will be training our future captains. If that happens on your charter, there will be no added expense.

We have young kids, is fishing something they can do with Coastal Marsh Adventures? What trip would be best?

We absolutely love taking families with kids fishing. Even your dog! Nothing is quite as exciting or fulfilling for a captain than to help a young kid catch their first trophy and provide a lifetime of love for the ocean.

When bringing younger children, we want to be able to give them the best chance of having an enjoyable day. We make sure the marine forecast is calling for mild to calm seas.
You also want to be flexible on what to fish for when bringing kids. If fishing for the big trophy fish is slow, we opt to set the kids up with smaller rigs so they can drop down and get instant action from a variety of fish our region has. Most parents think a full day trip is to long for their kids. In all actuality, the parents always wear out before the kids. Prepare a lot of snack and drinks for the kids. Our fishing trips are also a great option for kids because the distance to travel to the fishing grounds is very short.

Shark fishing sounds fun, do you always catch sharks?

Shark fishing actually is one of our most hit and miss styles of fishing. When the sharks are biting, the trips are absolutely awesome and everyone loves it. Sharks, however, can be sensitive to changes like water temperature, weather patterns, and factors that we cannot see or predict. They can literally be on fire one day and slow the next. We fish between the shoal and the shore because that is where the big sharks are. There isn’t a whole lot else to catch in that area besides bait fish and the occasional red drum or sting ray. We can setup small tackle rods so that our customers can catch small bait fish while we wait for the sharks to bite. Usually, adults prefer to sit and relax, while kids love catching and seeing the bait fish.

Are we guaranteed to catch fish?

We guarantee that we will try very hard, but fishing is fishing and we cannot control all the factors that the ocean provides. With that said, our Captains are very good and usually if they aren’t catching fish, no one is. We are a small family-owned business and we strive to be completely honest with our customers.  We truly want everyone to have a great experience and we promise that we will always strive to provide that!

Do we get to choose what kind of fish we target?

You can request to fish for certain species and we will try very hard to catch what you want. It is, however, always a better idea to let the captain take you to fish for what is hot at the time. We like to catch everything and love to hear the drag scream and see the rods bend. Every fish is awesome in our opinion!

Some people have a fish on their “bucket list”. If this is the case, please let us know so that we can discuss the likeliness of catching that particular fish during the time you are planning a charter.
Some people only want fish they can eat and that is okay. You may keep any fish that falls within the legal limits. Legal limits have gotten much stricter in the past few years. Just remember fishing is fun and if your only goal is to fill up your freezer, you may be better off spending your money at the fish market.

Overall when you leave it up to the captain you usually end up with good action and a few fresh fish for dinner.

Do you always catch fish?

On every trip we usually catch fish. We don’t get skunked very often, but it does happen… that is why it is called fishing and not catching. Our captains usually fish most every day (weather permitting), so we have a good idea at where the best possible place to catch fish is. Since we our full-time captains, we are always talking to each other about where the best fishing is that day. When you contact us about a fishing trip, we will honestly tell you what the fishing has been like and what you can expect to catch. 

Will we have live bait?

We always provide the best bait for the fishing style that is providing the most action at the time. Sometimes that means live bait, some times that means dead bait, some times that means artificial bait. If we need live bait, the captain will stop to either throw a cast net, or to catch them on a bait rod. This usually takes 30 minutes or less but on difficult days it can take longer. Most of the live bait we use cannot be purchased so it is necessary to catch it the day of the trip. Most of the bait only stays lively for 5 or 6 hours so we cannot catch it ahead of time. The reason we have to catch bait during your charter is that the bait needs to be as fresh and lively as possible. Old and nearly dead bait does not catch fish as well as lively bait. Yes, the bait catching process does count on your fishing time. Most people enjoy it and bait fishing or looking for bait often provides us with opportunity to catch bigger fish that are eating the bait. If you don’t like the idea of taking time to catch bait during your trip, please let us know so we can plan accordingly.

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