Florida Keys Elementary School’s Unique Fishing Program
In true Florida Keys fashion, our local Stanley Switlik Elementary School has a special perk: it’s very own fishing pier! All the classes and grades schedule times to visit the dock and take advantage of a sport that most of us have grown to love. They get to catch fish and learn about the very ecosystem that supports their community and its economy.
Mr. Bill Eller is the organizer of the fishing club at Stanley Switlik Elementary School, where he helps support and guide young anglers. He also has some older grades volunteer as “dock captains” to help the younger children bait their hooks, tie lines, take fish off the hook safely, and release them back to the water.
The Fishing Club rewards and incentivizes students who achieve good grades and maintain positive behavior. Mr. Eller reached out to us at Main Attraction at the beginning of the year, hoping we might donate a trip for some of his notable dock captains. As parents, they’ve seen firsthand how much Marathon students enjoy the dock; their own daughter loved it during her time at the school. Happy to help support the community, Captain Marty, and Katie Lewis agreed to offer some time in October, which is typically a little slower and more flexible regarding their schedule.
On October 14th, a group of eager students from third to fifth grade—Cameron, Allie, Evolet, Jayden, Everett, and Mila—arrived at Marathon Sailfish Marina with Mr. Eller and Miss Isabelle. They were greeted by the sight of Captain Marty and Mate James returning from their bait-catching mission. As Captain Marty scooped the live bait to James, who filled the bait wells, the children watched with wide eyes, bubbling with anticipation.

Mr. Eller and Ms. Isabelle did a wonderful job taking care of the children.
After boarding the 49-foot Main One and receiving a safety briefing, the excited young anglers were ready to depart. Once the vessel cleared the Coco Plum Channel, Captain Marty increased speed, getting the Main One on plane and thrilling the kids. With calm seas, sunshine, and temperatures in the high 80s, It was shaping up to be a great day on the water.
Captain Marty got the Main One to the reef spot, and first mate James got the anchor in position. As they got set up, they put chum in the water, cut some bait, and tossed oats to make the Yellowtail Snapper happy and comfortable. After a few minutes passed, it was time to start fishing one line at a time and see if the fish were going to cooperate.
The crew was careful not to shut down the bite on such a calm day. First, the kids all took turns, reeling in one large Yellowtail Snapper at a time so lines would not tangle and everyone could get the hang of it. Once the fish were comfortably eating in the chum slick, the crew had two lines going out at a time, and the boys and girls were catching fish left and right.

Yellowtail snapper for dinner!
By 10:30 am they had a box full of Yellowtail Snapper! After they felt like they had plenty of reef fish in the box, they decided to try for something much larger. They dropped baits around a wreck but didn’t get many bites. At one point, they caught a small shark, which really excited all of the kids! The kids were thrilled with their catches! They reeled in plenty of Yellowtail Snapper and some beautiful Rainbow Runners. Jayden, of course, was incredibly excited about the shark he landed.

Once the box was loaded with Yellowtail it was time to look for something bigger!
Once they returned to the marina, the children helped organize the fish and pose for photos. They also go to see how quickly Captain Marty filets fish. Each child got a bag of filets to share with their families and a Main Attraction buff and hat to help them remember what a good time they had with us!

The kids had an incredible time and it showed on all of their faces!
Main Attraction also has some donated trips planned this month with the Mission Fishin’ organization, which is one of the primary recipients of the proceeds of Main Attraction Co-Owner Katie Lewis’ nonprofit organization, Marathon Premier Sailfish Tournament. Katie also has some exciting work to do this month with the Special Olympics in our local community. We will have much more to tell you in future articles. If you have any questions or feedback or want to support the local Marathon community and its families, contact us for more information.
If you’re heading to the Florida Keys and you’re looking to catch some fish give us a call at (305) 289-0071 or visit our contact page!

The laughter and joy of a child fishing makes it worth it!

Sunshine, smiles, and fish tales. The days we live for!