Rusty Reel Charters
Make the most of your time in Bethany Beach and go fishing with Rusty Reel Charters. Having logged many hours on these tides, Captain Steve can tell you all about the local fishery.
These waters are known for Bluefish, Mahi Mahi, Flounder, Blue Marlin, White Marlin, Black Seabass, Speckled Trout, Tilefish, Albacore Tuna, Bigeye Tuna, Bluefin Tuna, Yellowfin Tuna, and more – with any luck, they'll make your reel scream. For these species, you're likely to troll and bottom fish.
Families making a day of it will be glad to know that kids are welcome aboard! Be sure to ask if child-sized life vests are available, otherwise you should bring your own. Snacks are also a good idea to ward off any mid-trip fatigue!
Your day begins aboard a 36' Topaz sportfishing vessel that can carry up to 6 passengers. It comes with outriggers, downriggers, and all the essentials. There's a toilet on board for your convenience. Rods, reels, and tackle are covered by the charter, along with lures. Live bait is available, but be sure to ask about it so you know if you'll be catching it yourself.
You'll have the help of a First Mate to put you on fish. It's customary to tip the Mate 10–20% to show your appreciation.
The charter boat covers your fishing license, so all you have to do is show up ready for a good time! Have in mind that some fish may have harvest limits or closed seasons. Your captain will help you follow regulations while you fish.
It's recommended to bring sunglasses, sunscreen (non-spray), bottled water, and a hat. If you'd like to bring other drinks, just ask. Alcohol is allowed in moderation, just avoid hard liquor as well as glass bottles.
Now, come aboard with Rusty Reel Charters and get hooked!
Make the most of your time in Bethany Beach and go fishing with Rusty Reel Charters. Having logged many hours on these tides, Captain Steve can tell you all about the local fishery.
These waters are known for Bluefish, Mahi Mahi, Flounder, Blue Marlin, White Marlin, Black Seabass, Speckled Trout, Tilefish, Albacore Tuna, Bigeye Tuna, Bluefin Tuna, Yellowfin Tuna, and more – with any luck, they'll make your reel scream. For these species, you're likely to troll and bottom fish.
Families making a day of it will be glad to know that kids are welcome aboard! Be sure to ask if child-sized life vests are available, otherwise you should bring your own. Snacks are also a good idea to ward off any mid-trip fatigue!
Your day begins aboard a 36' Topaz sportfishing vessel that can carry up to 6 passengers. It comes with outriggers, downriggers, and all the essentials. There's a toilet on board for your convenience. Rods, reels, and tackle are covered by the charter, along with lures. Live bait is available, but be sure to ask about it so you know if you'll be catching it yourself.
You'll have the help of a First Mate to put you on fish. It's customary to tip the Mate 10–20% to show your appreciation.
The charter boat covers your fishing license, so all you have to do is show up ready for a good time! Have in mind that some fish may have harvest limits or closed seasons. Your captain will help you follow regulations while you fish.
It's recommended to bring sunglasses, sunscreen (non-spray), bottled water, and a hat. If you'd like to bring other drinks, just ask. Alcohol is allowed in moderation, just avoid hard liquor as well as glass bottles.
Now, come aboard with Rusty Reel Charters and get hooked!
Select date to see availability
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Customer reviews
Rating
Anglers' gallery (69)
What anglers say
Reviews (48)
Christopher L FarrandsRepeat angler5.0VerifiedGreat trip!
12 Hour Trip – Offshore on June 13, 2026 • 5 adultsWe had a great trip with Steve and Derek on the Rusty Reel. They did a great job with managing the timing of things throughout the day, keeping things moving and ultimately helping our group of 5 with having a great full day out to the canyons. Several first time folks in the group. We caught 1 tuna within minutes of being out. After that we were a little slow for an hour or so and pivoted to Tile fish (caught 23 of them). Then the captain said lets move and get back into Tuna this afternoon before the day is shot. Caught 2 more tuna because of that call. Great boat and crew.
Jennifer Sims5.0VerifiedWhat a trip!
4 Hour Trip (AM) on May 12, 2026 • 6 adultsI'll start by saying that Captain McGeehan was great! He's funny and interesting. Most of all, he actually gives a damn about his charters! He went above and beyond to ensure that we were having a nice time. He made sure that the weather was optimal for our excursion. He went out of his way to make sure that we were catching fish, and boy did we catch some fish! Our first mate, Derrick kept our lines in tract, or hooks baited and even caught a massive flounder! 22 inches! The boat was everything we needed and more. Comfy ride, even in medium chop. We had a terrific time and look forward to hanging out with Captain McGeehan again. I urge you, book your trips now! Once others catch on, you'll have a hard time snagging a trip with the best Captain in Delaware!
Joshua AlbrightRepeat angler4.7VerifiedFun trip and great captain and mate
10 hour trip on September 18, 2026 • 6 adultswe really enjoyed our trip. the captain and first mate were friendly and very knowledgeable on the waters and local fishing conditions. they worked very hard to make our trip a success although there were some rough water conditions that were not included in the local marine forecast. We were not able to fish at our intended location and target species but the captain still found us some less choppy waters and we caught a fair number of sea bass. the trip was an overall success.
Amy Delong5.0VerifiedMade it happen…
12 Hour Trip – Offshore on July 11, 2026 • 6 adultsCapt Steve and Derick did a good job. Went out to the canyon (like much of the fleet) Tuna and Mahi weren’t biting, after giving it his best Steve consulted our group and we pivoted to Tile fish. We finished strong with a full cooler and everyone at their limit. After retuning to the marina and chatting with other boats we made the right call by shifting.
Rich Beam5.0VerifiedGreat Memories!
12 Hour Trip – Offshore on July 27, 2026 • 6 adultsA true fishing experience! The Rusty Reel is an older boat, the sign of a good work boat! We were catching tuna as to where other boats around us weren't. The Captain and Mate were vey well experienced and got us our fish! We will definitely repeat this trip! I highly recommend The Rusty Reel!!!
Justin Harris5.0Verifiedgreat captain aand mate! highly recommend
10 hour trip on August 30, 2026 • 6 adultsGreat trip. The captian was great and knowledgeable. Made sure we caught fish. Caught near our limit in tile, and a few mahi. Looking forward to booking another trip when the tuna come back around.
Theresa Robinson5.0VerifiedBest 1st fishing charter trip
4 Hour Trip (AM) on July 3, 2026 • 2 adultsSteve our captain was amazing and a welath of knowledge on good fishing spots. His 1st mate, Derek was so helpful when we needed it. I will definitely sign up for another charter with Rusty Reel.
Morgan Schenberg5.0VerifiedBest first experience!
8 Hour Trip on June 27, 2026 • 6 adultsWe caught 41 sea bass a flounder 3 lings and even a star fish! The captain and his mate were great. showed us great spots and helped us along the way! Would purchase another charter trip with them in the future!
Ray Bree5.0VerifiedComing back for sure !
8 Hour Trip on September 16, 2026 • 3 adultscaught 55 Lbs. of mahi and sea bass. A lot of other folks were not catching anything close to our haul. Captain and First Mate were game on and they found the fish !!
Steve Tunney5.0Verifiedlots of action
8 Hour Trip on September 5, 2026 • 6 adultsFriendly captain and crew. Landed over 130 sea bass, about 40 keepers with our party of 6. Excellent action all day. Would do it again for sure.
FAQs about Rusty Reel Charters
- US $900 per group - 4 Hour Trip (AM) (4 hours)
- US $1,400 per group - 8 Hour Trip (8 hours)
- US $2,200 per group - 10 hour trip (10 hours)
- US $2,600 per group - 12 Hour Trip – Offshore (12 hours)
- Toilet private bath with flushing WC electric flush.
- Air conditioning Cabin central A/C
- GPS
- Fishfinder
- Bed Kitchen table and bench sets
- Flybridge
- Kitchen Microwave, Electric oven
- Refrigerator Yes
- Multimedia system HAVE
- Outriggers
- Ice box Ice storage
- Radar
- Rods, reels & tackle
- Lures
- Catch cleaning & filleting (Must be cleaned at Marina and payed by customer)
- First mate (Derick has been fishihg with me since he was five years old. He loves teaching the children and is always giving them tips on fishing techniques)
- Fishing license (No fishing the bay its to shallow)
- Inshore fishing (Not the rehobeth bay )
- Nearshore fishing
- Offshore fishing (As far as the canyons which is up to about 100 miles as the seagull flys)
- Reef fishing
- Wreck fishing
- Light tackle
- Heavy tackle
- Bottom fishing
- Trolling
- Jigging
- Drift fishing
- Deep sea fishing
- Bass (Striped)
- Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
- Flounder
- Marlin (Blue)
- Marlin (White)
- Seabass (Black)
- Tilefish
- Tuna (Bigeye)
- Tuna (Bluefin)
- Tuna (Yellowfin)
- Wahoo
Your captain
Real catches by this captain
What is the boat like?
What kind of fishing will you do?
Which fishing techniques you can try
Which amenities are available onboard
How cancellations work
What the listing policies are
How you can pay
Cash
ChecksWhat’s biting in Bethany Beach right now
Bass (Striped)
Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
Flounder
Marlin (Blue)
Marlin (White)
Seabass (Black)
Tuna (Bigeye)
Tuna (Bluefin)
Tuna (Yellowfin)
WahooCompare similar fishing charters
