Hayden Express Charters
Hayden Express Charters runs angling trips out of Wanchese and offers to show you what the local fishery is all about.
Capt. Ralph will do his best to make sure you have a fun day full of fishing. He specializes in light tackle, heavy tackle, bottom fishing, trolling, jigging, and kite fishing, all to get you on that bite. This involves 4 to 11-hour trips, mainly fishing for Cobia, Mahi Mahi, Bluefish, Spanish Mackerel, Tuna, and Redfish, depending on the season and conditions of the day.
Your adventure begins on board a 48' Craddock Boatworks boat that can fit a maximum of 6 anglers. The boat has a toilet, ice box, and fighting chair. All rods, reels, and terminal tackle are included in the price so you can focus on what really matters, fishing. Your trip will include all the necessary fishing licenses for the day.
Capt. Ralph runs trips together with his first mate, who's there to help you with whatever you may need. Tips are always appreciated for a job well done. Children are welcome aboard, so you're good to get the young ones started early. You'll be able to keep any legal species caught during the trip.
Book your trip now and hit the water with Hayden Express Charters.
Hayden Express Charters runs angling trips out of Wanchese and offers to show you what the local fishery is all about.
Capt. Ralph will do his best to make sure you have a fun day full of fishing. He specializes in light tackle, heavy tackle, bottom fishing, trolling, jigging, and kite fishing, all to get you on that bite. This involves 4 to 11-hour trips, mainly fishing for Cobia, Mahi Mahi, Bluefish, Spanish Mackerel, Tuna, and Redfish, depending on the season and conditions of the day.
Your adventure begins on board a 48' Craddock Boatworks boat that can fit a maximum of 6 anglers. The boat has a toilet, ice box, and fighting chair. All rods, reels, and terminal tackle are included in the price so you can focus on what really matters, fishing. Your trip will include all the necessary fishing licenses for the day.
Capt. Ralph runs trips together with his first mate, who's there to help you with whatever you may need. Tips are always appreciated for a job well done. Children are welcome aboard, so you're good to get the young ones started early. You'll be able to keep any legal species caught during the trip.
Book your trip now and hit the water with Hayden Express Charters.

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If you’re considering booking with Hayden Express, DO IT! We had a mix of experienced anglers and complete first timers, and Captain Ralph and Mate Mason made the entire experience incredible from start to finish. The fishing was unbelievable. Both kids had already put over 20 fish in the bucket before 8 a.m.! Watching them reel in fish after fish and seeing how excited they were is something we’ll never forget. Mason deserves a special shoutout. He was knowledgeable, patient, incredibly helpful, and genuinely went above and beyond with the kids. You could tell he wanted them to have the best experience possible, and he absolutely made that happen. Captain Ralph was just as fantastic. His years of experience and knowledge of the area really show. He knew exactly where to take us and made the whole day feel easy, fun, and memorable. There are plenty of charters to choose from, but I am SO glad we chose Hayden Express. We would book with Captain Ralph and Mason again in a heartbeat. This wasn’t just a great day of fishing. It was one of those experiences our kids will be talking about for years. Truly a memory of a lifetime for our family!

After two straight years of disappointing fishing trips and even having another charter cancel on us because of the weather, booking with Hayden Express completely turned things around. Captain Ralph and Mason were absolutely amazing from start to finish. We headed out, and at first I started getting a little worried because we weren't catching anything. That didn't last long! Captain Ralph quickly found the fish, and before we knew it, we were reeling them in nonstop. Several times we had all four lines hooked up at once, with a couple of double-ups! Mason worked tirelessly, running from one rod to the next, helping bring fish in, resetting the lines, and then turning right back around because someone was yelling, "Fish on!" again. His energy and hard work kept the action going all day. Captain Ralph and Mason made the trip unforgettable for our group of three adults and three teens. They also made six other people very happy when we got home with plenty of fresh fish to share! The Hayden Express is an incredible boat, and the entire experience exceeded our expectations. If you're looking for a first class fishing charter, I highly recommend Captain Ralph and Mason. We'll definitely be booking another trip with Hayden Express the next time we come back down!

We booked our time with Capt. Ralph the night before because our plans changed last minute. we arrived on time and the crew was ready to go. Within minutes they had us on spanish mackerel and blue fish. We fished for 6 hours and while it wasnt all screaming reels, my son and I had a good time. We’ve used the same charter for years but I’d be happy to fish with Hayden Express Charters any time! very professional and personable with both my 15 year old son and myself. We had a great time!
Captain Ralph was great, and First Mate Mason was knowledgeable, helpful, and wonderful with the kids. They encouraged us to get involved and showed us exactly what to do. We had an amazing four-hour fishing trip and caught 32 Spanish mackerel, two albacore, and 22 flounder—although none of the flounder were large enough to keep. The boat was clean and comfortable, and we enjoyed motoring out beneath the Marc Basnight Bridge. It was a fantastic experience for the entire family!
Captain Ralph and 1st Mate Mason delivered! We booked a 6 hr afternoon trip that was spectacular! We caught white dot sharks (Atlantic sharks) and Spanish Mackerel! My wife loved the air condition cabin that allowed for plenty of seating and respite between catches. As a man with prostate issues, I really appreciated the onboard toilet! Ralph took us where the fish were and Mason taught us how to catch ‘em! Highly recommend this charter!
 captain Ralph and Mason made it awesome. Mason is the best!!!! We had no idea it would be so fun. Mason is also very good with kids and makes it enjoyable for everyone. From storytelling to catching fish, it was awesome!
It was my familys first time being out at sea, mason and ralph were so accommodating and helpful! we caught so many fishes! Mason was extremely informative and accommodating when Me and some of my family member got sea sick. after getting over that hurdle, we continue to reel in fish. They treat you like family in here :)
We had a great time on the Hayden’s Express. We caught almost 40 fish, including sharks! The captain was very knowledgeable and the mate was extremely helpful and reall knew what he was doing. I would highly recommend this boat to anyone looking for a great fishing experience.
This was the second time we fished on the Hayden Express with Captian Ralph and crew Mason. This time two of our young kids came along. We all had a blast! Caught fish and made memories! Whenever we are in the area we’ll be booking with Hayden Express!
Great time with Capt Ralph and his crew member Mason. Both Capt Ralph and Mason were very friendly, knowledgeable and made sure our trip a memorable one. Good time for all. Caught a decent amount of fish considering what other charters were catching. Highly recommend.
