We brought my daughter, who is 7, and my mom. Captain Esben took great care of my mom giving her a comfortable place to sit and cast, and answered no less than 100 questions from my daughter. Incredibly accommodating of all situations. My wife, who previously didn’t have an interest in fishing, left being able to cast a spinning rod and wants to get back on the water again. Captain Esben is a pro - if you’re on the fence on whether to schedule something, particularly if you’re bringing younger kids, this is your sign to do it.

Esben absolutely rocked our fishing trip—he totally killed it! He took our group of four novice fishermen out into the Oregon Inlet for an afternoon of fishing, and we couldn’t have been happier with the experience.

From the start, he was prompt in communicating after we booked and made sure we knew exactly where and when to meet. He greeted us on the dock with a big smile, and we instantly knew we were in for a great day. Esben worked hard the entire afternoon, doing everything he could to get us on the fish.

Although we didn’t have any luck for the first three hours, that all changed when he got word from another captain that a school of black drum was moving in. He asked if we were up for a “little adventure,” and we wholeheartedly said yes—then we were off!

What followed was nothing short of exhilarating. We landed a monster black drum, and the photos speak for themselves. Esben went out of his way to make sure we had a truly memorable trip, and we couldn’t be more grateful.

We’ll 100% be booking with Esben again in the future.

Dane and Dave spent 4 hours on a private charter with Captain Esben today. They had the absolute best time! They are already talking about booking again with him next year! Esben’s professionalism, patience, and friendly demeanor paved the way for their great experience! Dane caught his first cobia and loved every minute of it! Great way to make long lasting memories here at OBX!

Although the bite was slow due to weather conditions, Captain Esban’s knowledge of the area and determination resulted in some big drum catches before the end of the trip and my Dad catching the biggest fish of his life! Awesome trip! Thanks Captain Esban!

The kids (ages 11 and 15) were relatively new to fishing but the captain gave them incredible instruction and instilled confidence. He was really patient and encouraging. We caught some good sized trout on artificial lures as well as bait. I plan to charter Tidal Pursuits Fishing again. I wish I could give some constructive criticism but I can’t think of anything that needed to be improved. Thank you for a wonderful experience.