We fish every year in OBX and this was the best trip we’ve ever had. We caught lots of large red drum (including just short of a citation size).We had several exciting times with multiple fish on line at once. Then we turned to catching mackerel and caught as many as we wanted. Shout out to the mate who ensured that everyone on the boat had a great time regardless of skill level and most importantly was just a really nice guy. He and the Captain l focused on us having fun and enjoying the trip. Past trips have shown us just how important this is. All in all a great experience. Would not hesitate to recommend this boat for anglers of any age and experience

Captain Ralph and his First Mate Mason made our vacation!!! Due to bad weather, we had to reschedule to another day and Captain Ralph was very accommodating and communicated with me every step of the way.  My son wanted to catch Mahi and within seconds of reaching the gulf, Captain Ralph and Mason had us catching more mahi than we knew what to do with it!!!!  After catching are limits of mahi, Captain Ralph found some tilefish for us and Mason was so fast reacting to the bait switch that we caught our limit within moments.  During the whole day my family could tell how passionate Mason was about fishing and I truly have never seen a better first mate in my life.  He took extremely good care us, especially when Captain Ralph surprised all of us on our way back to the dock landing on a school of Red drum!!!! I will definitely book with the Hayden Express again and want to thank Captain Ralph and Mason for one of the best fishing days I have ever had!!!

We went out with Hayden Express Charters on Thursday, July 3rd for a six-hour inshore trip from 12:30 to 6:30 PM, and it was an incredible experience from start to finish.

Captain Ralph handled the boat the entire time, and his attention to detail stood out. He wasn’t just driving—he was fully engaged, constantly scanning the water, monitoring the radio, and reading the fish scanner. At one point during the trip, a school of drum surfaced, and he quickly communicated with Mason to position us for the best possible shot. His coordination and awareness were spot-on the entire trip.

Mason, our first mate, was outstanding. He was personable and easy to talk to, but what really stood out was his passion. This isn’t just a job to him—it’s what he lives for. He’s focused, efficient, and completely locked in when the action starts. His rigging was fast, clean, and professional—everything you’d expect from someone who takes serious pride in their craft.

We ended up catching 19 bluefish, a Spanish mackerel, and then shifted gears to do some shark fishing. That decision paid off with a 5–6 foot shark that gave us an awesome fight, followed by a 3-foot hammerhead that added even more excitement to the day.

This was an all-around fantastic trip, and we would highly recommend Hayden Express Charters to anyone looking for a memorable and professional fishing experience. We’ll definitely be back the next time we’re in town.

We had a great experience fishing with Ralph and Mason! They were both super friendly and knowledgeable! We took our 3 kids (2,11, and 15) and they all had a great time! It was very kid friendly! They had a bean bag chair in the cabin that laid right by the ac unit and the kids took turns cooling off there! It was perfect! We caught 28 fish and then had them cooked at the marina restaurant which was great!  We’d definitely book with them again and highly recommend!

Booked with captain ralph this year as we come down every other year for a family trip, this was hands down a better experience than previous years with other charters. Mason the 1st mate was really cool and knowledgeable. Stayed right by our side and assisted the whole time. Unfortunately out of captions controle we were supposed t0 do a 3/4 day near shore trip but dud to the elements of mother nature he called the night before to let us know we probably wouldn’t make it on the ocean and we would have to fish in the sound. Very good communication and still was able to put us on fish the whole time and made the best of what we could do due to weather and wind. Highly recommend them and will be booking with them again in the futur.