Florida Keys Fishing Report – September 2023
Autumn means more than just a weather change in the Florida Keys. Similar to the pre-pandemic years, our schedule has eased as the kids return to school. During this brief hiatus from daily fishing, our crews are dedicating their efforts to our yearly boat maintenance tasks. The Main One being brought to the boatyard for repairs. Vessel Update We had an engine problem in June on our 49-footer, the Main One. Captain Marty and Katie have been working with a Caterpillar dealership to get all the proper parts and pieces to [...]
2023 Florida Keys Dolphinfish Report
If you follow our fishing reports and updates, you may have noticed we haven't been writing about Dolphinfish nearly as much as in previous seasons. There is a good reason for this; there simply hasn't been much to write about. Fortunately, that is starting to change! Here in the Florida Keys, Dolphinfish, a.k.a. Mahi, are the most requested fish to catch. That suits us just fine in the late spring through summer when Dolphinfish abound. However, this year, the Dolphinfish have been on a different schedule. Better late than never! The Dolphin season is finally starting [...]
Costa Rica Big Game Fishing Charter
About a year ago, one of our repeat clients you all hear a lot about, Mark Busch, went to Costa Rica on an overnight FAD fishing trip. Costa Rica is well known for its Blue Marlin and Sailfish billfish. Other pelagic species, such as yellowfin tunas and mahi, are also available. The primary purpose of using fish aggregating devices (FAD) is to concentrate fish in a specific area, making it easier for fishermen to locate and catch them. This allows fishing vessels to reduce search time and fuel consumption, making fishing operations more efficient and [...]
Bahamas Big Game Fishing Charter
Recently the Lewis family had an opportunity to head to the Bahamas. Despite living a mere 130 Miles from the beautiful Bahamas, the Lewis family had yet to consider visiting for several years. The Main Attraction fishing charter business, the marina, and everything else keeps them all busy. Additionally, Captain Marty started running a 60' Viking part-time for a private client. Recently, their client expressed an interest in going to the Bahamas and trying for a big game such as Marlin, Wahoo, and Yellowfin Tuna. The Lewis's watched the weather and sprang into action when [...]
Ben O’Fishal Main Attraction Fishing Charter Affiliate
You might remember Captain "Big" Ben Zdan, who fished with us last year. The 6' 4'' Captain fished with the Main Attraction team primarily in the summer, as he is also a commercial lobster and stone crab trapper. Ben also fishes with Marty on tournament teams and helps fill in whenever necessary. Ben and his fiancé welcomed their second baby girl recently, and decided he wanted to build a charter boat business for his family. Captain Ben has been around long enough and understands the importance of starting your business on the right foot. Ben approached [...]
17th Annual Mother’s Day Dolphin Tournament Fishing Report
Last week on May 13th, Habitat for Humanity of the Middle Keys hosted a one-day Dolphin tournament. This non-profit organization has hosted the Dolphinfish tournament every Mother's Day weekend in May for the last 17 years. The Main Attraction team had three boats from their marina signed up to fish. A week before the tournament, the weather report called for sporty conditions, 10-20 knots straight out of the East. While it's the perfect wind direction for dolphin fishing, the clients that signed up to fish with Captain Marty, decided it was too windy for them. [...]
2023 Marathon Premier Sailfish Tournament Recap
The second annual Marathon Premier Sailfish Tournament concluded last week. There were a total of 14 boats, and 83 anglers signed up. The Main Attraction fishing team had three boats signed up to fish. The Main One was booked by our longtime client Mark Busch. Mark booked Captain Marty Lewis to fish on the 49' Sportfish a year in advance. The Bowcock family also rebooked the tournament a year in advance and were fishing on the Main Attraction for the second year. Our repeat client Steve Anderson and his brother and friends were fishing on Reel Attraction. [...]
2023 Marathon Premier Sailfish Tournament Update
If you haven’t heard, the 2nd annual Marathon Premier Sailfish Tournament is again around the corner. Main Attraction Co-Owner, Katie Lewis founded a non-profit organization hosting a yearly two-day Sailfish tournament in Marathon, Florida. After many years of competing in Sailfish tournaments in Islamorada and Key West, Katie decided Marathon, Florida, deserved to have one too. Her involvement with great organizations like Mission Fishin’ made her want to use any proceeds from the event toward making a difference in the lives of families here in the Keys and throughout Florida. Katie and Marty have [...]
Florida Keys Sailfish – March 2023 Fishing Report
If you read last week's article , you know that Main Attraction Co-Owner Katie Lewis passed on an opportunity to take the day off and go fun fishing with her husband Captain Marty Lewis. That day she missed out on catching 24 sailfish and a 750lb Bluefin Tuna with their son! A few days after that epic trip, once their daughter recuperated from the Flu, Katie decided she needed some saltwater therapy and a reset. On the morning of Friday, March 3rd, Captain Marty, Katie, a few friends, and crew members boarded their 49' fishing vessel, the [...]
Bluefin Tuna In the Florida Keys – A Day Offshore To Remember
On Wednesday, February 22nd, Captain Marty Lewis called his wife, Katie, and asked if she would like to go fishing the next day. Marty felt Thursday would be an excellent day to look for sailfish tailing in the waves. Katie wanted to say yes, but she had spent most of the week tending to their sick daughter, so she declined to catch up on work-related tasks. Captain Marty started calling around to friends and fellow fishing companions to see if anyone wanted to go fishing with him on his rare day off. It seemed like everyone was [...]