The best Bahamas fishing charters run on big motor yachts that carry a serious chase boat, proper tackle, and a crew who knows the local grounds. Below are the 11 motor yachts we recommend for a 1-week Bahamas fishing charter, ranked on their fishing setups, tenders, crew reputation, and feedback from our clients.
Every yacht on this list pairs real fishing capability with the comfort our clients book a motor yacht for: Jacuzzis on deck, private chefs who will cook your catch, and enough toys to keep the rest of the group busy between runs.
Quick answer: our top picks
- Best for long fishing trips: LADY JOY. Shallow draught, built for 8-plus-day charters, and a 38′ tender that seats 23.
- Best for bonefish and flats: AT LAST. Her 39′ SeaVee reaches water the mothership can’t.
- Best chase boat: NO SURRENDER. The 36′ Yellowfin center console is a true fishing machine.
- Best value: ENTREPRENEUR. Gear matched to your target species on request, family layout for 10 guests.
11. THE PEDDLER | 86 ft
For an 86-footer, THE PEDDLER carries a fishing program we’d expect on a much bigger boat: gear for marlin, groundfishing, fly fishing, and deep sea, a 2022 28′ Boston Whaler Outrage with twin Yamaha 200s that is ideal for Eleuthera and Harbour Island runs, and an 18′ Williams jet tender for quick hops to nearby spots.
Her South African crew of 4, including a chef, has a reputation with our clients for attentive service and proper beach days with chairs, shade, and cold drinks. She summers in Fort Lauderdale and repositions to the Bahamas for an extra fee, which is worth budgeting if you want a smaller yacht with a serious setup. Off the rods she carries a Seadoo Spark, Flite boards, Seabobs, SUPs, towables, and snorkeling gear.
10. SEA OWL | 87 ft
SEA OWL is proof you don’t need to break 100 ft for a comfortable Bahamas fishing charter. She is a 2022-delivered Azimut, so she still feels new, and she covers the Bahamas, the Florida East Coast, and New England in season.
Her 35′ Scout 350LXF chase boat is the star: fast, stable, and ideal for reaching remote grounds. She carries no built-in fishing gear, and in our experience that is a plus, because her crew sources rods, tackle, and bait matched to your exact plan, whether that is bonefish on the flats or trolling for pelagics. Onboard she is set up for family downtime with a compact gym, a Seadoo GTX 230, 2 paddleboards, 2 Seabobs, a towable tube, and snorkel gear.
9. FREDDY | 106 ft
FREDDY is a Sanlorenzo with an on-deck master suite and 4 guest staterooms below, a layout that works well for groups of 10. Her 2021 32′ Boston Whaler Vantage is a capable fishing platform, and her mate and engineer have a reputation for running fishing days that are both safe and efficient. Zero-speed stabilizers keep her steady at anchor on the grounds.
She carries a medium assortment of rods and tackle; tell us in advance if you want spearfishing or deep-sea gear added. The concealed balcony off the main salon is a private spot for a morning coffee while the rest of the group fishes. Toys: Yamaha jet skis, Seabobs, inflatable paddleboards, wakeboards, floating islands, tow tubes, and snorkel gear.
FREDDY
8. NO SURRENDER (ex TASTY WAVES) | 110 ft
NO SURRENDER, the Riva Dolcevita our clients knew as Tasty Waves, pairs Italian styling with serious sport fishing capability. Her 36′ Yellowfin center console is the best pure fishing chase boat on this list, rigged with top-tier deep-sea tackle for Andros, Eleuthera, and Nassau waters.
Her captain knows the Bahamian grounds well, and the crew of 5 runs the boat for both hardcore anglers and guests who want the luxury experience between casts. Based in Fort Lauderdale, she is an easy fit for a 7-night Bahamas run. Water toys include a Sea-Doo jet ski, hydrofoil boards, Seabobs with underwater cameras, a wakesurf board, a floating island, and scuba and snorkel gear.
7. TAIL LIGHTS | 116 ft
TAIL LIGHTS blends real fishing credentials with the best outdoor lounging on this list, including a flybridge Jacuzzi and wet bar. Her 32′ Scout tender runs twin Yamaha 350s, has a walk-in console bathroom, and is rigged for trolling, deep-sea, and spearfishing, with professional-grade rods and spearfishing poles on board.
Her crew fishes Eleuthera regularly and knows its marlin water in particular. If half your group fishes and the other half wants a pool day, she covers both: jet ski, Yamaha sea scooters, Segway scooters, an AquaBanas party inflatable, paddleboards, towables, water skis, a wakeboard, and snorkel gear.
Broker insight
On a Bahamas fishing charter the chase boat matters more than the yacht. The mothership gives you the comfort, but it is the 30-plus-foot tender that gets you onto the flats at Andros or the marlin grounds off Eleuthera. I always check the tender spec first, then the gear list.
Daniel Asmus
Owner, Charter Broker, Active CYBA Member, IYBA, ECPY
6. ENTREPRENEUR | 116 ft
ENTREPRENEUR is the value pick. She works the Bahamas, Florida, and New England seasonally with a family-friendly layout for 10 guests, and her 2020 34′ Nortech tender is excellent for Andros and Eleuthera runs.
Fishing gear comes on request, which lets you match tackle to the species you actually want to target instead of paying for a generic setup. For the rest of the group she carries waverunners, inflatable paddleboards, a Rave splash zone with trampoline and slide, a towable tube, snorkel gear, and beach chairs and umbrellas for shore days.
5. OCULUS | 128 ft
OCULUS is the marlin-focused pick, with the comfort of a 128 ft yacht behind it: Jacuzzi, gym, and space for 10 guests. Her 2020 37′ Axopar Sun Top covers all 3 Bahamian fishing styles, deep sea, reef, and flats, and she carries a wide range of rods and reels plus spearfishing gear.
Her crew knows South Andros well, which is where we send serious anglers first. Between fishing days she runs jet skis, a water slide, a Seabob, kite surfing gear, a wakeboard, surfboards, inflatable paddleboards, and snorkeling gear.
OCULUS
4. ACACIA | 131 ft
ACACIA is the family fishing pick. This Sunseeker had a full refit in 2023 and is set up to keep everyone entertained while the anglers fish, including children’s fishing gear, which we rarely see in this size class.
Her 35′ Scout tender runs triple Yamaha 300s and covers marlin runs at speed, backed by 8 Shimano reels with plasma rods and full offshore tackle. The toy garage is one of the strongest here: Lift eFoils, a waverunner, a Seabob, inflatable paddleboards and a kayak, a submersible drone, and GoPro and underwater cameras for filming the catch.
ACACIA
3. RELENTLESS | 145 ft
RELENTLESS runs the most social program on this list: theme nights, beach BBQs, and even fireworks where permits allow, alongside a capable fishing setup. Her 32′ Boston Whaler Vantage gives quick access to Eleuthera’s marlin water, and she carries deep-sea gear and rods on board.
The reconfigured flybridge with Jacuzzi, sun beds, and bar is where the group ends up once the lines come in. Toys: RIB tender, waverunners, wakeboards, kayaks, paddleboards, kneeboards, tubes, inflatable loungers, and snorkel gear.
2. AT LAST | 145 ft
AT LAST is the bonefishing specialist. Her 39′ SeaVee tender reaches the flats and steep reefs the mothership can’t, and Captain Cam’s local fishing knowledge is the kind of asset our clients mention after the trip. She carries assorted rods, deep-sea tackle, and shallow-water gear.
With room for 11 guests and a crew of 8, she pairs large-yacht comfort with a chef who will cook your catch the same evening. Toys: flat-bottom skiff, waverunners, a waterslide, kayaks, Seabobs, a hydrofoil, paddleboards, and snorkeling gear.
AT LAST
1. LADY JOY | 157 ft
LADY JOY takes the top spot because she is built for exactly this job: one of the largest yachts in the Bahamas with a shallow draught, designed to run 8-plus-day fishing charters without returning to port.
Her 38′ SACS Stratos tender fits 23 people, so crew, guides, and anglers hit the grounds together instead of taking turns. She carries gear for both fly and deep-sea fishing and arranges fishing permits on request. Off the water: water skis, tubes, floating mats, waverunners, kayaks, windsurfers, and scuba and snorkel gear.
Which fishing yacht should you pick?
If you want the widest fishing range in 1 charter, we would start with LADY JOY or AT LAST, because both are built for long runs without returning to port. For a first Bahamas fishing trip with the family along, ENTREPRENEUR and SEA OWL keep the budget in check while the tender does the real fishing work.
Tell us the species you want to target and the week you have in mind, and we will match you to the right boat, gear list, and grounds. For planning the wider trip, see our Bahamas fishing charter guide and our breakdown of what a Bahamas yacht charter costs.
