Charter Fishing

From Old Town Bluffton Inn

By Car	22 Minutes
By Walk	Not Walkable

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Details

Address	41 Boat House Street, Bluffton, SC 29910, United States
Phone	+1 843-686-6996
Website	outsidepb.com
Hours	Private charters from 4 to 7 hours, times set at booking

Photo by @0utsidebrands

Four hours on the May River and the creeks behind it, with a local captain who knows where the fish are holding on that particular tide. Redfish year-round, with trout, sheepshead, black drum, and mackerel throughout the seasons. Twenty minutes from your room, with licensing, bait, and tackle all taken care of.

The water is the reason this town exists, and the fastest way to understand it is to spend a morning out on it with someone who fishes it for a living. The private charter with our partner Outside Palmetto Bluff is a four-hour trip for up to four people, with longer trips available, leaving from Wilson Landing at Palmetto Bluff, and it runs inshore or nearshore depending on the season and what you want. Inshore means the May River itself and the maze of tidal creeks off it, working the grass edges and the oyster bars with light tackle and live bait. Nearshore takes you further out toward Calibogue and Port Royal Sound for bigger, more seasonal fish. Either way you spend the morning somewhere most visitors never see, and the wildlife comes free. Dolphins work the same bait the fish do, ospreys and herons are constant, and on a still morning the marsh does that thing where the water goes to glass and you stop caring much whether anything bites.

Photo by @0utsidebrands

What you catch depends entirely on when you come, which is the honest answer rather than a sales one. Redfish are the backbone of it and are around all year. Spotted seatrout and sheepshead are at their best through winter and spring, black drum and bluefish fill out the summer, and bluefish and mackerel run through the fall. Autumn flood tides are the local prize, when the water pushes high into the spartina grass and the redfish move up into it to feed with their tails out of the water, which is as good as inshore fishing gets anywhere on this coast. The captains favor catch and release, though legal-limit fish can be kept, and they will clean them for you before you head back. Bait, tackle, fuel, and licensing all come with the boat, along with a cooler of ice for whatever you want to bring to eat and drink, so there is nothing for you to buy or fill in. Our advice is to book before you arrive, because good captains fill up in season, and if you are unsure which trip suits you, our front desk is always happy to help.

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Old Town Bluffton Inn

Amenities

High Speed Wifi
L'Occitane en Provence
Hair Dryers
Steamer/Iron Combo
Bath Robes and Slippers*
In-Room Safe
55in Standard TV
Alarm Clock with Outlets
White Noise Machine

*Upon Request

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Photo by @0utsidebrands

Why Visit

Our Inn-sider answer for guests who want the Lowcountry from the water rather than the sidewalk. A private boat, a local captain, four hours, and a short drive from your room.

A private charter for up to four, rather than a shared party boat, so the trip runs at your pace and around your group
Inshore or nearshore depending on the season, covering the May River, the tidal creeks, and out toward Calibogue and Port Royal Sound
Redfish year-round, with spotted seatrout and sheepshead in winter and spring, black drum and bluefish in summer, and bluefish and mackerel in the fall
Bait, tackle, fuel, and licensing all included, plus a cooler with ice on board for your own food and drink
Suitable for complete beginners, since the captains spend as much time teaching as fishing, and nobody is judging your cast
Twenty minutes to the landing and no towing, launching, or planning, then back to Old Town with the rest of the day still ahead of you

Message from the Harrisons

Fishing is one of my favorite things to do around here. Between our rivers and the coast, we’re blessed with fantastic inshore and offshore fishing. It really is a fisherman’s paradise.

Vince Harrison

Best Time To Visit

Charters run year-round here, and every season fishes well for something, so the question is what you want rather than whether it is worth going. Spring warms the water and wakes everything up, with redfish and trout feeding hard and sheepshead working the structure. Summer is the busiest season, with bluefish and black drum in play alongside the redfish, though it means early starts to beat the heat and the afternoon storms. Fall is the season locals wait for. The humidity breaks, the bait is thick, bluefish and mackerel are running, and the high flood tides push redfish up into the grass where you can sight-fish for them. Winter is quiet and underrated, with the clearest water of the year, big schools of redfish in the shallows on a sunny afternoon, and captains who have time to talk. Trip lengths, departure times, and what is running change through the year, so check the current options on our excursions page or ask us at the front desk.

What’s Biting

Redfish year-round. Spotted seatrout and sheepshead through winter and spring, bluefish and black drum in summer, and bluefish and mackerel in the fall. Ask your captain what is running the week you arrive rather than planning around a species.

Reservation

A private four-hour trip for up to four people, with longer trips available, departing Wilson Landing. Bait, tackle, licensing, fuel, and a cooler with ice are all provided. Captains prefer catch and release, though legal-limit fish can be kept and cleaned for you. Book ahead through our excursions page, especially in spring and fall, and arrive 15 minutes before departure.

What to Bring

Sun cover you can actually keep on in wind, polarized sunglasses, sunscreen, and a light layer even in summer, because it is cooler on the water than on land. There is a cooler with ice on board, so just bring whatever you would like to eat and drink. Bring something for motion sickness if you are prone to it and take it before you leave the dock rather than after.

Getting There

Wilson Landing at Palmetto Bluff, about twenty minutes by car. This is one of the few things on our Explore list you cannot walk to, though it is a short and simple drive with parking at the landing.

Insider Tip

Take the earliest departure you are offered, particularly between June and September. The water is calmest, the fish feed hardest, and you are back in Old Town by lunchtime with the afternoon free. Ask the captain to run you past the oyster beds on the way in, since seeing where the May River oysters actually come from changes how dinner tastes that evening.

A Day on the Water

Coffee at the Inn

Early Start

Coffee from the bar and twenty minutes down the road to Wilson Landing.

Fishing

On the Water

Four hours through the creeks and along the grass edges. Ask questions. The captains here have fished these waters their whole lives and the local knowledge is honestly half of what you are paying for.

Back to the Inn

Late Morning

Shower, put the car away for the day, and slow down. After a morning on the May River, tonight is a good night to order the local catch for dinner.

Old Town

Afternoon

Lunch on foot, since everything is within a few blocks. Then walk down to Wright Family Park for the dock and along to Oyster Factory Park and the Bluffton Oyster Company. After spending the morning out on the May, the working waterfront makes a lot more sense.

Wine at the Inn

4:30 PM

Our complimentary guest-exclusive wine bar is open from 3 to 7 pm, so settle into a chair in the parlor or out on the balcony, with Camo doing his rounds. This is the point in the day when the early alarm stops feeling like a mistake.

Evening in Old Town

6:30 PM

More than twenty restaurants are within walking distance of your room, so no one has to drive after a day on the water.

FAQ

Visit our excursions page and select Book Now, which takes you to the booking page of our partner, Outside Palmetto Bluff. Booking ahead is recommended, especially in spring and fall, and our front desk is happy to help you choose the right trip.

The charter departs from Wilson Landing at Palmetto Bluff, about a 20-minute drive from Old Town Bluffton Inn. Please arrive 15 minutes before departure.

The standard trip is a private four-hour charter for up to four people, with longer trips available.

No. Licensing is included with the charter, along with bait, tackle, fuel, and a cooler with ice on board.

Redfish are caught year-round. Spotted seatrout and sheepshead are best in winter and spring, black drum and bluefish in summer, and bluefish and mackerel in the fall. Captains prefer catch-and-release, though legal-limit fish can be kept and cleaned for you.

Fishing is good year-round, but fall is the local favorite. Cooler weather, plenty of bait, and high flood tides bring redfish into the marsh grass, where you can sight-fish for them.