It was a great day to be on water, and Captain John and crew took expert care of everything for us. All we had to do is get there and cast our lines - they were all ready to go. And if you’re a beginner like me and aren’t comfortable releasing the fish from the line, the crew even helps you out with that part too!  The boat is special too - a wooden Chesapeake Dead Rise (they don’t make them anymore), made in Virginia with an awesome WWII Detroit Steel engine. So if you’re a history buff - Captain John will tell you all about it. Super cool!!

Our family spent the afternoon with Captain John and his 2 mates Amber and C.J. We had a blast my 3 sons ages 9,12, and 15 will never forget this day. My husband and I appreciated how well CJ and Amber took the time to ensure that our boys experienced a true fishing expedition. You could tell that they love their jobs and want their charter guests to enjoy every aspect of this boating adventure. They were great at explaining the different types of fish we were looking to catch, their differing qualities and even showed the boys what noises they can make. Amber even got ahold of a blue crab to teach my youngest son about them. The boys not only caught a dozen plus fish that we were able to take home. We also had caught several non-edible fish to feed the birds on our return trip back to the marina.
For all you women or men out there that don’t like cleaning fish, this was a total on vacation Mom/wife bonus for me…Amber cleaned, de-boned and filleted the fish. She packed up the fillets nicely into gallon zip loc bags so all we would need to do after getting them back home was cook them up. She has some serious fish fillet skills. Even my husband took notice.
We felt safe in Captains Johns boat and he made an everlasting impression on us and we look forward to this becoming a yearly tradition with our family.  If your looking for a great family adventure and enjoy the best that Hampton Roads area and its beautiful outdoors has to offer, then definitely pick this Charter boat and you will have an unforgettable adventure. This crew made this trip even more fun, their genuine fishing passion was very contagious and our entire family bonded with them. Thanks Captain John, Amber and C.J. for treating us like old friends and fish on! 
The Day family Justin,France, Sammy, Grayson and Cooper **hidden content**

I’d heartily recommend booking with Capt. John at Four Winds. We had a group of 3 dads and 5 boys age 12 and under. John and Amber (the first mate) were very friendly and helped the boys every step of the way during the charter. We had a great experience, whether trolling for mackerel or bottom fishing. This charter was better than another one we took out of North Carolina earlier this summer, as when we were bottom fishing everyone had their own line in the water, so all of the boys stayed engaged the entire time - especially since they were catching fish. Amber was great with the kids, helping with their bait if needed, unhooking the big fish (ones with sharp teeth!), and otherwise educating the boys about fish/fishing - including the process of fileting the fish at the end of the day.
Both John and Amber were great and worked hard to get us on the fish. I’d definitely book with them again.

My friends and I wanted a day out on the water to just hang out and catch some fish. Unsurprisingly, that’s exactly what we got when we chartered with Four Winds.

We showed up early to make sure we got as much time on the water as possible and had everything stowed just in time for our 7am launch. A quick safety brief and we were out on the bay in no time. Both Captain John and Amber were knowledgeable about the local ecosystem and readily pointed out lots of neat details about the areas we passed.

As soon as we cleared the safe channels, the rods were brought out and set up to troll behind as we traveled to our first “spot.” As the mackerel started biting, the crew easily interacted with our group and the laughs were easy to come by as the day went on. We ended up stopping at 2 different fishing locations during the day and trolling for mackerel in between, but the fish were biting nearly the entire time. There was even a stretch of about an hour where nearly the entire group was getting constant hits on our lines. Every single member of our group that was fishing (and even one that hadn’t planned to fish at all) ended up landing a shark, and many “Baby Shark” memes were had.

Near the end of the trip, the water started to get choppy, but it wasn’t anything our group had major issue with. Overall, it was an awesome day and every single person in our group had a blast!

TL;DR - If you’re looking for a charter with a crew that’s fun to interact with, knows the waters, and is experienced as all get-out, then look no further! Four Winds Chartering is worth every penny.

Captain John and his first mate (don’t forget to bring a tip for her she does a lot!) welcomed our group of 8 adults and we had an easy low stress trip. We caught mostly Mackerel during trolling and had a heavy current that impacted our bated fishing off the boat- it was a great time to spend with the family and we learned a lot. All of our fish was filleted and ready to go by the time we got back to shore. Great trip overall and a wonderful way to get your feet wet with ocean fishing. Thank you John and Abby for a fun morning!