Feel Good Fishing Charters & Adventures

06/11/2025

🌊🎣 Three Mighty Mates, Three Epic Catches! 🦈✨ This morning, three young salty superstars—our awesome kid crew—took on the ocean and WON! 😎 Each one hooked, battled, and landed their very own feisty Atlantic sharpnose shark, sending those reels SCREAMING and hearts POUNDING! 💥 With the wind whipping and muscles burning, they fought like champs and released those sharks to swim another day. 🏆 But wait, there’s more! They also reeled in some zippy Spanish mackerel and chunky black sea bass, filling the boat with laughs and high-fives. 🙌 Nothing beats a perfect day on the water with kids this brave and full of joy—my job doesn’t get better than this! 🌞🚤 Well done, my mighty fine mates! 🎉

05/27/2025

Can you believe it’s been 20 years since this photo was snapped. I’m still in awe of this massive hog snapper—one of the largest I’ve ever encountered! Scientifically known as Lachnolaimus maximus (translates to “largest woolly-throated”), this vibrant red-and-orange beast was a true trophy. That cavernous mouth always stood out to me—it’s likely so large to help it forage effectively along the ocean floor, sucking up crustaceans like the huge lobsters we find in this area, some of them weighing over 10 pounds, along with mollusks and other prey, while also allowing it to dig into the sand for hidden meals. I speared this beauty using a Hawaiian sling while diving in 100 feet of water, about 30 miles off Wrightsville Beach from the old Aquatic Safaris ll boat. Back then, I was living my wild, carefree bachelor days as a scuba instructor—diving, partying, and chasing adventure (and a few hearts) were my top priorities. Oh, how times have changed! What’s your favorite memory from your wilder days? 🪸🌊

05/25/2025

What an epic tale this young angler will share for years to come! For his graduation, his dad surprised him with a shiny new fishing rod and spinning reel, plus a fishing adventure with Feelgood Fishing Charters. As we cruised out to sea, he shared his ultimate bucket-list dream: to hook a massive king mackerel.
The ocean was a stunning, glassy calm as we set out. At the 17-mile mark, we dropped anchor and got to work. With a lively scup dancing under a balloon on the surface, we waited. Suddenly, the rod tip plunged, and the reel unleashed a banshee-like scream that could rival a storm at sea! That fish tore off on three or four heart-pounding runs, testing every ounce of skill and strength. After an unforgettable battle, we gaffed the beast—a 40-inch-long king mackerel—and hauled it into the cooler.
I’m still not sure who screamed louder—the reel or the young man when that 40-inch king mackerel hit the deck! His very first fish on his brand-new setup, and a dream come true. What a day, filled with incredible moments and awesome clients!
Want to make your own fishing dreams a reality? Book early with Feelgood Fishing Charters—spots are filling up fast! 🎣

05/24/2025

🌅 The sunrise at Wrightsville Beach Boat Ramp this morning was nothing short of spectacular—those clouds lit up the sky like a dream! But amidst the beauty, it was a chaotic scene out there. 🚤 With the holiday weekend in full swing, the water is buzzing with boaters of all kinds—and not everyone’s playing it safe. Just a few hundred yards from here, we tragically lost someone in a boating accident on Thursday. Let’s not have another heartbreak this weekend. Stay safe, wear your life jackets, and keep an eye out for each other—these waters are packed, and we all want to make it home to enjoy more mornings like this. ❤️

05/22/2025

Back in the saddle, working from my vast, breathtaking blue office. 🌊 We didn’t roam far today; the beach was quiet, so we went about 5 miles out. The bite was brisk, with banded rudderfish, feisty sharks, and a colorful mix of other catches lighting up the day. 🐟 Summer vacation is nearly here, and my schedule’s filling up fast—book your ocean adventure now! Call early! 📞

05/02/2025

🌅✈️ Hello, my amazing clients, friends, and family! Feast your eyes on this—American Airlines decided to roll out a new color scheme, courtesy of the sunrise reflecting on their engine. Pretty snazzy, right? I’m soaking it in as we jet out of Wilmington for a glorious three-week vacay! 🙌 No stinky fishy fingers, salt-crusted hair, or boat ramp chaos for me—hallelujah! I’m switching my phone to ‘do not disturb’ mode, but I’ll be sneaking peeks at messages now and then. Want to book trips for laye May, June or July? Just drop me a message, and I’ll get back to you when I’m not busy sipping something tropical. 🏝️ Catch you on the next tide!

04/26/2025

Reel talk, today’s fishing trip was saltier than a sailor’s beard! The bite was as dead as yesterday—like the fish ghosted us after a week of wild action. No clue where they vanished to, but we weren’t quittin’. Pushed 10 miles offshore, and finally scrapped up some chunky gray triggerfish. Then that south wind roared in, whippin’ the waves and chasin’ us back to shore. Still, had a blast with my trusty customers—here’s to battlin’ the briny deep together! 🎣🌊

04/17/2025

🎣 Another epic afternoon on the water! The ocean was calm, beautiful, and ready for some action! Let’s give a big shout-out to this incredible young lady who reeled in her very first ocean fish ever! 🐟 This hard-fighting, super-tasty Atlantic Bonito didn’t stand a chance against her skills. That fish put up a serious battle, but this feisty lass showed it who’s boss! 💪 Girls are just unstoppable—whether it’s catching fish or rocking it at everything else, they always bring their A-game! 🌟
We also hooked some chunky black seabass, speedy bluefish, and a few other fun catches to round out the day. It was a perfect afternoon filled with laughter, dear friends, and awesome clients. Towards the end, the wind swung hard to the south, giving us a salty spray on the ride home—yep, that’s why we call these trips fishing adventures! 🚤
I’ve got a few spots left for summer, but they’re going fast! Call me ASAP to book your own adventure and let’s make some memories. 📞 910-431-7777

04/16/2025

04/09/2025

The Atlantic Bonito barrels onto the North Carolina coast each spring, roaring in around mid-March and usually bolting by late April—a rough-and-tumble visitor we live for. In my 30 years fishing these waters, plus time as a scuba instructor in Wilmington where I certified over a thousand students, I’ve seen these beasts thrive in waters from 55°F to the upper 60s, their needle-sharp teeth shredding small trolling spoons or cast lures. On dives near our nearshore wrecks, I’d watch them rocket past—striped missiles tearing through threadfin herring, menhaden, and glass minnows at speeds that’d leave you dizzy—pure chaos in action. A couple years back, they even stuck it out into June, ripping through mid-70s water like it was nothing, spitting in the face of what some desk-jockey scientist might claim. Their white flesh is a knockout—ceviche with a kick or beer-battered and fried to a golden crunch, like the batch I just wolfed down a few minutes ago.

These bonito hunt in tight, frenzied schools, ambushing threadfin herring, menhaden, and glass minnows with a fury that churns the surf, and hooking one’s like tangling with a buzzsaw—earning them the local “bonehead” badge. Down on those wrecks, their dark stripes flashed as they streaked by, a sight that stuck with me through the years. After decades on and under this coast, I’ll swear by what I’ve lived over any book that’s never tasted salt.

04/08/2025

The Atlantic Bonito are big fat and juicy, come and get some!! 🎣 the conditions got better and better today with some of the bigger Atlantic Bonito moving in. The water temperature is 62° at the parking lot perfect for these Bonito. .

01/27/2025

The rare visiting male Western Tanager survived the snowstorm and continues to forage at our feeders. He is looking healthy and vibrant with his bright yellow, black, and orange plumage. He seems to prefer dried mealworms and pepper suet. The female makes several appearances throughout the day. Additionally, another male visits sporadically, perhaps once or twice every three days. It’s easy to distinguish between them because one male has a noticeable patch of missing feathers on his chest.