Purple Heron Charters 

When asked if a Grand Slam was an oppertunity on a 3/4 day, I expected 100 questions about me, what I got was a yes and what we did is hook up a good tarpon, land a huge bonefish and ended the day following 3 permit wakes, all in near 90 deg water, all in near record heat. The flat, near windless oppertunity that I was given opened up a rare magical target window leaving this surf fisherman to understand I need to be far more practiced at my short game. Next year, I only will be considering ONE flats guide John Hoover!

John was great! He's so knowledgeable and very patient, kept us moving around and we never got bored. We caught a lot of different species in a short amount of time & he explained each one in detail, he obviously knows the flats are very well. We even had a shark on the line at one time. It was beautiful, calm & very peaceful, the perfect place for someone who gets seasick but still wants to fish in the ocean.

my wife and i ended catching multiple species and our target fish over the course of the trip and were even able to bring fish back to have cooked st a local restaurant. Captain John was extremely knowledgeable of his home waters and put us on fish quickly. All we had to do was “romance” them. It was my wife’s first time on a solo charter like this and she had a great time. I highly recommend Captain John.

John got me into fish immediately and took me to a series of beautiful spots off the beaten track. Hooked up all day on tarpon, snapper, jacks a couole of sharks and even a couple of untargeted bonefish. barely saw a soul all day on a Saturday in peak season. great boat, equipment and a terrific guide with encyclpedic knowledge of the waters around Key West. Do a multi- day if you can!!!

Our backcountry fishing trip in Key West was absolutely unforgettable. We were on the fish nonstop—catching them until our arms were genuinely tired. The highlight of the day was watching my daughter battle and land a huge blacktip shark, and the captain was incredibly patient and encouraging the whole time. On top of the great fishing, we also got an awesome history lesson about the area that made the trip even more memorable. Beautiful scenery, nonstop action, and a captain who truly knows his stuff. Highly recommend!

Me & my buddy had a real blast getting out with Captain John for a day on the flats. He was super flexible with us, and did a great job showing us all the different types of terrain within this Fishery. We got into some nice fish, and walked away with knowledge and stories to last a lifetime. Great to find a guide who still cares about the right things.

Communication with the captain is important so you are both on the same page. Purple Heron did a nice job of providing the trip we asked for.

Very enjoyable day in nature with a very knowledgeable and professional captain! Will book again next time I’m in Key West and recommend him to all my friends!!

My husband and I had a great experience and caught some impressive barracuda despite having limited time to fish. Captain John is very knowledgeable and takes the time to share that knowledge with his guests. Highly recommend Purple Heron Charters for anyone planning a fishing trip in Key West!!

It was a great trip, worth spending the money so it was just the Captain, my husband and myself. No fighting for poles, or over crowding. John has endless knowledge of the island and absolutely cares genuinely about the ecosystem. He also has endless knowledge about fishing of course! 10/10!!