Morning 1/2 Day Fishing Charter

88% (8) Key West, FL 1 - 4 People 4 Hours From $800 Trip #4710


Guide:

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About Your Trip

Water Type

Inshore, Deep Sea, Nearshore

Skill Levels

Beginner

Weather

You won’t lose your deposit if the trip is canceled due to weather.

Wake up and go fishing! A 4-hour fishing trip is a great way to fish and explore the local waters surrounding Key West. Our half-day trips usually leave the dock around 7:30 a.m. and return around 11:30 a.m. However, this may change depending on the conditions, time of year, and customer preference. Captain John's mission is always to provide the best fishing experience possible with the conditions at hand. His vessel, a 28' center console...

About Your Trip

Wake up and go fishing! A 4-hour fishing trip is a great way to fish and explore the local waters surrounding Key West. Our half-day trips usually leave the dock around 7:30 a.m. and return around 11:30 a.m. However, this may change depending on the conditions, time of year, and customer preference.

Captain John's mission is always to provide the best fishing experience possible with the conditions at hand.

His vessel, a 28' center console (built by Latitude Tournament Boats), is a true "hybrid" fishing machine. This means that on a nice day, you can comfortably fish offshore reefs, wrecks, and Gulfstream currents. You also have the option to fish backcountry channels, inshore wrecks, and nearshore patch reefs if the wind picks up. On a full day, we might have the opportunity to target multiple species both in the deep and the shallow.

Captain John specializes in light tackle fishing. This means he'll match the rod and reel outfit to the size fish you're targeting to make for the best overall angling experience. If you would like to fly fish, the captain can accommodate you. However, you must bring your own fly fishing equipment. Expect to target Amberjack, Barracuda, Tuna, Wahoo, Mahi Mahi, Grouper, and more, depending on the length of your trip. Evening Tarpon trips are also offered.

Live bait makes a big difference. Pilchards, pinfish, herring, ballyhoo, and blue crabs are some of the varieties you are likely to find in the livewell. Catching bait is part of the charter, and while it may take some extra time, your captain knows it makes the difference between a fantastic fishing trip and one that's just okay. Your fishing license is included. Bring sunblock (non-spray), sunglasses, a hat, snacks, and drinks.

Book your trip and hit the water with Captain John!
Amenities

Water Type

Inshore, Deep Sea, Nearshore

Skill Levels

Beginner

Tackle

All rods, reels, and tackle are included.

Fish Cleaning

This guide will clean your catch for you.

Beer

Feel free to enjoy responsibly, but please no glass.

Music

You can play your own bluetooth music.

Live Bait

Live bait is included for this trip.

Weather

You won’t lose your deposit if the trip is canceled due to weather.

Federal Permit

This boat is federally permitted to go deep offshore.

Kid Friendly

This trip can cater to kids.

Flexible Cancelation

This trip can be canceled for a refund up to 2 days before the trip.

Boat Restroom

No, this boat does not have a bathroom on board.

Disability Friendly

This trip is not suited for those with disabilities.

Lunch

Please provide your own food / snacks.

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Pricing Matrix

4 Hours
1 Person
$800.00
2 People
$800.00
3 People
$800.00
4 People
$800.00
Pay 20% of the price as a deposit today, with the balance due on the day of the trip.
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About Your Guide

Profile photo of Captain Experiences guide John

John D.

Independent Guide 18 years of exp.
Laid-back
Instructional
Beginner Oriented
Adventurous
Quality
Talkative
I'm Captain John, and I was born and raised in Key West and grew up fishing and diving these waters. I truly enjoy sharing my backyard with my guests! My knowledge and passion for the water led me to fulfill my dream of becoming a fishing guide. Join me and I'll show you an excellent Keys fishing adventure!

About Your Guide

Profile photo of Captain Experiences guide John

John D.

Independent Guide 18 years of exp.
I'm Captain John, and I was born and raised in Key West and grew up fishing and diving these waters. I truly enjoy sharing my backyard with my guests! My knowledge and passion for the water led me to fulfill my dream of becoming a fishing guide. Join me and I'll show you an excellent Keys fishing adventure!
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Rapid Fire Guide Q & A

What’s the biggest fish you’ve caught?
goliath grouper
If you were cooking for all your friends what would you cook?
bbq

Rapid Fire Guide Q & A

What’s the biggest fish you’ve caught?
goliath grouper
If you were cooking for all your friends what would you cook?
bbq
What’s your favorite band?
almond brothers
What’s your favorite movie?
capt ron
What’s your favorite sports team?
florida gators
What’s your drink of choice?
beer
What was your last halloween costume?
nerd
What do you want for Christmas this year?
new boat
How did you get started guiding?
mating on charter boats
What makes you different from other guides?
I'm from the island and grew up on the water
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Start Location & Lodging Options

Key West, Florida
Areas Fished
  • Big Pine Key
  • Cudjoe Key
  • Summerland Key
  • Key West

About Your Boat

Boat photo for Morning 1/2 Day Fishing Charter
Boat photo for Morning 1/2 Day Fishing Charter
Boat Type
Center Console
Boat Manufacturer
LTB (Latitude Tournament Boats
Year Built
2022
Boat Length
25'

About Your Boat

Boat Type
Center Console
Boat Manufacturer
LTB (Latitude Tournament Boats
Year Built
2022
Boat Length
25'
Engine Manufacturer
Mercury
Total Horsepower
350
Number of Engines
1
Additional Amenities
trolling motor, large live wells, state of the art electronics, stereo, second station, jack plate, and pitch wells
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Trip Details & Amenities

Water Type

Inshore, Deep Sea, Nearshore

Skill Levels

Beginner

Tackle

All rods, reels, and tackle are included.

Fish Cleaning

This guide will clean your catch for you.

Beer

Feel free to enjoy responsibly, but please no glass.

Music

You can play your own bluetooth music.

Live Bait

Live bait is included for this trip.

Weather

You won’t lose your deposit if the trip is canceled due to weather.

Federal Permit

This boat is federally permitted to go deep offshore.

Kid Friendly

This trip can cater to kids.

Flexible Cancelation

This trip can be canceled for a refund up to 2 days before the trip.

Boat Restroom

No, this boat does not have a bathroom on board.

Disability Friendly

This trip is not suited for those with disabilities.

Lunch

Please provide your own food / snacks.

Target Species

Color-coded seasonality below is based on .
View Full Species Seasonality Chart »
  • Get it while it's HOT!
  • This species is in play.
  • You might get lucky (as long as things are in-season).
  • Couldn't tell ya! (no data)

Techniques

  • Artificial Lure Fishing
  • Bottom Fishing
  • Deep Dropping
  • Drift Fishing
  • Fly Fishing
  • Heavy Tackle Fishing
  • Jigging
  • Kite Fishing
  • Light Tackle Fishing
  • Live Bait Fishing
  • Sight Casting
  • Trolling
  • Topwater Fishing

Everything Else to Know

All tackle, licenses, and bait are included. I will have a cooler with ice and bottled water. customer is responsible for bring their own lunch, snacks and whatever they would like to drink other than water. beer and wine is allowed, however liquor is not. Recommend bring sunscreen (not the spay kind), appropriate clothing for the conditions, and polarized sunglasses
You're all set! You don't need to buy a license for this trip.
We use a cashless autopay system. We'll send you a boarding pass, and on the day of the trip, your guide will scan your boarding pass to automatically transfer the remaining balance. The only cash needed is to tip your guide (we recommend 20%).
Cancel for free up to 2 days before the trip and receive credit back to your account. Cancelling within 2 of the trip will forfeit your deposit to the guide. Day-of cancellations and no-shows will be charged the full balance of the trip to their card.
In the event of inclement weather you'll be covered by out 100% Weather Guarantee and will not lose your deposit.

Reviews

4.6
based on 8 reviews

Jacob

Verified Review

August 7

My families trip with Captain John was awesome. John is a humble, hardworking, easy going, chill, dude and fit right in with our families vibe. He was great with our 5 year old son and answered all of his many fishing questions. John made it clear that between the time of year and conditions that day we would have to really work at it to get anything. That’s exactly what we did and we ended...

Jacob

Verified Review

August 7

My families trip with Captain John was awesome. John is a humble, hardworking, easy going, chill, dude and fit right in with our families vibe. He was great with our 5 year old son and answered all of his many fishing questions. John made it clear that between the time of year and conditions that day we would have to really work at it to get anything. That’s exactly what we did and we ended up catching a good amount of fish. Most importantly our 5 year old son, who is obsessed with fishing, had the time of his life and caught fish he’s never seen before. 5 stars, highly recommend. If you have a small group this is the charter to go on!
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Trip: Full Day Private Fishing Charter

Kelly

Verified Review

June 30

Capt John was top notch!! Our planned morning trip hit a snag due to bad weather…But John was honest and informative suggesting that we should hold off a few hours…so we did. Our afternoon ended up being an awesome fishing encounter. We would highly recommend…thank you Capt John!!!

Kelly

Verified Review

June 30

Capt John was top notch!! Our planned morning trip hit a snag due to bad weather…But John was honest and informative suggesting that we should hold off a few hours…so we did. Our afternoon ended up being an awesome fishing encounter. We would highly recommend…thank you Capt John!!!
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Karl

Verified Review

June 21

We had a great time on our first family fishing trip. We brought enthusiasm, and very little experience. John was a great teacher for all of us, and took us to several good spots in Lake Passage. We caught shark, black grouper and enough snapper to feast on for days. The fine folks at Hurricane Hole cooked it up for us and it was amazing!!

We would definitely book another trip with John!!

Karl

Verified Review

June 21

We had a great time on our first family fishing trip. We brought enthusiasm, and very little experience. John was a great teacher for all of us, and took us to several good spots in Lake Passage. We caught shark, black grouper and enough snapper to feast on for days. The fine folks at Hurricane Hole cooked it up for us and it was amazing!!

We would definitely book another trip with John!!
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Mark

Verified Review

November 24

Fantastic!! Even though the rain got us

Mark

Verified Review

November 24

Fantastic!! Even though the rain got us
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Deanna

Verified Review

July 28

Our charter with Captain John was incredible! He was very professional but also personable! We enjoyed everything about the fishing trip! We had a beautiful day & caught several large dolphins! Will definitely rebook with Capt. John the next time we are in Key West!

Deanna

Verified Review

July 28

Our charter with Captain John was incredible! He was very professional but also personable! We enjoyed everything about the fishing trip! We had a beautiful day & caught several large dolphins! Will definitely rebook with Capt. John the next time we are in Key West!
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Patrick

Verified Review

May 26

Captain John was simply incredible! I have been fishing my entire life and know a great guide… Captain John is the real deal. He took the time to understand what we wanted to catch and then nailed it… put us on exactly what we wanted all day long. He was friendly, engaging and fun. We will be back to fish w Captain John again!!

Patrick

Verified Review

May 26

Captain John was simply incredible! I have been fishing my entire life and know a great guide… Captain John is the real deal. He took the time to understand what we wanted to catch and then nailed it… put us on exactly what we wanted all day long. He was friendly, engaging and fun. We will be back to fish w Captain John again!!
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Greg

Verified Review

November 30

Our charter with Captain John was fantastic! Despite the windy conditions, he managed to get us on fish in many different spots. John is very knowledgeable and a super fun guy! We will definitely be booking with Captain John again.

Shannon & Greg Johnson

Greg

Verified Review

November 30

Our charter with Captain John was fantastic! Despite the windy conditions, he managed to get us on fish in many different spots. John is very knowledgeable and a super fun guy! We will definitely be booking with Captain John again.

Shannon & Greg Johnson
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Brad

Verified Review

July 26

Nice boat and experienced guide but the trip was pretty short and you could tell he wasn’t stoked to be out with guests that day.
Soaked bait on the reef and managed to catch a few mangrove snapper. Captain offered an adjusted price to head back early
but with the paid barcode app there wasn’t much of that. Oh well, it was still
nice to be out on the water.

Brad

Verified Review

July 26

Nice boat and experienced guide but the trip was pretty short and you could tell he wasn’t stoked to be out with guests that day.
Soaked bait on the reef and managed to catch a few mangrove snapper. Captain offered an adjusted price to head back early
but with the paid barcode app there wasn’t much of that. Oh well, it was still
nice to be out on the water.
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Response from John:
When I accepted the trip from CE I didn't notice that in the notes the customer had requested inshore fishing. Normally this wouldn't be a problem but they happened to book on the first day of the mini lobster season opener (by far our busiest day on the water). There are so many boats on the water that going offshore is the only option. I contacted the customer as soon as I realized my mistake...

Response from John:

When I accepted the trip from CE I didn't notice that in the notes the customer had requested inshore fishing. Normally this wouldn't be a problem but they happened to book on the first day of the mini lobster season opener (by far our busiest day on the water). There are so many boats on the water that going offshore is the only option.

I contacted the customer as soon as I realized my mistake and he said that they were easygoing , just wanted to catch fish and that reef fishing would be fine.

The day of the trip;

The trip was scheduled for a 7:30 departure and around 8:00am the customers hadn't showed up. I called them and they sounded very flustered and confused like they they may have been out a little too late.
They eventually showed up a about 8:30. An hour late to a four hour trip. The guys looked to be in pretty rough shape.

By this point the wind was picking up and there was a big squall line moving in slowly from the North. I tried to talk them in to canceling but they insisted on going anyway

In their review they mentioned "soaking " baits. There was no soaking. We stopped at a spawning site and caught our limit of 2-5lb mangrove snappers in about 30 min. They weren't able to get any of the bigger fish past the sharks (especially while holding the reel upside down).

It started getting pretty rough and we made a unanimous decision to head back to the dock before the squall line. Had mentioned that we could work something out with the price since they really only got less that an hour of fishing time in.

We got to the dock just as it started to rain. I took payment, and the guys thanked me for everything and ran to their car for cover. They didn't want to hang around for me clean the fish. When running to the car they also mentioned that the would Venmo me a tip which I never received

I was very surprised to see a bad review and I really don't think it was deserved. I run a professional operation and rarely have any problems with costumer satisfaction.
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Response from Captain Experiences:
Hi Brad - I'm sorry the trip with Captain John was cut short. If you give us a shout, we can make sure prices are adjusted on our end or give you a credit towards a future trip. I apologize for the inconvience and hope to make this right. Thanks!

Response from Captain Experiences:

Hi Brad - I'm sorry the trip with Captain John was cut short. If you give us a shout, we can make sure prices are adjusted on our end or give you a credit towards a future trip. I apologize for the inconvience and hope to make this right. Thanks!
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First Time Booking with Us?

Captain Experiences is home to 1,600+ quality, vetted fishing and hunting guides across the US and beyond. Our mission is to Unlock the Outdoors by making it quick and easy to book the trip of a lifetime every time with our Damn Good Guides.
We vet our guides and only partner with the best of the best. Our guides do their very best to keep you safe, show you a great time, and send you home with a memorable experience shared with family and friends.
Once you've paid your deposit at checkout, we'll send you a QR Code boarding pass. Just show your guide your boarding pass on the day of the trip, they'll scan it, the remaining balance will transfer automatically, and you'll be all set to get out there. Just make sure you bring a cash tip for the guide!
In the event of inclement weather, our guides will check the conditions and make the final call on whether its safe to go on the trip. If they decide the trip needs to be postponed, we'll work closely with you to reschedule or provide a credit for the full deposit, which can be applied to any of our trips in the US and beyond.
Each trip's price is determined by the guide and reflects all associated costs. A significant factor in pricing is often the type of boat and the corresponding fuel expenses. Additional costs may include leases, marina or slip fees, bait, and the expenses involved in providing and maintaining the necessary gear for your trip.
After booking your trip, we'll connect you directly with your guide to discuss additional details. In the meantime, our team is here to answer any questions via email, text, or phone.