Shallow Minded Charters invites you to experience fishing in a little place Captain Michael Willis likes to call paradise. The place is Morehead City, which is considered to be one of the finest fishing destinations in eastern North Carolina. The area you’ll fish offers the most beautiful scenery in the region with lots of wildlife to be seen.

Capt. Michael will take you fishing aboard his 25’ Majek Xtreme saltwater fishing boat, ideal for the local waters. Powered by a 300HP Yamaha engine, with a maximum cruising speed of 55 knots, it can reach the inshore and the nearshore fishing grounds very easily.

The vessel’s GPS and fishfinder units are available to help you locate the finest fishing spots, and the wireless trolling motor will ensure you move quietly over the shallow waters in order not to spook the fish.

The crew offers inshore and nearshore fishing, often catching various types of fish all on one trip. The species include Redfish, Flounder, and Speckled Trout in the shallow waters. These species are especially good in the summer months when you can topwater fish for them. If you like traveling a little further off the coast, you can target Bluefish, Cobia, Sheepshead, Spanish Mackerel, and Black Drum.

Capt. Michael likes to work one-on-one and teach anglers how to work artificial lures and to perfect their cast. You can also use live bait when the bite gets slow, but most times lures do the job well. Fishing gear provided on the trip includes Penn International rods and reel, and tackle.

This is a family-oriented company and they enjoy having children above the age of 5 on board! Please bring children’s life jackets, which are to be worn throughout the trip for their safety.

Join Shallow Minded Charters and explore the productive fishing grounds of North Carolina!



Select date to see available trips and rates:

  • Private trip
    Eco tour
    FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
    3 Hour Trip, starts at 8:00 AM
    US $400
    Eco tour we can take you and the family to the sand bar to collect sea shells and see the ? ! I'm a 10th generation of this area so i can you all things
  • Private trip
    Half day
    FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
    4 Hour Trip, starts at 6:00 AM
    US $500
    Half day trips are great for kids
  • Private trip
    Half day (PM)
    FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
    4 Hour Trip, starts at 1:00 PM
    US $500
    Half day trips are great for kids
  • Private trip
    3/4 Day Trip
    FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
    6 Hour Trip, starts at 7:00 AM
    Seasonal trip (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat)
    US $750
    A 6 hour trip will give you ample time to find and reel the fish in while still not being as long of a trip as a full day. You'll prowl the inshore waters for Redfish, Flounder, Trout, and many other species. Depending on where the bite is, you may also move a bit further from shore and fish for Bluefish and Spanish Mackerel, among others.
  • Private trip
    Full Day Trip
    FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
    8 Hour Trip, starts at 7:00 AM
    Seasonal trip (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat)
    US $1,000
    On the full day trip, you get 8 hours to do both inshore and nearshore fishing. Or you can just concentrate on one. Targeted species can include Redfish, Flounder, Trout, Bluefish, Sheepshead, Cobia, Black Drum, Spanish Mackerel, and more. Your catch can be cleaned at the dock and will cost you extra.
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FAQs about Shallow Minded Charters

Shallow Minded Charters offers the following trips to customers:
  • US $400 per group - Eco tour (3 hours)
  • US $500 per group, additional US $500 per person after 2 guests - Half day (4 hours)
  • US $500 per group, additional US $500 per person after 2 guests - Half day (PM) (4 hours)
  • US $750 per group, additional US $50 per person after 3 guests - 3/4 Day Trip (6 hours)
  • US $1,000 per group - Full Day Trip (8 hours)

When you book a trip with Shallow Minded Charters, you can expect the following amenities onboard:
  • GPS Lowrance
  • Fishfinder Lowrance
  • Live Bait Well
  • Wireless Trolling Motor
  • Ice Box

Trips booked with Shallow Minded Charters include:
  • Rods, reels & tackle (Penn rods and reels)
  • Live Bait
  • Lures
  • Catch cleaning & filleting

Shallow Minded Charters offers the following types of fishing:
  • River Fishing (Neuse & Pamlico Rivers)
  • Inshore Fishing
  • Nearshore Fishing
  • Flats Fishing
  • Backcountry Fishing

Shallow Minded Charters offers the following fishing techniques:
  • Light Tackle
  • Bottom Fishing
  • Trolling
  • Spinning
  • Jigging
  • Popping
  • Fly Fishing
  • Drift Fishing
  • Handline

Top targeted fish species with Shallow Minded Charters include:
  • Black Drum
  • Bluefish
  • Bonito
  • Flounder
  • Little Tunny (False Albacore)
  • Redfish
  • Sheepshead
  • Spanish Mackerel
  • Spotted Seatrout

Meet the Captain

Michael Willis
Morehead City, North Carolina, United States
39 Customer reviews
Response time within an hour
Member since May 2017
Captain Michael has been on the water ever since he was a little boy. Fishing with his family has always been something to look forward to, and he made sure he took every chance he had to get on a boat. Over the years, he realized his true calling was to be a captain, so he started his own business in order to share that love and passion with like minded anglers. Michael loves topwater fishing for Trout.

About this listing

Targeted species

Black Drum Black Drum
Bluefish Bluefish
Bonito Bonito
Flounder Flounder

Boat specs

Majek Xtreme (Bay boat) originally built in 2016, and restored in 2023. Powered by a 300HP Mercury engine, with a maximum cruising speed of 55 knots.

Length
25 ft
Capacity
5 persons

Types of fishing

River Fishing
Neuse & Pamlico Rivers
Inshore Fishing
Nearshore Fishing
Flats Fishing
Backcountry Fishing

Fishing techniques

Light Tackle
Bottom Fishing
Trolling
Spinning
Jigging
Popping
Fly Fishing
Drift Fishing
Handline

Amenities

GPS
Lowrance
Fishfinder
Lowrance
Live Bait Well
Wireless Trolling Motor
Ice Box

Trip includes

Rods, reels & tackle
Penn rods and reels
Live Bait
Lures
Catch cleaning & filleting

Cancellation policy

Free cancellation up to 1 day prior to trip

You can cancel or modify your booking up to 1 day before the trip date, free of charge. If you cancel or modify your booking later, or fail to show up, you'll forfeit 100% of what you've paid.

Listing policies

Pickup agreed upon reservation
Transfer to/from departure site may be available and included in price depending on your location and distance from the dock.
Child Friendly
5 Years and Over
You Keep Catch
Catch and Release Allowed

Payment

Book with 15% deposit, pay rest to captain

When the captain confirms your trip, FishingBooker charges your credit card a 15% deposit to guarantee your reservation.

The remaining balance is to be paid directly to the charter operator on or prior to your trip date in one of the following payment methods:

Cash
PayPal

Morehead City Fishing Calendar

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Customer reviews

Rating summary
Excellent
4.9 / 5
out of 5 stars from 39 reviews
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience
Excellent
4.9 / 5
Photos & videos by reviewers (22)
Fishing with Michael
Fishing with Michael
Just what we wanted!
+19
Angler rating
34
2
0
0
0
Anglers claimed
Good experience
97%
Friendly captain
100%
Recommend this charter
92%
Appropriate for children
96%
Satisfied with the boat
100%
Caught fish
90%
Sort by:
Featured  
Showing:
5 of 39 reviews
DOUGLAS K.
FOSTER FALLS, VA
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Just what we wanted!

VERIFIED   3/4 Day Trip on June 15, 2021
Captain Mike asked us what we wanted to catch.  As my wife had never caught a redfish I wanted to concentrate on her catching...
DOUGLAS K. recommends Shallow Minded Charters
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DOUGLAS K. recommends Shallow Minded Charters
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Jerry B.
Lawrenceville, GA
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Half day on the river

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip (PM) on August 24, 2021
Captain Mike worked hard to find us fish. You can’t make them bite, but he did find them. We caught a monster bull red &...
Jerry B. recommends Shallow Minded Charters
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Jerry B. recommends Shallow Minded Charters
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John Z.
Vienna, VA
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great Captain, Fun Boat

VERIFIED   3/4 Day Trip on May 19, 2021
Captain Mike put us on fish and we had a great trip. We caught a mess of Spanish and a nice Cobia. The ride home was an E ticket...
John Z. recommends Shallow Minded Charters
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John Z. recommends Shallow Minded Charters
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Michael H.
Old Saybrook, CT
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Half day morning trip

VERIFIED   3/4 Day Trip on May 11, 2021
We had a great trip. Capt. Mike put us on the fish right away and worked to keep us on them for the whole trip.
Michael H. recommends Shallow Minded Charters
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Michael H. recommends Shallow Minded Charters
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Stuart C.
United States
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Fishing with Michael

VERIFIED   3/4 Day Trip on March 15, 2021
Great day on the water with Captain Mike. Very accommodating and caught lots of fish.
Stuart C. recommends Shallow Minded Charters
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Stuart C. recommends Shallow Minded Charters
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