8-Hour Myrtle Beach Offshore Charter | Knotty Sea

8-Hour Offshore Myrtle Beach Fishing Charter

When you want to get serious about deep sea fishing, there's nothing quite like spending a full day on the water with Captain Michael Ardolino aboard the Salty Dog. This 8-hour offshore charter takes you far beyond the breakers where the big fish live, hunting everything from lightning-fast King Mackerel to the colorful Mahi Mahi that make every angler's heart race. We're talking about real deep sea action here - the kind where your drag screams and you wonder if you bit off more than you can chew. Perfect for up to 4 anglers who want to make every hour count, this trip comes loaded with everything you need: bait, tackle, ice, bottled water, and fishing licenses. All you bring is your appetite for adventure and maybe some sunscreen.

What to Expect on the Water

Your day starts early at the marina, where you'll meet Captain Michael and get a quick rundown of the game plan. The ride out to the fishing grounds takes about an hour, giving you time to wake up with some coffee and watch the coastline shrink behind you. Once we hit the productive waters, it's game on. The Salty Dog is rigged for serious offshore work - outriggers spread wide, downriggers ready to deploy, and a fish box that's seen its share of trophy catches. Captain Michael knows these waters like the back of his hand, reading the charts, watching the fish finder, and positioning the boat where the action happens. You'll be trolling most of the day, which means multiple lines in the water and constant excitement. When something hits, everyone springs into action - clearing lines, grabbing the net, and cheering on whoever's fighting the fish. The beauty of an 8-hour trip is you're not rushed. If the bite slows down in one spot, we move to another. If the fish are cooperative, we stay put and make the most of it.

Trolling Tactics & Gear

Offshore fishing is all about covering water and presenting the right baits at the right depths. We'll be running a spread of lures and live bait, with lines set at different distances from the boat. The outriggers keep our baits spread wide, mimicking a school of baitfish that predators can't resist. Downriggers let us target specific depths where the fish are holding, especially important when chasing King Mackerel that might be suspended 30 feet down. Captain Michael provides all the tackle - heavy spinning reels spooled with braided line, wire leaders for the toothy critters, and a tackle box full of proven producers. Circle hooks are the standard for live bait fishing, while we'll run everything from spoons to ballyhoo rigs when trolling. The boat's electronics do most of the heavy lifting - GPS keeps us on productive spots, the fish finder shows what's below, and the chart plotter helps navigate the maze of artificial reefs and structure that hold fish. When you hook up, Captain Michael talks you through the fight, adjusting the boat's position and coaching you on when to pump and wind. It's teamwork at its finest, and even first-timers quickly get the hang of it.

Top Catches This Season

King Mackerel are the bread and butter of Myrtle Beach offshore fishing, and for good reason. These silver bullets can stretch 30-40 inches and put up a fight that'll test your endurance. They're most active during the warmer months from late spring through early fall, when they patrol the edges of the Gulf Stream looking for schools of menhaden and sardines. What makes Kings so exciting is their speed - when one hits your bait, it often happens so fast you barely have time to react. The initial run can peel 100 yards of line off your reel before you know what hit you. They're also notorious for their razor-sharp teeth, which is why we use wire leaders and handle them carefully at the boat.

Mahi Mahi bring the color and acrobatics to your fishing day. These brilliant green and gold fish are absolute dynamite on the end of a line, jumping clear out of the water and putting on a show that never gets old. They typically run 10-25 pounds in our waters, though larger bulls occasionally show up to make your day. Mahi are structure-oriented fish, so we target them around floating debris, weed lines, and any kind of flotsam that concentrates baitfish. They're also schooling fish, which means when you find one, there's often more around. The trick is getting your bait back in the water quickly after landing the first one.

Red Snapper are the prized bottom fish that every angler wants in their cooler. These deep-water dwellers live around artificial reefs and natural bottom structure, typically in 60-100 feet of water. They're not the fastest fish in the ocean, but they make up for it with pure pulling power and determination. A good-sized Snapper will use every rock and crevice on the bottom to try to break you off, which makes landing them a real accomplishment. They're also some of the best eating fish in the ocean, with firm white meat that's perfect for the dinner table.

Sharks add an element of raw power to your offshore adventure. Whether it's a hard-fighting Blacktip, a massive Sandbar, or an aggressive Bull Shark, these apex predators turn your fishing rod into a torture device. What's exciting about shark fishing isn't just the size - though we regularly see sharks over 6 feet - it's the unpredictability. You never know when that calm moment of bottom fishing will turn into chaos as a shark inhales your bait and heads for the horizon. They're incredible athletes, and catching one offshore is always a memorable experience.

Time to Book Your Spot

Eight hours on the water with Captain Michael isn't just a fishing trip - it's a masterclass in offshore angling with enough time to really get into the rhythm of deep sea fishing. By the