News and Articles Archives

Stanley Switlik Elementary School Fish Club – Marathon, Florida

As a parent living on a small island in the Florida Keys being resourceful and utilizing local programs available to your children is a great way to enrich their childhood. In Marathon, Florida, the local elementary school offers an outstanding opportunity: an inclusive fishing club available to every student. Mr. Bill Eller, the School Health and Wellness Coordinator, leads the school's fishing club. A few years back, when Stanley Switlik Elementary School underwent renovations, they incorporated an observation dock at the rear of the school. This area allows the children to fish off the dock, get [...]

October 12th, 2023|Categories: Amberjack, Main Attraction, Wreck Fishing, Yellowtail Snapper|Tags: |

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 [...]

September 29th, 2023|Categories: Blackfin Tuna, Dolphinfish (Mahi Mahi), Florida Keys Fishing Charters, Offshore|Tags: |

Family Fishing Charters in the Florida Keys

If you're reading this article, we share a special bond - a profound love for fishing! At the Main Attraction, our enthusiasm for all things fishing is fueled by countless cherished memories forever etched into our lives. Many of our valued clients have pointed out how lucky we are to fish for a living, and they're right! While in past articles we have shed light on the less glamorous aspects of the job, such as the long hours and physically demanding work, we wouldn't trade this life for anything. People often ask us how we maintain our [...]

September 15th, 2023|Categories: Amberjack, Reef, Wreck Fishing, Yellowtail Snapper|Tags: |

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 [...]

August 25th, 2023|Categories: Dolphinfish (Mahi Mahi), Offshore|Tags: |

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 [...]

August 4th, 2023|Categories: Billfish, Offshore, Sailfish|Tags: , |

The Secret To Successful Mutton Snapper Fishing Trips

You may have recently seen quite a few photos of our customers with Mutton Snapper on social media. While our customers love to catch Mahi this time of year, it has been unusually inconsistent lately. Fortunately, there is a variety of species to catch in our waters year-round, including the delicious Mutton Snapper. Depending on where and when you fish for Mutton Snapper, how you target them might be vastly different. If you have ever fished for Mutton Snapper in Key West, you most likely have done it differently than we do here in Marathon, Florida [...]

June 30th, 2023|Categories: Mutton Snapper, Secrets to Success|Tags: , |

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 [...]

June 23rd, 2023|Categories: Billfish, Offshore, Videos|Tags: , |

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 [...]

June 2nd, 2023|Categories: Dolphinfish (Mahi Mahi), Offshore|Tags: , |

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. [...]

May 20th, 2023|Categories: Dolphinfish (Mahi Mahi), Offshore|Tags: , |

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 [...]

March 15th, 2023|Categories: Billfish, Florida Keys Fishing Charters, Main One, Offshore|Tags: |

TAKE YOUR VACATION TO

THE NEXT LEVEL

TAKE YOUR VACATION TO

THE NEXT LEVEL