Search
Randy Thornton
Captain

Randy Thornton

Wanchese, United States
Angler's choice
250+ reviews
After growing up on the Outer Banks, my passion for fishing started young. I spent my young years chasing fish up and down the beaches, sounds, and backwaters with my dad creating memories that have lasted a lifetime. I knew I wanted to give others the same opportunity so I got my Captain license. I captained Offshore, charters for over 10 years however that didn't stop me from fishing Nearshore and Inshore as often as I could. Now I enjoy taking my 2 kids and my clients and their families to create memories of their own to last a lifetime.

Charter

Riptide Charters

Riptide Charters

Wanchese
Instant Confirmation
Trips from
US $350

Rating

4.9
414 reviews
4.9
Boat & Equipment
5.0
Captain & Crew
4.9
Fishing Experience

What anglers say

98%
Good experience
100%
Friendly captain
99%
Recommend this charter
99%
Appropriate for children
100%
Satisfied with the boat
93%
Caught fish

All reviews (414)

Showing 1 – 5 of 414 reviews
  • Brandon Simpson
    Brandon Simpson
    us
    Virginia, US
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified

    We had a awesome trip!!

    4 Hour Trip – Inshore (AM) • 2 adults • 1 child

    We had an awesome trip yesterday! I took my 5-year old son with me, and the captain was extremely accommodating and patient the entire trip. We spent the day trolling for Spanish mackerel and ended up catching both Spanish and bluefish. The action stayed steady, the weather was great, and most importantly, my son had an absolute blast. Seeing how excited he was every time a rod went off made the whole trip great. You can tell the captain truly appreciate the business and care about giving people a good experience. I’d definitely recommend this charter.

    Response from Captain

    Thanks guys enjoyed having y’all

  • Dietrich Bamberger
    Dietrich Bamberger
    us
    Ohio, US
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified

    Riptide got it done!

    4 Hour Trip – Inshore (PM) • 4 adults

    Captain Randy got us on the Drum. We moved several times till we found the fish and then it was all hands on deck. The whole family got in the action with my wife complaining her arms hurt from hauling in the big one! Thanks Randy, that was a great day spent with a very happy and satisfied group!

    Response from Captain

    thanks guys enjoyed having yall.

  • Felice Jones-lee
    Felice Jones-lee
    us
    New York, US
    Member since 2023
    4.7
    Verified

    They tried …

    4 Hour Trip – Nearshore (PM) • 3 adults

    Randy was a great guy! Our trip for Wednesday was cancelled with another guy, so I contacted Randy for a Friday trip.. Randy proved to be a really good guy who was also disappointed with the low yield. It was a new adventure for me, as I’ve never tried this type of fishing. Randy taught me how to cast, so there’s that! I’d recommend on a better day!

    Response from Captain

    Thanks enjoyed having y’all.

  • Brian Suto
    Brian Suto
    us
    Florida, US
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified

    Greta short trip for families with younger kids

    2 Hour Trip (Evening) • 5 adults • 3 children

    Perfect trip (2hrs) for families with smaller kids. Caught lots of smaller fish and some large sting rays. Highly recommend this for younger kids, 2 hours was perfect. Crew was great and took great care of baiting and unhooking fish.

    Response from Captain

    thanks enjoyed it

  • Mark Clodfelter
    Mark Clodfelter
    Repeat angler
    us
    North Carolina, US
    Member since 2025
    3 trips
    5.0
    Verified

    Fun trip

    8 Hour Trip • 4 adults

    We caught some sheephead, a black drum, and a couple of sting rays. Slow day of fishing but Captain did his best to put us on the fish and showed us fishing technique for catching sheephead. We will definitely book with them again in the future.

    Response from Captain

    thanks enjoyed haveing yall

Real catches shared by our community

  • Riptide Charters
    Riptide ChartersWanchese, NC
    July fishing trip
    Brandyn W.
    Brandyn W.
  • Riptide Charters
    Riptide ChartersWanchese, NC
    Good trip!
    Tom A.
    Tom A.
  • Riptide Charters
    Riptide ChartersWanchese, NC
    caught a limit of jacks
    Jason C.
    Jason C.
  • Riptide Charters
    Riptide ChartersWanchese, NC
    Nice half day inshore trip
    Skip (.
    Skip (.
  • Riptide Charters
    Riptide ChartersWanchese, NC
    Blue sky and blue fish!
    Kirsten P.
    Kirsten P.
  • Riptide Charters
    Riptide ChartersWanchese, NC
    We had a awesome trip!!
    Brandon S.
    Brandon S.
  • Riptide Charters
    Riptide ChartersWanchese, NC
    Riptide got it done!
    Dietrich B.
    Dietrich B.
  • Riptide Charters
    Riptide ChartersWanchese, NC
    Hit our limit
    Wes M.
    Wes M.
  • Riptide Charters
    Riptide ChartersWanchese, NC
    Great experience
    Brooke T.
    Brooke T.
  • Riptide Charters
    Riptide ChartersWanchese, NC
    Great inshore trip
    Thomas K.
    Thomas K.

What's biting with Riptide Charters in Wanchese

Trout are well and truly back, as are Red Drum inshore. However, when the weather's fine, nothing beats the Tuna action offshore! Head out to the Gulf Stream and get your fill of these monsters!

Top catches for October

Fishing reports

Angler proudly displaying a large fish on a boat in open water, showcasing a successful fishing trip.

Cobia time

May 23, 2026 • Wanchese
Cobia have showed up!
Show more
A young angler proudly displaying a large Redfish while fishing on a sunny day.

Reds and blues

Apr 19, 2025 • Wanchese
Red fish and blue fish have showedup in good numbers. There are trophy redfish in the ocean as well. Weather is warming up its time togo fishing.
Show more
A variety of fish, including a large Speckled Trout, stored in a cooler filled with ice, showcasing a successful fishing trip.

Wont be long

Mar 19, 2025 • Wanchese
Weather is starting to turn in our favor. It wont be long before the sheepshead will be biting dont miss out on this great spring fishing.
Show more
An angler proudly displaying a large Cobia while fishing in calm waters, showcasing a successful day on the boat.

Cobia fishing

May 28, 2024 • Wanchese
Cobia have showed up and the bite is hot.
Show more
Two anglers posing with a variety of Speckled Trout laid out on the dock after a successful fishing trip.

Speckle trout

May 22, 2024 • Wanchese
Fishing is heating up we are catching lots of trout latey and there are some cobia around aswell.
Show more
A family proudly displaying their catch of Redfish while enjoying a fishing trip on the water.

Fishing is in full swing

May 5, 2024 • Wanchese
The red fish and trout have showed up in great numbers. The cobia are starting to show up aswell time to book a trip.
Show more