2026 is officially here—Happy New Year! We have had some incredibly busy holiday weeks welcoming back repeat customers and meeting new families we hope to see for years to come. The Christmas week kicked off a marathon for our fleet, with all our boats running daily double trips right into the new year.
Holiday Hustle and Keys “Hell Week”
Down here in the Keys, locals often call the last week of December “Hell Week” because of how crazy it gets, but our crews love to fish! It was a great way to close out the year and transition into the 2026 sailfish season. The fishing has been consistent, and the weather has cooperated for the most part. We’ve had the occasional windy day where rescheduling was necessary, but overall, conditions have been quite fishable.
Our crews are boxing all the great eating fish right now, including yellowtail, mangrove, and mutton snapper, plus kingfish and mackerel (perfect for smoked fish dip). If you’re looking for a big, challenging fight, the amberjacks are biting, too. We are also starting to see sailfish show up in the spreads—in fact, we have a few boats out there chasing them in a tournament today, but that’s a story for next week’s article!
Today, we’re sharing the story of a fishing trip the Main Attraction owners took on January 1st—one that resulted in a pretty special moment to kick off 2026. We even stitched together a video with clips from everyone’s phones, so we hope you’ll watch it and see that this isn’t just another “fish story!”
A New Year’s Day Family Tradition
Main Attraction owners Captain Marty Lewis and his wife Katie haven’t seen the midnight ball drop in years, mostly due to their crazy schedules this time of year. In fact, the Lewis family was tucked in and asleep by 9:00 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Despite how hectic the holidays are, January 1st is usually a slow start for the rest of the world as everyone sleeps off their celebrations. That makes the 1st a perfect day for the Lewises to get out on the water with friends and family. On the years Marty is willing to go fishing right after “hell week,” the fishing always seems to be incredible. Two years ago, for instance, they took their mechanic Jeff out, and he landed his very first sailfish.
This year, Marty wanted to sleep in and just see where the wind blew him. Once he got some breakfast in his system, he told the family to meet him at the marina around 10:00 a.m. Katie reached out to the Bartlett family to join them; they have young kids who make great playmates for their youngest daughter, Natalie. When the Bartletts got the text, they were all in! Marty also reached out to Jeff to see if he wanted to recreate the magic from a few years ago, and he didn’t hesitate to join the crew.
From the Reef to the Sailfish Grounds
Once the Main One pulled out of Marathon Sailfish Marina, the first stop was the ballyhoo spot to net some fresh bait for the sailfish. With the livewell full, Marty anchored up on the reef to let the kids try for some yellowtail snapper. The conditions were pretty tough, though—there wasn’t much current, and the predators were thick, sharking almost every yellowtail they could get to bite.
After that, they pulled the anchor and headed out to search for some sailfish. They eventually came across a bait shower and tried pitching to a fish. Their son, Captain Alex Lewis, and First Mate Harris cast multiple baits at it, but the fish just wouldn’t commit. Even though he didn’t eat, the water was so clear, and the fish was so close to the boat that everyone onboard got a front-row seat to see him cruising the surface. It was exciting for everyone!
Pure Organized Chaos: The Quintuple Header
Captain Marty kept hunting and soon spotted another bait shower. Within seconds, Alex fired a bait out to see if the fish would pop up, and it did. Marty started calling out directions from the tower and then hollered that there was a second fish. First mate Harris fired a second bait out, and just a few seconds later, Marty was screaming that there was a third!
At this point, Katie grabbed a rod and hooked a bait, knowing things were about to get wild. As Alex and Harris hooked the first two, Katie waited for Marty to spot the third one. She heard him shout, “Straight back, far!” and she let it fly. As soon as she heard Marty yell “Go!” she started winding like crazy. Just like that, they had three sailfish on at once!
Alex handed his rod off to 8-year-old Carter Bartlett so he could catch his first-ever sailfish. Since it was clearly a pack of fish and Marty was still hollering excitedly from the tower, Alex grabbed another rod, threw back, and hooked a fourth fish. Then, Harris hooked number five!
That’s right—on the very first day of 2026, the Main One had five sailfish hooked up and fighting all at once. A quintuple header! It was pure organized chaos, with anglers moving over and under lines to keep from tangling. It was an incredible afternoon, and everyone on board got in on the action.
After releasing the first three fish, they worked with Carter to get a photo of his first sailfish ever.
Katie, whose job was to keep her fish contained while the others were released, brought in the fifth and final fish to complete the quintuple. She snapped a quick photo with her sail, and they were back in business.
Jeff, their mechanic, was up on the bridge the whole time recording on his phone; even though he wasn’t pulling on a rod this time, he had a blast watching the chaos from above!
They stayed out for another hour to see if they could find a few more, but eventually, they started “heading toward the barn.” What a fantastic way to start 2026!
If you want to try your luck at catching a sailfish, the season is usually great from November through April. It never hurts to go with a crew that loves to fish so much they even do it on their days off! Give us a call at 305-289-0071, and Katie will help you find the perfect trip for your next adventure.
