Marathon, FL · Year-Round
Offshore
Fishing Charters
Leave the reef behind and run to the deep blue. Ten to thirty miles offshore, the water turns cobalt, the fish get bigger, and anything can happen. Mahi, sailfish, blackfin tuna, wahoo, and more! Marathon’s offshore grounds deliver year-round.
Offshore Fishing
The Blue Water Experience
Offshore fishing in Marathon means running out to where the fish are. Depending on conditions and time of year, that could be the deep cobalt blue of the Gulf Stream edge, the Marathon Hump, or weedlines and floaters holding mahi and other pelagics far from shore. It’s a different world from the reef, and a different level of fishing.
Some days that means high speed trolling for wahoo. Other days it’s kite fishing for sailfish or live baiting the Hump for blackfin tuna when conditions line up. Good captains plan and adapt to what the ocean is doing, and that’s exactly what you get with us!
Offshore trips run 6 or 8 hours. The extra two hours on a full day trip can make a real difference, with more time to run, more time to work the fish, and more chances for that second or third species of the day.
Target Species
Mahi (Dolphinfish)
Spring · Summer
Sailfish
Winter · Spring
Blackfin Tuna
Year-Round
Wahoo
Year-RoundPeak: Winter
Cobia
Year-RoundPeak: Spring
Marlin
Blue/WhiteRare Catch
Triple Tail
Summerdelicious meat
Techniques
How We Fish Offshore
Follow the Weedlines
Mahi love the floating sargassum weedlines that drift with the current. We troll past them, pitch to fish the captain spots, and pull up on floaters where mahi school underneath. When you find one you often find a dozen.
Kites, Live Bait & Sight Fishing
Depending on conditions, we’ll fish kites to suspend live bait on the surface, slow-troll live ballyhoo, or sight fish and pitch directly to tailing fish. Few things in offshore fishing match a sailfish going greyhound across the surface.
The Marathon Hump
The Marathon Hump is a well-known underwater ledge that rises from 500 feet to around 100 feet — a natural gathering point for baitfish and the tuna that chase them. We live bait and troll with lures when conditions are right.
Speed Trolling
Wahoo are built for speed and one of the fastest fish in the ocean. We run lures at high speed (10–15 knots) to trigger their instinct to chase, and also check floaters and weedlines where wahoo gather with mahi.
Sight Fishing the Flats
Cobia are one of the most exciting sight-fishing targets. We spot them following stingrays, sea turtles, and sharks in the sandy flats, then pitch a live bait or jig ahead of them. They are strong and put up a great fight.
Captain Reads the Ocean
No two offshore trips look the same. Your captain monitors water temp, current edges, bait activity, and recent catches every morning. The plan is built around what the ocean is actually doing that day — not a fixed route.
Go Deeper
If you want to target the fish that live in even deeper water such as swordfish, snowy grouper, and other deep-dwelling species — we run dedicated deep drop trips using electric reels at depths of 1,000 feet and beyond. It’s a completely different style of offshore fishing that requires its own trip.
LEARN MORE →Offshore Fishing by Season
Winter
December · January · FebruaryPrime sailfish season. The cold fronts push sailfish down the coast and into the Keys. Blackfin tuna are active on the Hump but pelagics can also be found closer to shore with lots of bait around.
Spring
March · April · MayAnything can happen this time of year. Sailfish are still running, sometimes tailing, and mahi start showing up as water warms, cobia move through, and blackfin tuna are consistent year-round.
Summer
June · July · AugustMahi season peaks. The weed lines are often loaded and the action can be non-stop. Mahi, wahoo and tripletail can be found on floaters and lots of blackfin and the occasional billfish on the Hump.
Fall
September · October · NovemberBait shows up close to shore, bringing all sorts of pelagics closer in, often including what’s left of the summer mahi run. Water’s still calm enough for swordfish as well. Wahoo fire up around the fall full moons, and as the first cold fronts arrive in November, the early sailfish bite begins to turn on.
Book Your Trip
Ready to Fish Offshore?
Choose your trip length and book online!
Gear, bait, license, and fish cleaning included on every trip.
Not What You’re Looking For?
We run several different types of fishing charters out of Marathon.
Find the one that fits your style.
Reef & Wreck
Bottom-fish the reefs and wrecks for snapper, grouper, and hard-pulling hogfish.
LEARN MORE →
