Celtic Quest Fishing

I grew up Party Boat fishing down the Jersey Shore. But it had been around 24 years since I fished so I was a little worried. My wife came with me and she had never been on a party boat at all. We were at ease as soon as we got aboard. The staff was polite and beyond helpful to newcomers like us. Rod, reel and bait. Instructions for my first time fisher-​woman wife. The boat is large and there has to be around 5 – 6 mates so you are never desperate for help. Boat is clean too and has a decent bathroom. Vending machines for drinks and snacks. We had a great time and guess what? My first time fishing wife caught the biggest fish on the boat and won the 160 $ pool!!! See the picture. They also clean your fish for you so you can take it home ready to eat. We’ll be back.

As you can see I gave the Celtic quest 5 star, they need to add more because this boat is truly a class act, let me first start by saying I live in the Bronx ny and took 1:20 min ride up to port Jefferson after completing a 12 hour shift of work and only sleeping two hours. I would also like to state that fishing wasn’t the greatest, but anybody that knows about fishing, it’s fishing lol!!! The mates are class acts and extremely friendly and professional, very attentive, always there even before you go calling for one. Captain des is truly a great captain, he search high and low for the fish today, he even added more time on the trip today because he is that passionate about everyone going home with fish!!! That what separates this boat from other boats, their customer service is impeccable, and really do care about the time you spend on the boat with them, it’s like family on the boat!!! Can’t wait to my next trip!!!

Fair warning: the word «customary» really means mandatory to this crew. Yesterday was my fifth voyage on the Celtic Quest. The young workers were, as always, sweet and attentive to the amateur fisher. The ship was relatively clean and everyone had a good time. My husband and I personally gave the youngest kid on the ship $ 10. However, getting chased down by a crew member afterwards and questioned why the rest of our friends didn’t give a tip was embarrassing and unacceptable. We happened to meet up with a larger group than expected, but booked separately. Remember, the tip is customary, according to the captain, but to be told and assumed to be a group and hounded for extra tip was ridiculous. I tried to file a complaint, only to be questioned again why my group didn’t tip. Hello! We weren’t a group, my husband and I booked on our own. The captain personally gave the example of tipping a waiter. Yes, I always tip my waiter at least 20%, but when service is bad I give less than 15%, yet a waiter is NEVER running after you down the block to ask *in a surfer’s voice*, «hey, buddy where’s the rest of my tip?!» Bottom line, if this company isn’t paying their crew at least minimum wage and betting on tips only for salary, then call in the Attorney General for an investigation. The young boy we tipped said he worked since 5:30 a.m. and we were sailing back at 9:00 p.m. If they’re solely concerned about tips, they really should find a way to add it into their $ 50 fee and not make loyal customers feel singled-​out. Will never do business with them again.

Visiting Long Island for a couple days and booked this this night prior. We had a lot of fun. The crew was very friendly and Vinny (I think that’s his name) really went out of his way to make us laugh and made it even more enjoyable. If it’s a nice day and you’re looking for something different then just going to the beach, I highly recommend this. We did the 9am-​1pm trip. It’s a real nice option!

Went on a company trip yesterday, all day porgy and sea bass trip. We went 8 deep and everyone caught a keeper.
The boat was clean and well taken care of, the crew friendly and helpful, and Desmond also seemed like a great guy. I have taken bots out of the south shore for fluke and the bite was always slow and a bit disapointing. This was my first porgy trip and we loved the action. I got a hit on the first drop, a nice 2lb porgy. The bite stayed consistent until slack tide, they moved the boat a few times to make up for it but the bite didn’t pick up until we were on the right side of the tide. Once it did though there was a nice mix of blues and sea bass which was a great change of pace. I ended the day with over a dozen jumbo porgy, 2 throwback sea bass, a bluefish, and too many small porgies to count. Great day had by all, and I’m hoping the boss decides to make this a regular outing. Thanks to Desmond and crew for a great day out on the water.

We just love going out on the Celtic Quest for a half day of great fishing with our family and friends. Captain Des and his crew are friendly, helpful and professional. The boat is always clean and its easy to get out to where the fish are from Port Jeff. If you are considering spending time on the water off LI’s beautiful north shore and you are looking for something fun and memorable to do, a cruise on the CQ will exceed your expectations.

I am a avid fisherman, who has been fishing my entire life. I’ve fished boats all over NY, CT, MA. The Celtic Quest fleet is in my opinion one of the best charter/​party boats on the entire island and surround Boroughs.
Desi, Chris and the entire staff of the CQ are in a league of their own. Classy, knowledgable, friendly and hard working. Captains always work hard to put us on the meat and the rest of the crew/​mates are always right there when you need them.
I fish the CQ year round and more times then i can keep track of. I host yearly work fishing trips that are always a hit. When I want to take my little cousins out fishing, this is where I take them. They’re not just for us hardcore fisherman, this is a family/​kid friendly operation.

I’ve been fishing a handful of times and this was the most fish I have ever seen caught. I literally had fish envy when everyone in my group kept reeling up fish after fish (once I learned to use less bait and keep my cast down longer, I joined in on the action). Be sure to wear crappy clothes (unless you like fish blood on your Gucci loafers), bring a small bandana/​towel (to wipe the bait off of your hands), bring snacks, a camera (to document your monster catch), and a cooler full of beer. We had a nice fish fry afterwards with all of the porgies and bluefish we caught.

Being a novice «fisherwoman» I really appreciate the help and tips I got from the crew. My husband even ended up catching the largest fish of the trip and winning the pool. Dominick in particular was a great help. The boat was nice and clean. Being a typical woman I appreciate the clean bathroom as well :) Thanks for a wonderful time!

Great trip… Very helpful crew. Highly recommend ths trip. Went on many fishing trips this was the best. Thanks again.

They run a tight operation on this boat. Great mates, clean boat, and the captain puts you on the fish. We had a great day out on the sound and all came back with fish and memories.

This is a pretty good boat and I come on it pretty often.
I have found that when you go on the porgy trips, you are pretty much guaranteed to catch something, but when you go on the night bass trip, it is unlikely to happen. This is expected as a 30lb bass are not going to get caught as much. I like to gamble so I go on the night boat for bass when they have it as it is often not crowded either.
You can reserve online which is cool and as always they have the $ 5 per person biggest fish pool which is nice.

I will try to be fair in this review as it is called fishing and not catching.
I have been on a lot of different fishing boats so this wasn’t my first clam bake. My one problem that I had is that on multiple trips I’ve been on if the bite isn’t there the boats moves to multiple different spots to try and find the bite. The boat moved twice on the trip and within the same area which all proved to show few fish. Again I am aware there is no guarantee for fish but it just seemed odd from what I’m used to. The other problem I had was the people next to me kept casting their lines out and every time they reeled in were tangling our lines, it was unbelievable, the crew made one comment but none after the multiple times of having to untangle us. The crew was nice but just not the same compared to other ships I’ve been on.
A nice boat but I think I’ll save my future trips to the boats I have more confidence in.

My daughter’s wish for her 23^rd birthday was to go fishing. Four of us boarded the night cruise on a balmy August evening. This was the first time I’d ever held a rod and reel and I was a little apprehensive that I’d do something wrong.
Matteo was crew head that night, and he was hard working, helpful, humorous and successful. Young James his mate was equally polite, and made sure the boat was kept clean and clear of gear and accident free and patiently assisted beginners like myself with technique and baiting and getting that fish on board.
All of a sudden my line was running, running, running — and I was pulling, pulling, pulling and laughing at the same time. I caught the largest fish that night! We all watched as Matteo (who can fillet a Porgy in 12 seconds) get the fish ready to go to take home.
I highly recommend the Celtic Quest and their crew. They run a clean and organized boat, and the crew is very professional yet also warm. Their pricing is highly competitive. The trip itself was glorious, with the Milky Way bringing us out and a sleepy Long Island coastline calling us home to port.