Key Largo Fish Species & Fishing Techniques
What to catch in the Florida Keys
Key Largo offers reef, wreck and offshore fishing, with different species and techniques suited to each trip. Explore the fish below, then compare charter options with Capt. Dan. Conditions and season affect what we target; no particular catch is guaranteed.
Fish Species
Which Key Largo fish are you hoping to catch?
Start with the fishing style, then tell Dan your target species. These are possible catches, not a guaranteed package. Conditions, available time and current harvest rules shape every trip.
Wahoo
A fast offshore game fish that may be targeted while trolling or fishing live bait. Ask about current opportunities before choosing your dates.
Sailfish
One of Dan’s main offshore targets. Live-bait and kite techniques can suit the winter and spring fishery. Sailfish are released on our trips; plan for the experience and a photo.
Mahi-mahi
Also called dolphinfish, mahi are an offshore target. Fish location matters: a longer trip provides more time to reach and search productive water. Read Dan’s Run & Gun versus Trolling guide.
Blackfin tuna
An offshore possibility with trolling and live bait. Match your dates and trip length to the day’s fishing plan. Read a blackfin tuna report.
Grouper, snapper and wreck species
Nearby patch reefs suit a first fishing trip. Deeper reefs, ledges and wrecks call for a different plan and heavier tackle, with possible grouper, amberjack, cobia and kingfish. The crew can clean and bag fish you legally keep.
Swordfish
A dedicated deep-water hunt with specialized tackle and an eight- or ten-hour schedule. Choose the swordfish charter if this is your goal; it is a different trip from ordinary offshore trolling.
Offshore trips · Wreck trips · Beginner reef trips · Swordfish trips
Fishing Techniques
Offshore trolling
The boat moves while lures or rigged baits trail behind. This lets the crew search open water for game fish such as mahi-mahi and wahoo. Choose the offshore charter and allow enough time for the run to the grounds.
Live-bait and kite fishing
Live bait presents a natural target. Kites can help hold baits near the surface when conditions suit the technique. Your captain chooses the approach for the day; kite fishing is not a separate guaranteed activity on every trip.
Read our Key Largo live-bait guide →
Patch-reef fishing
A shorter ocean-side trip with hands-on instruction, suited to families and first-time anglers. Our introductory reef trips fish nearby patch reefs, generally two to three miles from shore. This is not a backcountry or flats charter.
Deep reef and wreck fishing
Work deeper structure with medium and heavy tackle. Dan describes these grounds as roughly 50–300 feet deep and six to ten miles out. Exact grounds depend on conditions and the fishing plan.
Deep dropping for swordfish
Specialized tackle takes bait into deep water. A swordfish trip requires its own eight- or ten-hour schedule; select the dedicated charter instead of assuming an offshore trolling booking includes swordfishing.
Keeping or releasing your catch
We encourage catch and release and can clean and bag fish that may legally be kept. Sailfish and marlin are released on our trips. Species availability is different from a legal harvest season; the crew follows the rules in effect on your trip date.