Worst experience I've ever had on a party fishing boat. Bad weather and Bad fishing is just the way it goes. The rest is what made it terrible and that is on them. I'll never be back on that boat. read more

Been fishing over 50 yrs. Todays trip was the best ever. I brought 3 grandchildren they loved the boat, crew and the magnificant fishing. Definitely recommend and will go again. Joe h read more

this is such an amazing experience whether you're going in your own or for families and kids. The crew is incredibly friendly and knowledgable. I've been here many times before on their day cruises and this is consistently true. and we always bring a ton of fish home. the boat is spacious with a lower and upper deck (both have shade) and they sell bait and refreshments on board as well. i highly recommend :) read more

Loads of fun for a fishing trip with the boys. Haven't went in years and brought a friend who doesn't normally fish and one of the crew members on the boat gave him a couple pointers. He was catching porgy left and right. read more

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I went on the boat with my 13yo son. He and I both loved it. We have only gone once (so far) but the staff and the fellow passengers/fishers were all nice. read more

My group arrived at 7 and waited in line for the 8a fishing trip. We had called the prior day to let them know we were coming with a party of 6. After we got on the boat, we picked a location and was told we were good by a crew member. A few minutes before the boat was scheduled to leave, they told us we had to move because we were in a spot reserved for a larger group. Of course, by this time only a few spots that nobody else wanted were left. It took some wrangling to get a refund (after we were told that we could not get a refund and could not leave because our cars were blocked in their parking lot). Spoiled what was meant to be a fun day with kids. And they blamed us for not realizing that a piece of rope meant that the area was reserved for a different party! Do better, Riptide. read more

So I purchased tickets online to take my son on his first fishing trip, I get there and they tell me there must be at least 10 people or boat won't go out. I said it does not say that on the website. Then he says it take 30 days to get reimbursed.... So not only did we not got out but have to wait for reimbursement. Broke my sons heart ..... They don't deserve any stars but I have to click on at least 1 star. So that's a -star for me... They don't give a crap for the customer. Never again!!!!! read more

The Riptide III was not a crowded boat that day, we had a party of six, one of three caught no fish at all and the other 3 caught 1-3 fish. The Mate staff was rude and reluctant to assist people with tangled lines, unhooking a the fish, baiting and other Mate duties. The son of the Captain a Mate as well, was reading a book while people was fishing and needed assistance. I personally will never catch another party boat out of the city Island area again. This was the third time and all have similar behavior. They all want and need our money they keep their livelihood afloat, but don't want to provide the services that makes your trip enjoyable. Truly appalling! read more

Great crew. They serve food. Nothing gourmet but if you want to travel light and burger will work.

Terrific experience. Boat was roomy with plenty of space indoors and along the perimeter. Gear was great. Crew was very helpful with my two boys whenever we hit a snag or had trouble getting a fish off the hook. Had solid action all day long and plenty of fish (just remember to get worms first at one of the City Island bait shops!) Our weather was perfect, with barely a swell. The kids were mesmerized by the cleaning of hundreds of fish on the journey back to port. Clearly an enjoyable experience they will never forget. read more

Finally got to fish after about fifteen years and decided to go local, What a big mistake choosing this boat, the mates were salty, We didn't see them until the end of the trip, also we were never on the fish, I'm embarrassed to say I only caught five fish. You would think it was a sight seeing tour. Our rigs never went to deep And the captain was constantly moving. He stayed pretty much local Seems like he was trying to save gas. I suggest you not take this vessel, I could of taken a skiff and got more action. The highlight of the trip Was multiple waves rocking the boat and the trip back to port. read more

I love this boat!!! I always have so much fun when I come with my family. The staff is very nice, and helpful. They sell food, drinks, and bait.... and they also have night fishing!!! We come every year and enjoy ourselves out on the water! I would definitely recommend it if you like to fish in a boat. read more

Riptide III - He caught about 100!!! This isn't all of it! - Fishing Near Me - The Bronx, New York

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Went out on Saturday with my Son and Father.. we thought the weather would be bad but it turned out to be a beautiful day! The fish were biting and the crew was awesome. Everyone was super helpful and nice. We caught a bunch of fish and got to feed the seagulls too. They show up once the crew start cleaning the fish lol. Made a few new friends. All in all it was great. We will definitely be going back soon! read more

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I had my Pole and reel on the side of the boat at the end of the trip on the way back in a ship mate took my pole and reel after i told him it was mine and went inside and switched my reel with a broken reel then gave it back to me. I did not notice till the next day when i was washing my reel off it was not mine and Broken. The ships mates are SCUMBAGS STAY AWAY from this Charter at all costs they will rob you and you will have a terrible time. read more

a great day. the mates were terrific. my 7 year olds first day out and got his first fish and a few more. the captain let him sit in the wheelhouse on the captains chair and took a photo. it was a great day- would love to do it again read more

The boat was as I remember as its been years since we fished from the riptide. Mate was a nice guy. The website is misleading as it still claims night fishing for blues and stripers. This is the main reason we did a night trip. As it turns out we fished for Porgy. We didn't know that till after we boarded and AFTER the mate collected our 10.00 a man for the biggest fish pool. One of the mates that disembarked due to a severe lack of fishermen (about 15 in total) as the mate is walking away he laughed " Blues? we haven't fished blues in 4 years. 85.00 a person for porgy is definitely not worth the trip. We will not be returning. To top it off the mate that remained was absent for quite some time and I wound up doing his job for the guys I was with. I'm not sure what has happened but the riptide III has sure taken a turn for the worst read more

RiptideIII = ripoff #1. This company has the most unprofessional customer service I have experienced! Liars! I say! Totally ripped us off! Booked a fishing charter two weeks ago. They canceled on us two hours before we were leaving. Not the problem, problem was not even an apology, or any kind of help to find a resolution to this predicament, just a very rude captain with an attitude. Look, if you cancel on paying customers, don't blame your booking agent, it dates were posted months out on their web site. So LIARS! Say you! I do! Sharktopuss karma's going to get you guys. read more

Riptidelll! You did it again. Had a wonderful time 9/26/21. The fishing was great, between myself and my daughter we brought home 30 porgies. The crew was awesome as usual. They work hard so please leave a tip. Stay safe and go fishing! read more

Super day! Great crew always ready to help. It was a relaxing day after a such bad year we've had in 2020. I'm ready to go back again on board! read more

Disappointed you can be the first one there but whole back of the boat full with rods holding spots for there regulars and they give u an excuse that the people got there early and put poles to hold spot when I tried to hold a spot and was not allowed too the mates hold the spots they deem the best fishing spots don't waste your money here island current is better and fair or soundboundfishing they are also unloyal when they post day before fishing experience to get u on boat the pictures be all the regulars fishing hull and the rest of boat has 1/8 read more

The capt. And crew are okay. Put us on some fish. Can't complian . Wish they would do night fishing again.

Amazing experience. Boat had plenty of space indoors and along the perimeter. The gear was great. Crew was very helpful with my husband and I. We had trouble getting a fish off the hook and the crew came right over to help. Had action all day long and plenty of fish (The worms really do the trick in getting the fish, you can get them on the boat or in City Island bait shop) The weather was perfect, sunny, make sure you get sunblock, hat and shades. An experience we will never forget. read more

While I have not been aboard Riptide, I have inhaled its toxic fumes. Riptide loudly spews black smoke into the environment. It is a stinkpot that should be decommissioned. Would give it a 0 if I had the option. Boycott, please. read more

Today was my first time out on a fishing boat. I had a great time in the Riptide III. They make you feel at home and safe. The crew are great bunch of people, they interact with you they are fast to respond when help is needed. WILL B GOING BACK!!!! read more

It was the first time on this party boat. It was also our second choice after Island Fleet was completely booked. The boat was condition was good but the space soon got packed. I believe there was a rod in every holder giving you about 1' of space each. Fishing was slow but this isn't the fault of the captain, it's just the nature of fishing. You win some and you lose some. All in all it was a decent time if you just wanted to be out on the water. This all changed as the boat was heading back. A deckhand by the name of FRANK, (you can't miss his missing teeth) was beginning to clean. He berated everyone to get inside and to take everything in or "he doesn't have a problem getting it wet". Fine, that's not a problem. What is a BIG problem is that while cleaning with disregard he was throwing ALL the trash overboard. Plastic, cans, garbage, fishing lines you name it. I confronted him and even told the Capt in which he nonchalantly replied "He shouldn't be doing that...thanks for bringing this to my attention" I continued to watch FRANK as he "cleaned" and as he hosed everyone's things down too. He came upon a bucket full of trash, without hesitation he dumped the whole thing OVERBOARD. At this point I wanted to throw this guy overboard, I was furious. Does he have any understanding of ocean conservation or littering? Imagine this is being done each and every time this boat returns from a fishing trip. No wonder there are no more fish in the bay. If this charter truly cares for sustainable fishing, they better be more aware of their actions. My pictures and video evidence is enough to pursue legal action. read more

Awesome boat great crew captain is friendly food is great you should try this boat once come back for the fun every week or weekend

I enjoy fishing on this boat. The captain does all he can to make he shifts often enough so that everyone catches fish when they are biting. I caught 22 porgies yesterday. The crew is helpful. I'mThe patrons and crew are a lot of fun. We laughed all day. read more

I am a lifelong fisherman and previous boat owner of many years, I've been on just about every party boat within two hours of here.... I spent a full day fishing yesterday on the riptide III out of city Island ....Let me just say that I read all the reviews and it's obvious to me that most of the posters are not really experienced with this. As far as the equipment on the boat I found thier rods and reels to be decent quality rods and reels and suitable for the job... As for the tackle, bottom rigs are never included in the price unless it's stated (usually only in red carpet charter packages)....and the kid did a pretty good job bringing us hooks for a fair price. So for the big stuff, the boat was there and ready at 8 AM, they did save our reservation, and I arrived 40 mins early so I was able to have my pick of spots on the boat which is important to me. I will thank the young mate, Max, for running back-and-forth and trying his best to attend to the needs of the guys in the front of the boat... Although he wasn't very experienced and wasn't able to do the greatest job a big" A"for effort for Max as the rest of the crew made it absolutely clear that they couldn't care less about the customers. The fishing was pretty good. Kudos to the captain for moving us consistently throughout the day each time the fishing got slow...I Took home an average amount of porgies for the day I think the total was nine keepers and about 40throwbacks for myself and my brother-in-law Mike. So around average. NOW THE BAD.... The boat is reasonably priced and not far for me to travel so I was hoping that they would go well but I would never consider going back again on the riptide for any reason... I'm not going to complain much about the horrible ripoff with the worms because I understand it's seasonal but if you run a fishing boat and sell worms, they really should make sure to have an adequate supply as they were charging seven dollars for a box with seven or eight scrawny little worms in there.... Which were not kept cold so they were mostly dead or almost dead. But the clams which were adequately supplied free seem to be doing the trick most of the time MOST IMPORTANTLY!...... the very minute the captain blue three blasts to end the fishing day, it wasn't two minutes before this fat nasty prick started setting up a hose and shouting at us "you better get the hell out of there before you get soaked, I have to scrub down this fucking boat!" And it wasn't really possible,.... we had tackle boxes we had coolers we had our buckets of fish, two backpacks....it was a lot to move and he didn't care he just started spraying. On most fishing boats the mates will handle your garbage (we had a small neat 5 gallon pail of trash)...because they want tips but this guy started screaming at us "is that your fucking garbage?" "Get it outta here!" We didn't even know where we were supposed to throw it.... My brother-in-law Michael has changed a lot over the years, and I still can't believe he didn't knock that fat fuck on his ass.....(a first, believe me). What upset me the most is he was screaming at the young kid max who broke his ass all day, calling him names and I felt like I should defend him...... So we crammed into the cabin like a subway ride with the rest of the passengers and all of our stuff and stuck it under a bench and didn't get to enjoy the ride back at all which I believe is part of the price and part of the experience! we're still out on the boat and we should be able to sit back and relax and enjoy the ride back. While we slowly and carefully gather up our the things! I understand that there was a moonlight cruise leaving several hours after we return but to the owners and staff let me tell you something...... That is not our problem! that is your problem! Its fair to ask the people to exit immediately when you hit the dock so you can begin to prepare the boat. But you guys ruined what would've been a pretty nice fishing day and I left there really pissed off.... So I slipped the kid Max a $20 bill and gladly walk right past the rest of the mates and crew without even considering the possibility of further gratuity of any kind. So that's the deal folks you decide for yourself but if you like getting screamed at like a jail prisoner or schoolchild this boat is right for you. But not me! I am going to copy and post this review in as many places as I could find, to save my fellow fisherman from having to go through that shit when there are 100 other boats to choose from with in a one hour ride! read more

HA! LIARS KEEP ON LYING! When Riptide 3 cancelled the night fishing on 8/17/13, we were told a private charter was being taken out instead of the open boat night fishing cruise...nothing about a death in the family. If we had been told there was a death we would have been very understanding and they would have had our condolences. I find it very convenient that all of a sudden the story has changed. Also, it is very fishy that a post on their facebook page dated 8/19/13 says "Great fishing yesterday". So I don't get it, there was a death in the family that cancelled the night cruise on 8/17/13 but 12 hours later on 8/18/13, the Ripoff 3 was functional again? SOUND LIKE THE LIARS CONTINUE TO LIE! DO NOT DO BUISNESS WITH THESE GUYS! SPEND YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY SOMEWHERE ELSE! read more

Great time all around. Crew was amazing. Had a blast with the family. could have been better if the fish cooperated. lol

I tried this company out for the first time. My husband, myself and our 10 yr old son. First, the website would not allow me to pay or make a reservation for my son. No worries, I paid when I arrived there. I was running about 5 minutes late and I called to which they responded that they would wait for us. I was impressed. We got on the boat and were shown where our rented rods were set up (in the middle, on the sunny side). It was hot that day. Upwards of 90 degrees. Not their fault, I asked the owner (or the man in charge), the big guy, where to purchase sand worms and he told me that I could purchase from him (2 boxes for $15 with each box containing one dozen worms). He handed me one box, I gave him $15, then I got distracted when my son ran off with the box and I knew that he was going to "SaVE" the worms by releasing them. I went after my son, and later when I looked back in the area where the big guy was, he was not there. I knew he was on the boat somewhere and I could find him later, so we proceeded to fish. When we ran out of our 12 worms, I went to seek big man only to have him tell me that he had given me 24 worms but he had placed them all in one box. Wow. I did not argue...hubby and son were there having a good time. But I was officially on watch. That deserved one star. My son caught a few to which we attributed to using worms, so I swallowed my initial distaste and went back and placed an order for another two boxes of worms. We were already here...let's catch fish. Big dude shouted to his young daughters 8-10 years old to fix me up with two boxes of worms. At this point, I expected nothing. But I would make sure I at least had 24 ugly, wriggly sand worms. One box, two boxes, I did not care. Surprisingly, he asked them to give me 5 extra worms. They did. I received 29 worms this time. I softened a little bit towards the experience but I was still sour. One should never take advantage of customers. we deserve better. For that, I decided that I would withhold the tip that I planned to give each crew member who helped us that day. The crew was very courteous and helpful. They joked around with each other. It was fun. One of the young daughters helped me when my line got tangled so she was the only one I tipped. I added two stars We started back about 3pm and it took darn near an hour to get back. We had stopped at four different fishing holes. My family caught 7 porgies, a young shark, and a sea robin. I was happy again. I forgive the initial sand worms swindle. I won't forget it but I will forgive it. My favorite of the crew were the three beautiful daughters who, although they were young, were very comfortable with their knowledge of fishing, the wife (mother of the daughters) was gracious and the big guy was very helpful also. It would have been a perfect day if not for the swindle, but I was happy and my family was also. Another star. Finally, they have a galley onboard which is the reason I chose them, but a cheeseburger costs $5 and a can of soda or a 16ounce bottle of water is $2. At those prices, all bait should be free. Only clam bait was provided free of charge. I did not see or use a bathroom, I asked for paper towels or rags to wipe our fingers after handing the worms and was told that rags were $1. They were not new rags. They were old and used. I bought two. Lol. I will definitely go fishing again, maybe next week, but I may try another company. If I go with Riptide III I will bring my own bait and drinking water...and rags. The family seems like a great family, and I am all about family. The girls won my heart. Four stars. read more

We have been going on the Riptide boat for over 15 years. This is the best fishing boat on City Island. This is the boat to take your family on. It is very clean and the crew is the BEST!!! I never wrote a review for the Riptide before because I didn't want everybody going and making the boat too crowded. The crew will do everything to help make this the best trip ever for you!! I love going fishing on this boat. The captain is very good at finding where the fish are. I caught at least 10 fish yesterday and my wife caught a lot too. There are couples and families that go out on this boat. If you want to have a great day fishing and enjoying the water, this is the boat for you!!! We love it!!!! See you again soon Riptide 111. read more

I've been on every party boat in the tristate area. Let me start by saying, customers should not have to pay for rigs especially the first one. Also, why doesn't this boat have different baits. I went late October and all they had was crab. All we caught all day were sea bass and porgy. So basically, bunch of liars. Mates were fishing and people weren't catching. I caught the most on the boat and it bothered me to see mates fishing when it was slow. All in all, don't go. I had a great day fishing, but not the same for the majority of the boat. read more

I can't vouch for the fishing experience, but I've been out twice for their Sunday night tours on the water and had a great time both times. The boat is small, but clean and serviceable. You can bring your own picnic basket and enjoy a couple of hours out on the water. There's a great DJ (thanks, Gerard, for playing our requests all night!) and if you're not into the music, you can take in the views on the lower deck. The tour leaves from City Island, heads down the east side of Manhattan, and turns around at the Statue of Liberty. Really inexpensive (less than $40 for 4 hours of entertainment) and great for families. Will go back. read more

I have been fishing on all the party boats going out from SheepsHead Bay and City Island for the last 25 years and the Riptide has always been one of the best. Patient mates and good captains do their crafts expertly. Sometimes as in all fishing you get skunked. To reply to the fellow who wrote that the guys with the superior equipment caught 50 fish well their probably serious fishermen thus they buy expensive superior equipment. Unlike you. Good fishing read more

We've gone out on this boat over a dozen times and the Captain works hard to find the fish. Went for Porgy on 5/26 and came home with 29 keepers all well over the 10" size limit, with many on the boat matching our catch or more. The pool winner brought in one of four nice sea trout caught (weak fish). I caught a really nice black sea bass that went back for being out of season, and there was at least one fluke caught and a few bluefish. We've had days where we've caught well over 60 Porgy between two of us. The Previous reviewer obviously knows nothing about how to bottom fish- If you have any skill at all you'll get your fish. Don't blame the equipment if you don't know how to use it. read more

My family and I had a wonderful evening cruise around the New York skyline and the statue of Liberty. The different decks of the boats allowed for the perfect views of all the sites. We got some great pictures. Thanks to Captain Carl and his staff for a smooth ride. We will be back again!!!! read more