Marathon
Instant Confirmation
Trips from
US $600
Captain
Carl Bish
Marathon, United States
100+ reviews
I earned my first Captain's License at the age of 20 and immediately began operating charters on the Great Lakes. On Lake Ontario, we fished for King Salmon, Steelhead, Atlantic Salmon and Lake Trout. Walleye ruled Lake Erie, so we went after it, while Smallmouth bass always made for a fun trip.
During the offseason I taught science in high school. The two careers were soon complementary – I focused on providing family-based trips aimed at getting children into sport fishing. I ran this service each summer during the fishing season until selling it in 2015 to move to the Florida Keys.
Here in the Keys I continue to focus on family-based fishing in a relaxed 'go out and have fun' style. I enjoy educating families on the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and the surrounding ecosystem. Onboard, our goal is to fish up the food chain or as our slogan says: 'Start with a shrimp....end with a monster!'
Charter
Rating
4.9
230 reviews
4.9
Boat & Equipment
5.0
Captain & Crew
4.9
Fishing Experience
Anglers' gallery (278)
What anglers say
98%
Good experience
100%
Friendly captain
100%
Recommend this charter
98%
Appropriate for children
100%
Satisfied with the boat
96%
Caught fish
All reviews (230)
Showing 1 – 5 of 230 reviews
Jason Burrell
St. Augustine, FL, US•Member since 20265.0VerifiedFishing with Carl
3 1/2 Hour Morning Family Fishing • 2 adultsTook my son fishing for the first time in the keys. Capt. was great , very professional , on time, communicated with me the night before on where to meet and check for any needs. Trip went great put us on fish, assisted throughout the whole trip. Would definitely recommend.
Reported catch:
Response from CaptainI appreciate your business. It was a pleasure fishing with your crew!!!
Jeremy TompkinsFlorida, US•Member since 20265.0VerifiedFun trip with Cap’t Carl
3 1/2 Hour Morning Family Fishing • 4 adultsEven though it was a tough day on the water, Captain Carl took us to spots that still produced some great fish! We went home with enough to eat and more, all while having fun along the way.
Reported catch:
Response from CaptainThank you for choosing to fish with Foodchain Fishing, it was a pleasure spending the morning on the water with your crew!!!
Steve SnyderNorth Carolina, US•Member since 20265.0VerifiedGreat Keys fishing!
3 1/2 Hour Morning Family Fishing • 1 adultCapt Carl put me on fish right away and taught me much. Lots of info on local waters and describing the various rigs used. Recommended local eateries as well. 10 out of 10 experience.
Reported catch:Response from CaptainSteve, thank you for choosing Foodchain Fishing. I had a good time fishing with you!
Joseph SanfilippoNew York, US•Member since 20265.0Verifiedgreat captain!
3 1/2 Hour Morning Family Fishing • 4 adults • 1 childI've been on lots f charter boats and cappy carl is one of the best! do not hesitate to book you trip with him especially if you have young kids!!
Response from CaptainThank you for choosing Foodchain Fishing!
Ryan WilkinsonRepeat anglerConnecticut, US•Member since 2018•2 trips5.0VerifiedGreat Day!
Half Day Trip (PM) • 2 adultsCaptain Carl took my wife and I out into the Gulf and provided an amazing day of fishing. It was clear to the both of us that Captain Carl had a vast knowledge of the waters and of fishing in general. He was always proactive with moving to a new spot if we weren’t catching any fish at our current location. He was quick to share his knowledge of the biodiversity present in the keys, and the history behind the islands. The day progressed to a point where the Captain and my wife had a system down where she would catch the fish, swing it over the gunnel, Capt would take it off and re-bait the hook, and she was back fishing within the minute. We were able to limit out on Mangrove snapper, and even hooked up to a monster grouper! Capt made the day feel less like a charter booked through a website, and more like an afternoon fishing with a friend. This day truly made our honeymoon even better and is a day we won’t soon forget!
Response from CaptainThank you for choosing to spend time on your honeymoon to fish with me! Wish you both the best and I look forward to fishing with you again in the future!
Real catches shared by our community
- Foodchain FishingMarathon, FL
- Foodchain FishingMarathon, FL
- Foodchain FishingMarathon, FL
- Foodchain FishingMarathon, FL
- Foodchain FishingMarathon, FL
- Foodchain FishingMarathon, FL
- Foodchain FishingMarathon, FL
- Foodchain FishingMarathon, FL
- Foodchain FishingMarathon, FL
- Foodchain FishingMarathon, FL
What's biting with Foodchain Fishing in Marathon
The Bonefish are back, and doesn't the world know it! The Marathon International Bonefish Tournament kicks off in September, bringing anglers from around the country and beyond to test their skills against the Silver Ghost.
Top catches for September
Fishing reports
Foodchain Fishing focused on families!
May 18, 2024 • Marathon
We had three **hidden content** trips this week. All three were evening trips with great fishing. Our 3-4 hour trips are just enough time to catch dinner and enjoy a fantastic Florida Keys sunset. We found plenty of snapper and caught several sharks, some sea trout and even a couple of African Pompano! Most of the fish gobbled up shrimp or chunks of Ballyhoo,
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Big Winter Snapper on the Calm Side of M
Feb 14, 2024 • Marathon
The weather this year has been challenging. We have had a lot of wind here in the Florida Keys, some weeks we have only been able to fish a day or two. Foodchain Fishing has made it our craft to fish the Gulf side of Marathon in the winter time. We have perfected techniques to catch plenty of Mangrove (Gray) Snapper, Mackerel and Yellowjacks for the dining pleasures of our clients. We also regularly tie into large sharks or Goliath Grouper for the sport of it. Our clients really enjoy the consistent action on light tackle as well as the calmer water that is found on the Gulf side this time of year. We are finding the fish on the grass patches north of Marathon. The technique that is the most fun is throwing a baited jig on a 15 pound leader out into the chum slick. As the bait sinks the smaller fish bat the bait around attracting the attention of the larger snapper. The snapper shoots in and grabs the bait and swims off, as the line is stripping from the open spool the patient fisherperson waits until they believe the fish has eaten the bait and then simply closes the bail, as the line draws tight the sharp hook finds its mark and the fight is on! Today the bite was mostly Snapper, and big snapper at that, so we just stayed right with them. Other days the Mackerel show up in the chum slick and we will cast bucktail jigs tipped with bait and retrieve it rapidly, enticing vicious strikes and ballistic runs. At the end of every trip our clients are happy with the fun fishing action and thankful that they had fished on the calm side of Marathon.
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Birthday Fishing
Feb 12, 2024 • Marathon
This couple from Michigan fished a short 3 hour sunset trip. What could be a better gift for your husband than a saltwater fishing trip? This crew enjoyed me fishing with the wife while the birthday boy was allowed to “fend” for himself. I’d say he did okay!!!
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Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2024
Dec 27, 2023 • Marathon
Good fishing on the calmer gulf side this week! This great fishing will continue through the winter!
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Fall winds, dropping temps hot Snapper B
Oct 19, 2023 • Marathon
Mom, dad and daughters alwys make for an exciting trip. Autumn winds have arrived so to keep our crews comfortable and provide a good time we used the island geography of our area to our advantage. Our trip started with an 11 mile run out to a group of islands to the north west. Oit first spot was on the windward side of the island. The island was diverting the direction of the tide and we immediately noticed the presence of much cooler water. We pulled the throttle back in 4 feet of water and the idled in a bit closer, finally dropping the anchor in about 30 inches of water. The bite was slow at first with lots of weeds. We changed up the tactics and put a bobber on the 8 year olds rod. Within 20 minutes of dropping the chum bag we were yelling " Bobber Down"! Things got busy as we converted the other lines from jigging to bobbers. Meanwhile we had a few sharks circling our boat so we threw a bait out on the heavy lifter. Back on the bobber side of the boat the young girls bobber went down the reel started screaming then the bopper went 6 feet into the air as a monster tarpon let us know that he meant business. The fight was short lived as the 12# snapper leader did not stand a chance against the beast. Returning to snapper fishing and adding a few to the bucket. Action was hot and on the shark side of the boat we saw a huge swirl then a plume of mud but the sharck rod did not move. The shark sliced the 11 inch bait right behind the hook leaving just the head. Replaced the bait and it was not long until the drag on the heavy lifter was singing. The shark was a small blacktip much smaller than the larger lemon we had seen earlier. With big predators in our slick the snapper bite shut off so we deicided to make a move to the deeper, leeward side of the island. The ladies were really getting a kick out of fishing with the bobbers, so we adjusted the hook to bobber lead and the action continued. Our 8 year old fishing champion nailed the biggest snapper of the trip. As a captain I really enjoy a family trip like this where the skill level varies and we can facilitate the fun of fishing for the entire crew.
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Summer Reef Action 2023
Jun 8, 2023 • Marathon
The month of June marks the start of the hot snapper action on the reef. Right now it is Yellowtail snapper and we are finding them in the 35 -50 foot drops on the outer edge of the reef. The bonus rod has been picking up yellow jack and big sharks. Calm winds have been the norm, but when the wids blow we have had good success on the gulfside as well!
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