What would you recommend to anglers fishing in Key West, Florida for the first time?

If you're looking for deep sea fishing, this aint it. I mistakenly booked this charter. However, I love to fish, so gave it a try. It turned out to be a great trip. We had fun, the boat was clean, the guide (Sam) worked his butt off, and we caught a bucket of eaters. Firing up the grill right now. We were not disappointed!

Make sure to clarify the fish or types of fishing you want to do. This has a big determination on the captain, boat and time on the water. If you fish the flats you will catch a lot of barracuda, so if that's not your fish of choice make sure to let the capt know your fishing goals for the catch. Also if you are really after one species of fish, get a capt. who states clearly that they target and specialize in catching that species.

Bring sunscreen and apply liberally. Bring a hat. Bring snacks for in between most boats wont provide. Bring hydrating packages to put in the water bottles they provide. Bring YOUR OWN freezer bags for your catch. They do the fillets but give you a shopping bag for all your catch. So if you want all your fish separated once, you will have to provide the bags

You will catch something with these guys, I promise that, I’ve been fishing for 33 of my 36 years of life and this was probably the best trip I’ve ever been on. 3 hrs is the perfect amount of time !

Check the size of the boat you rent by looking at the picture on the bottom of the page. I reserved the boat by the captain Todd Ermish, as we had gone out with him 2 years ago. When we got to the dock, he showed up but told us we were going out on a smaller open fisherman with basically no amenities. The Captain Aaron was a good guy but overall we were disappointed. And When Ermish responded to my evaluation of the trip, he was less than cordial. I won’t go out with him again.

Unless you are an experienced saltwater angler, your entire experience is going to be determined by the knowledge, abilities and dedication of your captain and mate. We had three different charters with 3 different outfits. I literally knew nothing about fishing in Key West going in, but we got lucky and all three were excellent. Nothing but good things to say about all of them. I’ll have to say, though, Captain Maryann and 1st Mate Sean with Boa Vida were standouts among standouts! They tailored the fishing perfectly for my 9 year-old son and I both. We caught a really nice mix of rapid action, light tackle tablefare species, as well as some heavy gear species, including a massive Goliath Grouper, that my young son was able to land with their careful instruction and assistance. Thanks again, Boa Vida!

Definitely decide between offshore and near shore because the shallow water around the keys is definitely different than my other fishing experiences around the gulf. April has had some cold snaps so the sailfish and permit were not here yet. That was a little disappointing but nothing the captain can control.

Give multiple days to fish, weather is pretty rough most times I’ve fished the keys, or but able to handle rougher water. Both times I’ve fished the keys my fishing partners have gotten sick, and they’ve not had the best experience, But we’ve caught fish.

March is a transition period and an angler has to be prepared to go with whatever the captain thinks is the most productive fishing. Captain Zane of Second Nature Charters was quick to seek out opportunities, and the result was productive fishing. Would highly recommend fishing with Second Nature Charters.

No lesson needed. Caption Tosh, she was the best teacher for beginners and the hole boat were on fish in no time. She cleaned and filllet the fish and was eating my catch prepaired by almost every popular restaurant down here. Great time!!

Let the captain explain the best fishing types you can choose from on any given day. They have the experience and it’s in their best interest to give you a great day. Make sure you have long sleeves, sun screen, hats and water. It can get pretty bright out there on the water.

Not much we could’ve done here. The issue was with an unprofessional and unfriendly Captain. I would suggest booking through referrals I guess and not rolling the dice on a booking here. That’s what we usually do but our plans changed and those options were unavailable.

Make sure u do your homework on the Captain of the boat before you go. We caught a good amount of fish including a medium size barracuda! Our experience could have been much better n shoulda been at a cost of 800 for 4 hours.

The fishing was great on a somewhat rough day. Capt. Eric and First Mate Tommy on My Ohana Fishing were spectacular. They put us on really good fish (Mutton Snapper, Yellowtail Snapper, Cero Mackerel, and Barracuda) all day and were the best of hosts! Strongly recommend this charter for a great day.

The November fishing trip was very windy but we were still able to catch fish. I have only experienced November and February in Key West so I'm not sure if the wind is normal in November but fish still bite!

It was the best experience on a charter boat I’ve ever had. The owner and first mate communicated the whole time with my friend and I the entire time we were on the boat. We caught lots of fish because of his knowledge and experience and mostly cause he cared. I would definitely use his charter boat and will on my next trip to Key west. Five stars all the way. Fantastic fishing trip!!!!!!

I would not book ahead of time. You need to go to the dock and talk to different charters and see what they are catching if anything at all and maybe choose something more budget friendly instead of dropping $1600 and catching one barracuda and then being blamed for only catching one fish.

Trust your captain! They know what’s around, what’s biting, and where to go. If you want a specific species and they say it’ll be a tough hunt and suggest something else, just go for the most likely action.

Be sure to look at monthly charts for fishing in a specific area so you are aware of what species is in season. It is advisable that anglers be in good medical condition/mobile as this trip can be physically demanding at times. Bring sunscreen, hats, light weight long sleeves, and anti-nausea remedies.

WARNING - To anyone considering this boat, read the 1, 2 and 3 star reviews. The 1 star review is spot on. You will spend a small fortune for a hugely disappointing experience on a filthy boat that has cockroaches and no air conditioning despite advertising "ac cabin". Capt Russ was rude and non engaged. Christian was wonderful - he was the only good thing about this 6 hour very expensive charter. Felt like we got a boat ride instead of actively looking for fish. Captain up top smoking his vape could care less about his customers. AVOID THIS CHARTER. It is not what the 4 and 5 star reviews say. Makes us question the review quality of this site.

We had Never been salt water fishing. Captain led us through from start to finish, helping us with the different species and out is right in fish all evening. Expect heavier surf going to the reef, and a fight if going after Tarpon.

Four hours is enough for kids or anyone new to deep sea fishing. Otherwise, if you can afford it, 6+ hours will get you much better options and more fish on the boat. Also, later June seems to be better than ealrier

This crew is exceptionally friendly and answered all of our questions about the fish we caught, about our location on the water, what bait they use-everything we were interested in, they could answer!

Bring water, and snacks. Book at least 6 hours. You never know when fish will bite. There are long periods in between catches where not much is happening. You could get lucky, and catch something right out of the gate. But why leave it to chance? After all, you can never trust a fish. Increased time on the water, means increased chances of getting a good catch. Make sure you eat a good breakfast to decrease likelihood of sea sickness. Stay hydrated, and don’t fight the boat too much. Other than that, just sit back and let the guys do all the work. Be ready to hop on the chair when they tell you, and start reeling them in.

Fishing for some of the other species that we would have liked to catch like Mahi, Sailfish, and Marlin would probably be better in other months. If you are looking to fish for specific species and have the flexibility to schedule your trip and any month, I would recommend just talking with Captain Maryann. She sincerely wants her clients to have great experience, is very easy to talk to and seems very kind and honest!

You can expect to fish in about 20 to 30 ft of water. Some fish are not legal in January such as the grouper. There are also size limitations to certain fish. Be sure to bring layers of clothes because it can get cold when the boat is moving and warmer when you are fishing. Bad weather can keep a boat from going out for up to a week or more so if you are booking far in advance know that you might not be able to go out. We watched the weather and booked two days before.

This the best charter I have ever experienced. The Captian and Crew treat you like family. Captian Cory and Marshall can't do enough for you. You catch a fish and they are stealthy like a nija and taking your fish ? off your hook before you know it. Captian Cory, if your not catching fish fast enough for him, he will take you where you do. I can't say enough about this trip. It is one hell of a way for a family to start out the New Year. Thank you Captian Cory, Marshall and Ctew. What an amazing experience.

Since we fished in October, tarpon were more challenging to catch, so we fished for them last and landed three or 4 in the final 30+ minutes. On our trip we caught more than pictured, some being shorter. Didn’t catch, but one Jack Crevalle, but caught a bunch of Mangrove snapper. The best part was at the end when we took several fillets to the marina restaurant and the cooked it for dinner. We were able to eat some our catch right away. I wish I vould have brought the rest back, but decided not to since traveling.

Take Dramamine one hour prior to departure if winds are high and/or predicted waves are 4' plus. Take some of your catch to one of the wonderful restaurants and let them prepare a feast for you. You will not regret it! Fish with a knowledgeable charter, such as Cowboy Charters. Tip the mate generously, as he works very hard to keep the lines running, bring the fish in and clean and fillet your catch for you.

Check the weather and make sure you’re prepared for high seas just in case. We had some pretty good swells and the wind was only 12-14 mph. One of guys got sick the first hour and basically missed out on the trip.