Delray Beach
Fishing Charters
Delray guests make the drive because Delray has no inlet of its own, and because a private six angler boat out of Hillsboro Inlet is a different day from a seat on a crowded drift boat.
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Sportfishing out of Delray Beach, on a six angler boat
Gradyful is a single boat with a single captain. Six anglers is the maximum, the gear and the licenses are already aboard, and the person who answers the phone is the person who runs the trip. From Delray Beach it is about 30 minutes south on Federal Highway.
Delray sits at the north end of the stretch we fish, and it has no inlet of its own. The half hour down Federal Highway buys a departure straight out of Hillsboro Inlet, with no run up or down the beach before the day can start.
If you are staying near Atlantic Avenue, the Delray Beach Pavilion and the municipal beach, the dock is roughly 30 minutes south on Federal Highway. Captain Shawn confirms the exact slip and where to park the night before, so nobody is hunting for it at a quarter to seven in the morning.
Getting to the boat from Delray Beach
- Distance
- About 16 miles, about 30 minutes south on Federal Highway.
- Where you leave from
- 2772 NE 3rd St
Pompano Beach, FL 33062
Out through Hillsboro Inlet. - Departures
- 7:00 AM daily, plus 12:30 PM for half days when the morning is open.
- Near
- Atlantic Avenue, the Delray Beach Pavilion and the municipal beach
What a charter from Delray Beach costs
The same price list wherever you drive in from. No travel surcharge, no fuel surcharge, nothing added at the dock.
| Trip | Hours | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Half Day, Shared | 4 hours | $200 per person |
| Three-Quarter Day, Shared | 6 hours | $275 per person |
| Night Snapper, Shared | 5 hours | $125 per person |
| Half Day, Private | 4 hours | $700 for the whole boat |
| Three-Quarter Day, Private | 6 hours | $900 for the whole boat |
| Full Day, Private | 8 hours | $1,100 for the whole boat |
Rods, reels, tackle, bait, ice, fuel, the saltwater fishing license for everyone aboard and cleaning your catch are included in every price above. The only thing left is the mate’s tip.
What is biting off Delray Beach
Winter is the sailfish and wahoo season and it is the reason a lot of people book at all. Spring and summer belong to mahi, and the wrecks hold amberjack and cobia. The reef itself never really switches off, so even a flat week in the shoulder season puts snapper and blackfin in the box.
Species and seasonsWhich trip suits a Delray Beach booking
At about 30 minutes south on Federal Highway each way, a four hour trip means more of the morning in the car than most Delray Beach groups want. The six and eight hour private trips are the ones that make the drive worth doing, and they give the captain room to run out to the wrecks if the reef is quiet.
See every tripDo you run fishing charters from Delray Beach?
Yes. Gradyful Fishing Charters serves Delray Beach and the surrounding Gold Coast. Every trip departs from our dock at 2772 NE 3rd St, Pompano Beach, FL 33062, about 16 miles from Delray Beach, about 30 minutes south on Federal Highway. Call or text Captain Shawn on (973) 953-4866 to check a date.
How far is the boat from Delray Beach?
The dock is about 16 miles from Delray Beach, about 30 minutes south on Federal Highway. Hillsboro Inlet is the closest deep, reliable inlet south of Delray.
What does a fishing charter from Delray Beach cost?
The same as anywhere else we fish: $200 per person for a four hour shared trip, $275 for six hours, and $125 for the five hour night snapper trip (minimum three anglers, weather permitting). A private boat for up to six anglers is $700 for four hours, $900 for six and $1,100 for eight. Rods, reels, tackle, bait, ice, fuel, the saltwater fishing license for everyone aboard and cleaning your catch are all included. There is no travel surcharge for coming from Delray Beach.
What fish can you catch off Delray Beach?
Mahi mahi, sailfish, wahoo, blackfin tuna, kingfish, yellowtail and mutton snapper, amberjack, cobia and grouper offshore, plus snook and tarpon inshore when the ocean is rough. Sailfish and wahoo peak from November through March, mahi from April through August, and the reef fishes for snapper and blackfin all year.
Do I need a fishing license to fish out of Delray Beach?
No. The vessel license covers every angler on board for saltwater fishing, so nobody in your group needs to buy their own before driving over from Delray Beach. That applies the moment you step on the boat at the Pompano Beach dock, and it covers the reef, the wrecks and the blue water alike. A couple of species carry their own tag requirements, so mention it when you book if you are targeting something specific.
How early do charters leave from the Delray Beach area?
Trips depart at 7:00 AM seven days a week, half day trips also run at 12:30 PM when the morning is open, and the five hour night snapper trip leaves at 7:00 PM. From Delray Beach allow 30 minutes south on Federal Highway for the drive, plus a few minutes to park and stow a cooler.
Should a group from Delray Beach book seats or the whole boat?
If you are four or more, take the whole boat. Six hours of shared seats for four people is $1,100 against $900 for the private boat, so the private trip costs less and you set the plan. One, two or three anglers are usually better off buying seats. Six is the maximum either way, because the vessel is a United States Coast Guard six-pack. Groups coming from Delray Beach often share the 16 mile drive and split the private boat between them.
Can beginners and kids fish out of Delray Beach?
Yes, and a lot of our trips are exactly that. The mate rigs everything, shows you how to work the rod and coaches first-timers through the fight. Because the run out of Hillsboro Inlet is short, a four hour trip is comfortable for children who would not last a long ride offshore. Tell Captain Shawn when you book if you are bringing kids and the crew plans the day around them. The boat is not wheelchair accessible, so call ahead if anyone in your group has mobility needs.
The rest of the coast we run to
Same boat, same crew, same dock. Pick the town you are coming from.
Captain Shawn answers his own phone
No booking engine, no call center, no back and forth with a receptionist. Tell him the date and how many people, and he will tell you straight whether the fishing is worth your money that week.
Prefer email? captainshawn311@yahoo.com
