About Captain Dave
Captain Dave Tilley is a veteran Carolina Beach fishing charter captain with decades of offshore fishing and nearshore fishing experience. Based in Carolina Beach NC, I operate the charter vessel Wild Rover III, offering a variety of Carolina Beach fishing charters targeting everything from Gulf Stream pelagics to bottom species.
In addition to running fishing charters, I own and operate SaltwaterCentral.com, a leading resource for offshore fishing tools and marine forecasts. Through SaltwaterCentral, I provide advanced offshore fishing products including:
- FISHHere™ — detailed offshore analysis and fishing service
- REEFCast™ — offshore weather forecast tool
- SEECast™ — sea surface temperature (SST) maps and analysis
I currently hold a 200 Ton USCG Masters license and have been fishing nearly my entire life. Fishing is where I find my place in the world — it’s where I fit. Over the years, my passion for the water has only grown stronger, driving me to constantly improve how we fish and how we forecast and analyze ocean conditions. Whether through charter trips aboard the Wild Rover III or through the tools at SaltwaterCentral.com, my mission is to help anglers find more fish and fish smarter.
A Lifetime on the Water
I began my professional fishing career while attending UNC-Wilmington, where I studied for my BA in Communications. During that time, I also commercial fished for Grouper, Snapper, and King Mackerel, gaining invaluable offshore experience.
Over the following decade, I captained a wide range of charter boats — from a 25-foot Aquasport to a 38 Bertram, a 40 Luhrs, and a 56 Custom — along with working aboard several party boats as both Captain and Mate.
For over 10 years, I was the Captain of the renowned party boat Continental Shelf out of Morehead City, NC, running 12-hour, 24-hour, and 48-hour offshore trips. During this time, I set two North Carolina state fishing records and earned numerous state fishing citations.
Over my career, I've run countless successful offshore trips — you can see some of our Carolina Beach fishing photos here.
My fascination with fishing, weather patterns, and marine technology continues to fuel my work. I’ve spent a lifetime studying how wind and weather shape the ocean and how that affects fish behavior — knowledge I bring to every charter trip.
Today, I’m proud to welcome anglers aboard the Wild Rover III Carolina Beach offshore charter boat — a beautiful, well-equipped vessel designed for serious offshore fishing trips.
If you’re looking for an experienced, passionate Captain with local expertise and a true love of fishing — I’d be honored to have you aboard.
If you have any questions, just let me know — I’m always happy to help!
Ready to Fish with Captain Dave?
→ Book your Carolina Beach fishing charter online today!
→ View available fishing charter trips.