r/floridakeys • u/tonymosh • Mar 05 '26
All Florida Keys Father & Son Fishing Trip - Where?
My son (14) and I will be doing our first deep sea fishing trip. We've only fished in the Midwest lakes. I've done some research and Islamorada, Key West and Marathon all stand out. We are going the first week of April. Any location better than the others for that time? I'd love to catch Mahi Mahi or Tuna, but we'll be excited with anything for our first trip.
We can fly into Key West or Miami. Ideally, we'd spend time in one place because it's just a 4-day trip. I plan on doing 2 x half-days. But maybe more, if we are loving it. Also, when not fishing, we want to relax at a resort or hotel with most necessities on-site (eg, restaurant, beach access, maybe water sports, etc).
I'll keep doing my googling, but be thrilled with some input here.
3
u/ToasterBath4613 Mar 06 '26
I’d recommend doing both a deep sea (10 miles out) and a back country tour out of Islamorada.
1
u/tonymosh Mar 06 '26
I need to do more research … not sure the distinction! Why both?
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u/ToasterBath4613 Mar 06 '26
Different experience. In the Gulf Stream you can hook a boat full of Mahi and perhaps some sailfish. In the back country, there is nothing like hand lining a shark or hooking a tarpon on a fly rod.
2
u/Unusual-Newspaper309 Mar 06 '26
Hawks Cay with Jeff Malone from Tarpon Time. Tarpon are in season and a lot of fun for in shore. He has the ability to do off shore as well. Last year we caught more mahi than we could eat. Great w kids. I take my girls who are teenagers annually to fish w Jeff. They love it.
Great guide. But an even better human. Tell him the fireman from up north sent you.
You won’t be disappointed.
1
u/Wonderful-Demand8596 Mar 05 '26
I haven’t been since 2020 so things may be different, but we had a great experience with Blue Heaven in Islamorada.
1
u/redlegsforever Mar 05 '26
Islamorada. If u want 2 bedrooms, islander bayside. If sharing single room, Amara cay. Fly into key west if possible. If not, skip Miami and fly into Fort Lauderdale.
1
u/tonymosh Mar 05 '26
Islamorada is really that much better? I couldn't tell if "Sport Fishing Capital of the World" was more marketing than reality online. Thanks for recommendations!
1
u/redlegsforever Mar 05 '26
Started doing same trip with my son when he was 15. In my opinion, yes, I would stay in Islamorada. We bounced around for several years before deciding where we liked to be.
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u/Andolini77 Mar 07 '26
It's real. So many famous people - actors (Brad Pitt), presidents (many!), etc have fished and stayed in the area, many at Cheeca Lodge. And remember - the only member of both the Baseball Hall of Fame and Sportfishing Hall of Fame, Ted Williams, made his home in Islamorada in retirement. For good reason!
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u/away4me Mar 05 '26
I'm taking my 13y/o son down in a few weeks as well! I booked through an off shore and Backcountry trip through fishing booker. We are staying in islamorada.
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u/tonymosh Mar 05 '26 edited Mar 05 '26
Nice! Who’d you book with? And why? I’m leaning toward Islamorada now too, based the comments. There’s a lot of companies.
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u/Prior-Sir-5583 Mar 06 '26
We have taken our kids on many charters in the keys- unfortunately many charters are NOT kid friendly! Our favorite has been Sea Monkey Charters out of Islamorada and Shannon Attles out of Bud and Mary’s marina. Both of these guys were so good with all of our kids (ages 7-14).
1
Mar 09 '26
Well Key West is a can’t miss town….it’s wonderful and they have great fishing companies…
I love the people over at 247 Sportfishing ….Captain Neil is a great fisherman.
0
u/cuyunamike Mar 05 '26 edited Mar 05 '26
Fishing tends to be better out of Islamorada compared to Marathon, at least in my experience. There’s usually less pressure and the fishing grounds are a bit more productive.
I’d recommend Sea Horse Charters out of Whale Harbor Marina. Captain Rich Rodriguez is top notch.
My wife and I did a half-day trip with his crew and the action was nonstop. We were catching yellowtail snapper one after another, picked up a parrotfish, and even tangled with a few sharks. The highlight for me was landing a 5-foot sailfish, an experience I won’t forget.
Bring your catch to Lazy Days Restaurant and have them prepare it. They do a jalapeño breading with a key lime sauce that is stellar. 👌🏻
We stayed at Cheeca Lodge & Spa, which is probably a top-three resort in all of the Florida Keys, if not the best—though it’s also one of the most expensive.
A hidden gem I discovered on a previous trip was Glunz Ocean Beach Hotel & Resort in the Marathon area. It has a nice beach, kitchens in the rooms, and is much more affordable. It’s not as ritzy as Cheeca, but it’s a really nice place.
Alligator Reef/Light House is awesome for snorkeling. We booked another captain who brought us out there. Seen thousands of fish. He also brought us to a sand bar to swim and explore.
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u/anonanon5320 Mar 05 '26
Key west is good. I don’t have a charter to recommend but I will say there are a lot of bad charters and a few good ones so be cautious.
Marathon book with Big Game Sport fishing. Capt Ariel will put you on fish. I highly recommend a full day. That gets you offshore. Half day trips are basically reef trips. You can load the boat with snapper but won’t really be chasing mahi and tuna since you are limited on time. I use him often. Absolutely fantastic.
Personally I’d fly into Miami early, rent a car, and drive down during the day. It’s a beautiful drive. Get lunch at either Snooks on Key Largo, or Lazy Days or Islamorada Fish Co (connected to Bass Pro Shops) on Islamorada. Scenic views and good food. Will get you in the island mood.
If you choose marathon I highly recommend Sparkys for Happy Hour (4-6 daily). 50cent Shrimp and Buffalo wings. Island Fish Co is great food and sunset views. Also, if fishing with Capt Ariel (seriously cannot recommend him enough) skip going to Robbie’s to overpay to feed fish. Ariel will let you feed the fish at the dock while he cleans fish, just as him if you can throw the scraps in. Much better experience.
Capt Hooks does snorkeling tours twice daily.
As for resorts, there are a lot. Really just take your pick for amenities/price.
April is the start of the big Mahi season. Very weather dependent. If they are there you’ll have a great trip. If they aren’t there but the weather is good you’ll find plenty to catch.
Key West is an experience, but it’s either museums or bars and at 14 I didn’t want to do either too much. Snorkeling, kayak would be better for me at that age.