Wayne Gatling Guide Service
Wayne Gatling Guide Service
Explore the backcountry of Florida Bay with Wayne Gatling Guide Service and fish the unspoiled flats of Marathon, Florida like a true local! You'll be blown away by the Keys and its surrounding islands while traversing its calm inshore flats in search of some impressive creatures that reside in shallower waters.
The Captain's 25' custom center console is powered by a 200 HP Yamaha engine and equipped with a fishfinder, GPS, a live bait well, ice box, and necessary safety gear. It fits up to 4 guests per trip and is great for a weekend outing with friends or the whole family. Capt. Wayne also welcomes children of all ages as he looks to inspire a new generation of anglers to come!
The Florida Bay is perfect for those who don't like the rough ocean, but would still like to catch a wide variety of fish while staying closer to shore. You'll mainly be fishing inshore and nearshore, as well as over reefs and wrecks along the coast.
Capt. Wayne specializes in light tackle spinning and bottom fishing, so you can expect to challenge everything from your hefty bottom-dwellers like Black Grouper, to your more acrobatic jumpers like Tarpon. Other species you'll be targeting include King and Spanish Mackerel, Cobia, Bluefish, Yellowtail Snapper, and Spotted Seatrout.
Penn rods and reels, tackle, and bait are supplied on each trip to ensure the best quality experience to all anglers. The captain will take care of your fishing license prior to departure, so you can just focus on relaxing and having a good time out on the water. Just be sure to pack some of your favorite snacks, drinks, and perhaps some lunch for your longer trips.
Whether you are an avid fisherman or just a beginner, you can count on Wayne Gatling Service to show you an awesome time. Bring some sunscreen, your favorite pair of sunglasses, and a camera to capture some truly unforgettable moments and book your next fishing trip with Capt. Wayne!
Explore the backcountry of Florida Bay with Wayne Gatling Guide Service and fish the unspoiled flats of Marathon, Florida like a true local! You'll be blown away by the Keys and its surrounding islands while traversing its calm inshore flats in search of some impressive creatures that reside in shallower waters.
The Captain's 25' custom center console is powered by a 200 HP Yamaha engine and equipped with a fishfinder, GPS, a live bait well, ice box, and necessary safety gear. It fits up to 4 guests per trip and is great for a weekend outing with friends or the whole family. Capt. Wayne also welcomes children of all ages as he looks to inspire a new generation of anglers to come!
The Florida Bay is perfect for those who don't like the rough ocean, but would still like to catch a wide variety of fish while staying closer to shore. You'll mainly be fishing inshore and nearshore, as well as over reefs and wrecks along the coast.
Capt. Wayne specializes in light tackle spinning and bottom fishing, so you can expect to challenge everything from your hefty bottom-dwellers like Black Grouper, to your more acrobatic jumpers like Tarpon. Other species you'll be targeting include King and Spanish Mackerel, Cobia, Bluefish, Yellowtail Snapper, and Spotted Seatrout.
Penn rods and reels, tackle, and bait are supplied on each trip to ensure the best quality experience to all anglers. The captain will take care of your fishing license prior to departure, so you can just focus on relaxing and having a good time out on the water. Just be sure to pack some of your favorite snacks, drinks, and perhaps some lunch for your longer trips.
Whether you are an avid fisherman or just a beginner, you can count on Wayne Gatling Service to show you an awesome time. Bring some sunscreen, your favorite pair of sunglasses, and a camera to capture some truly unforgettable moments and book your next fishing trip with Capt. Wayne!
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Customer reviews
Rating
Anglers' gallery (125)
What anglers say
Reviews (98)
Phil Barranco•
New York, USMember since 20265.0VerifiedEpic trip with Captain Wayne!
Half Day Trip – Tarpon Fishing on April 28, 2026 • 2 adultsIt was slow all morning but Captain Wayne kept looking for the tarpon like a blood hound! We finally hooked in one. Captain Wayne knows his stuff, kept the boat in position so I was at the front of the boat the whole time. We brought the tarpon back to the boat for a clean release. The trip was coming to an end but Captain Wayne said that we are going to keep going until my wife catches one. 20 minutes later, Fish On! Took us 30 minutes to get that monster in. Both tarpon were over 100 pounds! Epic......
Sean BouchardRepeat angler•New Jersey, US•Member since 20235 trips5.0VerifiedGreat Day!
Full Day Trip – 7 hours on April 1, 2026 • 3 adults • 2 childrenWind had kicked up a few days before and was still blowing 15 plus the day of. We started the day targeting tarpon, and my son was lucky enough to fight one for a bit, despite it being early season. We spent the second portion fishing the “backcountry.” Capt put us on the fish, and we had nonstop action the rest of our trip. My son (12), daughter (10), and I were able to catch 50 plus keeper fish. A great day with less-than-ideal conditions. We will be chartering Capt Wayne again on our next trip to the Keys.
Boyd MorrisRepeat angler•Georgia, US•Member since 20212 trips5.0VerifiedGreat Morning on the water!
Half Day Trip – Backcountry (AM) on April 5, 2026 • 3 adultsBooked a 1/2 day AM trip last minute, Captain Wayne was very accomodating on making it work for us. Great time fishing, he knew where to go and how to get the fish biting. My daughter’s first time fishing in the Ocean and he made is great! Looking forward to doing it again sometime soon!
Jeff Pendorf•New York, USMember since 20265.0Verifiedamazing!!
Full Day Trip – 7 hours on April 6, 2026 • 3 adultsThis was the best fishing trip my sons and I have ever had! Captain Wayne was very knowledgeable we absolutley hammered the fish! It was an experience we will never forget.
Noel DempseyRepeat angler•Utah, US•Member since 20254 trips5.0VerifiedGreat Day of Fishing
Half Day Trip – Backcountry (AM) on February 11, 2026 • 3 adultsThe captain was great and the boat was nice and clean. We were catching more fish then we new what to do with. it's definitely been one of our best fishing outings so far. Highly recommend him.
Thomas Meier•Michigan, USMember since 20265.0VerifiedGreat day!
Half Day Trip – Backcountry on March 13, 2026 • 4 adults • 2 childrenWayne was wonderful. He has a wealth of experience and got us right on the fish. We limited out and our family made a great memory out on ghe water.
David WeberRepeat angler•Maryland, US•Member since 20174 trips5.0VerifiedFishing with Capt. Wayne
Half Day Trip – Backcountry (AM) on May 16, 2022 • 2 adultsIt was an awesome morning trip! Capt Wayne is great, he put us into fish immediately.. I caught my first Tarpon...it jumped 4 times and my wife got video! I fought a Black Tip Shark for about 20 minutes while Wayne expertly maneuvered his boat. It almost totally stripped my reel on 5 incredible runs...the reel was singing...good testimony to quality equipment and expert boat handling! We moved inshore and caught several Snappers, Groupers, and a Porgy...dinner for the next few nights. My wife caught her first Puffer Fish. We also caught and released about 30 other fish including Snapper, Grouper, Houndfish and Catfish. We will definitely fish with Capt. Wayne again!
Frank RussoRepeat angler•Florida, US•Member since 20212 trips5.0VerifiedGreat morning!
Half Day Trip – Tarpon Fishing on March 16, 2022 • 3 adultsMy wife, myself , and my son (pictured above) went out at 8am with Capt. Wayne. He said we are going to fish for Mangrove Snapper. In 2 hours not only did we catch our limit of Mangrove Snapper (5 each), we caught yellow tail, trigger fish and puffer fish. We have been out with other Captains before but Capt Wayne was the best!. 31 years captaining in Marathon , he knows where the fish are, what they eat , when they eat , and what tackle to use. We hope to get back with him in late April for Tarpon. By the way Capt . Wayne also knows the restaurants ( and recipes) that will cook our catch. We had coconut and parmesan encrusted snapper 3 hours after we caught them. Thanks Capt. Wayne!
Glen Jeter•New York, USMember since 20225.0VerifiedFamily Fun!!
Half Day Trip – Backcountry on February 2, 2022 • 4 adultsCaptain Wayne did an Outstanding job making sure we had a great afternoon. Two of us had never fished before. Captain Wayne was vey patient insuring everyone learned how to properly cast. We caught a lot of different types of fish. Captain Wayne identified every fish we caught. Captain Wayne was lots of fun which contributed to an afternoon of family fun. We highly recommend everyone to reach out to Captain Wayne Gatling for a fun and safe time on the water. You won’t be disappointed. He is GREAT!!! Spending the day out on the boat was the highlight of our trip thanks to his guidance.
Jeremy GagolaRepeat angler•Minnesota, US•Member since 20222 trips5.0VerifiedHalf day pm tarpon trip with Captain Wayne
Half Day Trip – Tarpon Fishing (PM) on April 24, 2022 • 2 adultsMyself, wife, and another couple went out tarpon fishing with Captain Wayne. We enjoyed every minute of our trip. Captain Wayne has years of experience in fishing and it shows! He was very good at telling us exactly what we should expect and do to get the most out of our trip. He is very personable and fun to talk to. We will definitely be booking future trips with him and look forward to fishing with him again! Our group highly recommends booking a trip with Captain Wayne!
Rating
Anglers' gallery (125)
What anglers say
All reviews (98)
It was slow all morning but Captain Wayne kept looking for the tarpon like a blood hound! We finally hooked in one. Captain Wayne knows his stuff, kept the boat in position so I was at the front of the boat the whole time. We brought the tarpon back to the boat for a clean release. The trip was coming to an end but Captain Wayne said that we are going to keep going until my wife catches one. 20 minutes later, Fish On! Took us 30 minutes to get that monster in. Both tarpon were over 100 pounds! Epic......
Thanks for the great review Phil. You guys did a great job on those tarpon. I’m glad to be able to help you get themmoff your bucket list.
Wind had kicked up a few days before and was still blowing 15 plus the day of. We started the day targeting tarpon, and my son was lucky enough to fight one for a bit, despite it being early season. We spent the second portion fishing the “backcountry.” Capt put us on the fish, and we had nonstop action the rest of our trip. My son (12), daughter (10), and I were able to catch 50 plus keeper fish. A great day with less-than-ideal conditions. We will be chartering Capt Wayne again on our next trip to the Keys.
thanks for the great review Sean. you guys did kick some butt. That’s for sure.
We spent the afternoon fishing with Captain Wayne on his boat out of Marathon, Florida and it was a great experience for the whole family, wecaught lots of fish and learned a lot about the area from the Captain Wayne.I would highly recommend hiring Captain Wayne for your next Fishing trip.
Thanks for the nice review Kevin. it was fun talking your family out this afternoon. hope to see you again sometime.
Booked a 1/2 day AM trip last minute, Captain Wayne was very accomodating on making it work for us. Great time fishing, he knew where to go and how to get the fish biting. My daughter’s first time fishing in the Ocean and he made is great! Looking forward to doing it again sometime soon!
Thanks for the nice review Boyd. It was my pleasure taking your family fishing. There’s something special about a dad taking his daughters fishing. Very impressive! Hope to see you next time you’re in the Keys.
This was the best fishing trip my sons and I have ever had! Captain Wayne was very knowledgeable we absolutley hammered the fish! It was an experience we will never forget.
It was a good one,thats for sure. I’m looking forward to seeing you again on Wednesday when I hope we will catch a couple tarpon.
FAQs about Wayne Gatling Guide Service
- US $650 per group - Half Day Trip – Backcountry (4 hours)
- US $650 per group - Half Day Trip – Tarpon Fishing (4 hours)
- US $650 per group - Half Day Trip – Tarpon Fishing - 4:00 PM (4 hours)
- US $650 per group - Half Day Trip – Tarpon Fishing - 8:00 AM (4 hours)
- US $950 per group - Full Day Trip – 7 hours (7 hours)
- GPS
- Fishfinder
- Live bait well
- Ice box
- Rods, reels & tackle (Penn)
- Catch cleaning & filleting
- Fishing license
- Inshore fishing
- Nearshore fishing
- Reef fishing
- Wreck fishing
- Light tackle
- Bottom fishing
- Spinning
- Bluefish (Tailor)
- Cobia
- Grouper (Black)
- King Mackerel (Kingfish)
- Snapper (Mangrove)
- Snapper (Yellowtail)
- Spanish Mackerel
- Speckled Trout
- Tarpon
Your captain
Marathon, Florida, United States
The Angler's Choice Award is given to listings that consistently deliver a high-quality service and earn great reviews from customers.
Captain Wayne Gatling has been in the fishing and hunting business since 1971, spending most of his life outdoors as an avid angler. He is originally from Maryland, however, he grew up spending his winters down in Florida, fishing with his father and uncles. After sending his last kid off to college, Capt. Wayne finally decided to expand his business to Florida and guide fishing charters during the winter seasons. Since then, business has been non-stop with customers booking trips from all over the US. Choose Wayne Gatling Guide Service for your next fishing trip and enjoy an action-packed fishing marathon aboard the Fishin' Fool!
Real catches by this captain
What is the boat like?
What kind of fishing will you do?
Which fishing techniques you can try
Which amenities are available onboard
How cancellations work
You can cancel or modify your booking up to 7 days before the trip date, free of charge. If you cancel or modify your booking later, or fail to show up, you'll forfeit 100% of what you've paid.
What the listing policies are
Pickup not included
Transfer to/from departure site is not included in trip rates.
How you can pay
When the captain confirms your trip, FishingBooker charges your credit card a 10% deposit to guarantee your reservation.
The remaining balance is to be paid directly to the charter operator on or prior to your trip date in one of the following payment methods:
Cash
Checks
What’s biting in Marathon right now
Bluefish (Tailor)
Cobia
Grouper (Black)
King Mackerel (Kingfish)
Snapper (Mangrove)
Snapper (Yellowtail)
Spanish Mackerel
Speckled Trout
TarponCompare similar fishing charters
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