Captain
Michael Hartnett

Member since August 2019 Port Canaveral, United States
Background
I have lived in Florida all my life and have been chasing all Atlantic Ocean fish since I was a small child with my family and friends. I love to fish in many different ways but sight fishing for Mahi Mahi, Cobia, and Tripletail are my favorite. I love spending time on the water, chasing and catching fish, teaching others to enjoy fishing and improve their skills.
Techniques
I love to fish in many different ways: sight fishing for Mahi Mahi, cobia and tripletail are my favorite, then live bait trolling for kingfish, Spanish mackerel, cobia, jacks, and sharks. Other effective ways to catch fish out of the beautiful Florida Keys that I enjoy are dead bait trolling, anchoring and chumming and power drifting for bottom fish. And let's not forget about Deep Dropping with electric reels or you can hand-crank them if you want? Great time, totally different fish, GREAT eating fish, and just a ton of fun. You never know what you will catch 500+ feet deep in the ocean!

Hey, I'm Captain Michael Hartnett

Port Canaveral, United States
Background
I have lived in Florida all my life and have been chasing all Atlantic Ocean fish since I was a small child with my family and friends. I love to fish in many different ways but sight fishing for Mahi Mahi, Cobia, and Tripletail are my favorite. I love spending time on the water, chasing and catching fish, teaching others to enjoy fishing and improve their skills.
Techniques
I love to fish in many different ways: sight fishing for Mahi Mahi, cobia and tripletail are my favorite, then live bait trolling for kingfish, Spanish mackerel, cobia, jacks, and sharks. Other effective ways to catch fish out of the beautiful Florida Keys that I enjoy are dead bait trolling, anchoring and chumming and power drifting for bottom fish. And let's not forget about Deep Dropping with electric reels or you can hand-crank them if you want? Great time, totally different fish, GREAT eating fish, and just a ton of fun. You never know what you will catch 500+ feet deep in the ocean!
17
Reviews
28
Fishing Reports
Verified

My Charter Listing

Lil' Wagon Fishing Charters

State licensed
Excellent
5.0 / 5
(17 reviews)
Port Canaveral
 Instant Confirmation
Trips from US $1,000

Fishing Reports

Great day on the water with Father, Brot
Great day on the water with Father, Brot
Jun 29, 2025 Port Canaveral
Took some time to catch live bait but the bite was ON!!! Caught and kept 6 kingfish, King Mackerel, and a Barracuda, missed a few, and missed a small dolphin. Saw Turtles and dolphin (the mammals) and had a GREAT day on the water!
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GREAT day on the water with Chris and hi
GREAT day on the water with Chris and hi
Jun 18, 2025 Port Canaveral
Had a great day on the water with Chris and his son Tyler. Caught bait in the castnet pretty easily, then on to the reef for some good kingfish action and plenty of eats for dinner!!! Saw a nice Cobia swim up behind the boat but he wasn't interested in our baits (OUCH!!!!!). Then tried for some Mahi but it was slow so we switched gears and did some bottom fishing for Red Snapper (out of season), but still a TON of FUN to catch and they pull hard as Tyler can attest too! Great Father and Son day offshore!!
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Made the BEST of a day on the water!
Made the BEST of a day on the water!
Sep 23, 2023 Port Canaveral
Headed out in some choppy seas but found the Blackfin Tuna and Cobia. Then did some bottom fishing for Grouper, Snapper, and the "ever elusive and Endangered Red Snapper". Thats a joke, we have more Red Snapper than ever before. You literally can't bottom fish without catching them on every drop! Got a STUD Triggerfish, weighed in at 8.5 lbs! The biggest Triggerfish I have ever seen live. Mixed bag of vermillion, grunts, and other miscellaneous bottom fish that we managed to get past the TONS of sharks out there.
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Kingfish, Cobia, and SHARKS!!!!
Kingfish, Cobia, and SHARKS!!!!
Aug 12, 2023 Port Canaveral
Had a great half day of kingfishing, Cobia Fishing, and miscellaneous by-catch including a LOT of large SHARKS! Caught and landed 4 nice kingfish, 2 nice Cobia that were just too small to keep (sorry, don't have pix of those), lost several kings, and lost several to sharks. Hooked several sharks that we eventually broke off because they had to be over 500 lbs. Steady action all morning
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Happy 4th of July!!!!: Didn't catch the
Happy 4th of July!!!!: Didn't catch the
Jul 4, 2023 Port Canaveral
Put in a full day and did some deep dropping: Got our limit of Golden Tilefish and had 4 throw backs because we were over the limit and couldn't keep them. Got our one Snowie Grouper we were allowed to keep and a nice yellowedge Grouper. A few Blueline Tilefish to add in there. Had a bonus 14 lb Dolphin (Mahi Mahi) swim up and offer to join us for dinner too!!!!!! Steady action all day Had one super hero hooked up, I'm sure it was a slob Yellowedge, but he shook his head and pulled the hook. The fish are biting out there. Come join me!
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The wind has been blowing but managed to
The wind has been blowing but managed to
Jan 28, 2023 Port Canaveral
The wind has been cranking keeping the Lil' Wagon on her trailer but we did manage one Deep Drop Trip in January and got some really good Groceries, Yellowedge Grouper, Snowy Grouper (released as they are out of season), Golden Tilefish, and Blueline Tilefish (released as they are out of season).
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Customer reviews

Rating summary
Excellent
5.0 / 5
out of 5 stars from 17 reviews
See details
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Photos & videos by reviewers (59)
Patient, Kind, and Fun!
Plenty of Kingfish to go around
Several nice throw back red snappers just for fun
+56
Angler rating
17
0
0
0
0
Anglers claimed
Good experience
100%
Friendly captain
100%
Recommend this charter
94%
Appropriate for children
100%
Satisfied with the boat
100%
Caught fish
100%
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5 of 17 reviews
Robert M.
The Villages, Florida
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

June fishing trip

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip (AM) on June 18, 2020
What an incredible memory made again today!!ย  Took my boy and my father on a deep sea fishing charter and caught a 50lb Jack...
Robert M. recommends Lil' Wagon Fishing Charters
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2 persons find this review helpful
You and 2 people found this review helpful
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Evan G.
Nisland, SD
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Full day with Captโ€™n Mike

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip (AM) on May 15, 2022
We had a wonderful time me and my 3 family members we originally had booked a half day but he had let us know the mahi-mahi...
Evan G. recommends Lil' Wagon Fishing Charters
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Dorrie B.
Windermere, FL
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Fishing with Capt Michael 1pm -6pm, 06/20/20

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip (PM) on June 20, 2020
We charter often & this trip by far was the most relaxed & FUN! Capt Mike is the nicest most easy-going guy to hang out with...
Dorrie B. recommends Lil' Wagon Fishing Charters
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2 persons find this review helpful
You and 2 people found this review helpful
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Tyler B.
Kissimmee, Florida
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Fishing with Michael

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip (AM) on May 28, 2021
Iโ€™ve been on several fishing charters and this was by far the most enjoyable one. Captain Michael takes catering to you too...
Tyler B. recommends Lil' Wagon Fishing Charters
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John D.
Haines Creek, FL
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

No pics like he promised

VERIFIED   Full Day Trip on February 25, 2023
he said he would keep our cell phones safe and dry in the wet box and take pictures with his cell and text them to me itโ€™s...
John D. does not recommend Lil' Wagon Fishing Charters
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1 person finds this review helpful
You and 1 other person found this review helpful
  Michael Hartnett Captain replied
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