Ivory Keys Charters offers exclusive fishing adventures with two amazingly successful captains on the waters of Islamorada, Florida. Captains Gary Skrobeck and Skip Paxton offer a wide variety of saltwater fishing from the nearshore flats to the ocean side reefs to the far reaches of the Everglades National Park.
Fishing is done aboard their 19’ Angler center console originally built in 1972 and restored in 2016. Powered by a 90 HP Yamaha engine, with a maximum cruising speed of 30 knots, the vessel transports up to three anglers and the captain to the fishing destination with ease. It features a T-top for shade but you are advised to still bring along a long-sleeved t-shirt, sunglasses, and sunscreen.
On board the boat, you will find life jackets for safety, a GPS and a fishfinder to locate the best fishing spots, a livewell to store the live bait, and fly fishing equipment.
Islamorada fishing is excellent as it offers very shallow water fishing for Snook, Redfish, Trout, Permit, Bonefish, and Tarpon. If you would like to venture further out to the reefs, you can target a variety of Grouper and Snapper that populate these underwater structures.
Ivory Keys Charters will include all the fishing gear needed to make a trip productive. They carry conventional rods and reels as well as fly fishing equipment, ice, a variety of tackle, and bait. Your fishing license is included, too, and if you wish to take some fish home, your captain can clean and fillet the catch so you get to enjoy it for dinner!
Summer months can get very buggy so this is something that should also be taken into consideration. Be smart, dress appropriate, plan to be out in the sun and in the outdoors for the day. Hats, sunglasses with polarized lenses, light long-sleeved shirts, and comfortable shoes are preferred.
Captain
Gary Skrobeck & Skip Paxton
Most popular features:
In demand! Last booked: 6 days ago
Rating summary
Photos & videos by reviewers (248)
Angler rating
Anglers claimed
Good experience
97%
Appropriate for children
87%
Friendly captain
100%
Satisfied with the boat
99%
Recommend this charter
97%
Caught fish
90%
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
3/4 Day Trip on April 19, 2025
Fished with Captain Skip on Saturday, April 19th. Windy as heck so we couldn't get everywhere we wanted to. Found a few spots and hit a nice speckled trout hole and limited out while also catching alot of fish. Recommend fishing with these guys
Fished with Captain Skip on Saturday, April 19th. Windy as heck so we couldn't get everywhere we wanted to. Found a few spots and hit a nice speckled trout hole and limited out while also catching alot of fish. Recommend fishing with these guys
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
3/4 Day Trip on April 11, 2025
Knowledgeable crew awesome time lots of fish highly recommend these guys
Knowledgeable crew awesome time lots of fish highly recommend these guys
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
Half Day Trip on March 10, 2025
Captain Gary has eyes of an eagle! He will put you on the Bonefish!
Captain Gary has eyes of an eagle! He will put you on the Bonefish!
Naples, FL
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
Half Day Trip on May 31, 2023
Fabulous day on the water with Capt Gary. Gary is knowledgeable and works hard to put the boat on fish. He’s also extremely well versed on the “backcountry” waters having grown up on the local waters. Gary is also a great coach. My wife fishes about every 5 years. As pics show she had great success putting fish in the boat. These are a sampling of pics. We had a stellar day. We were blessed with clear water so could do some sight fishing. Which translated to Capt Gary saying 30 yards out at 1 o’clock sharp. After which I would drop a cast in the water 20 yards out at 11:59. Did I mention Gary is a fairly patient fellow. Although he mentioned something about a sense of urgency when sight fishing. I’ll skip my story about the one that got away…. Had nothing to do with the boat, my wife or the Capt. Draw your own conclusions. Was a very sporting “long line release”. Cheers and tight lines.
Fabulous day on the water with Capt Gary. Gary is knowledgeable and works hard to put the boat on fish. He’s also extremely well versed on the “backcountry” waters having grown up on the local waters. Gary is also a great coach. My wife fishes about every 5 years. As pics show she had great success putting fish in the boat. These are a sampling of pics. We had a stellar day. We were blessed with clear water so could do some sight fishing. Which translated to Capt Gary saying 30 yards out at...
Miami, FL
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
3/4 Day Trip on March 23, 2023
My wife and I had a great day on the water with Capt. Gary. Fishing was tough on a very windy day coming off a cold snap. Gary went above and beyond to get us on some fish. We covered a ton of water and a variety of locations. We managed to hook up with some snook and two small tarpon. Gary is incredibly knowledgeable, patient and highly professional. Spend a day on the water with him and I promise you are going to learn a lot no matter your level of experience. We strongly recommend and will be booking again on our next trip. Thank you Capt. Gary! Tight lines!
My wife and I had a great day on the water with Capt. Gary. Fishing was tough on a very windy day coming off a cold snap. Gary went above and beyond to get us on some fish. We covered a ton of water and a variety of locations. We managed to hook up with some snook and two small tarpon. Gary is incredibly knowledgeable, patient and highly professional. Spend a day on the water with him and I promise you are going to learn a lot no matter your level of experience. We strongly recommend...
Ivory Keys Charters offers the following trips to customers:
When you book a trip with Ivory Keys Charters, you can expect the following amenities onboard:
Trips booked with Ivory Keys Charters include:
Ivory Keys Charters offers the following types of fishing:
Ivory Keys Charters offers the following fishing techniques:
Top targeted fish species with Ivory Keys Charters include:
Islamorada, Florida, United States
Captain Skip has over 40 years of fishing experience, numerous tournament wins, and previously held world records. He is a well-known backcountry guide who loves shallow water fishing. Captain Gary is a native of Islamorada. He has fished these water his whole life and is extremely dedicated to providing a memorable Everglades experience.
Inshore Fishing
Nearshore Fishing
Reef Fishing
Wreck Fishing
Flats Fishing
Backcountry Fishing
Light Tackle
Heavy Tackle
Trolling
Spinning
Fly Fishing
GPS
Fishfinder
Live Bait Well
Rods, reels & tackle
Live Bait
Lures
Catch cleaning & filleting
Fishing License
Fly Fishing Equipment
Deposit non-refundable
If it is unsafe to travel, you may still cancel free of charge or change the date(s) of your booking.
Pickup agreed upon reservation
Transfer to/from departure site may be available and included in price depending on your location and distance from the dock.
You Keep Catch
Catch and Release Allowed
Catch and Release Mandatory
Book with 15% deposit, pay rest to captain
When the captain confirms your trip, FishingBooker charges your credit card a 15% 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
Ivory Keys Charters - Updated 2025 Prices