Main Attraction Charter Fishing
Main Attraction Charter Fishing
Main Attraction Charter Fishing
4.8
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About
Don't miss the Main Attraction of the Florida Keys! Come fish with our friendly, professional Captains and Mates. A large fleet of clean, well-maintained boats to choose from along with very competitive rates. We welcome families with children and novice anglers, but also fish professional anglers and large business groups. We run about 1000 trips per year, so our crews know how to fish. We encourage customer feedback and go the extra mile to provide successful trips. Please read the reviews including our responses to the handful of negative ones. While we cannot control the bite, we always work very hard to put our customers on fish. We only hire crews that are enthusiastic about catching fish! Please see our very detailed website for more info. We have boats from 30' to 49'. Many options to choose from; Reef, Offshore, Wreck, 1/2, 3/4, and Full Day. Tarpon, Snapper, Grouper, Wahoo, Sailfish, Tuna, Mahi, Permit, and Swordfish. Proven and Consistent Tournament Winners!
Marathon, Florida
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Main Attraction Charter Fishing
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.8
389 reviews
Excellent
358
Very good
12
Average
6
Poor
4
Terrible
9
Mark B
2 contributions
Feb 2025 • Friends
Main Attraction-Fishing with the Lewis Family is like fishing with Family.
I have now had the experience of fishing with 3 generations of Lewis Family Captains! Congratulations Captain Alex Lewis! Alex is Moriss's Grandson and Marty's son. I have fished with Alex for years, but not as a Captain!
Alex was game on for fishing me as a Captain for the first time yesterday.
Captain Alex and first mate Mike Cungemi had Main Attraction ready to roll with excellent preparation before our arrival at 645AM.
We headed west from Marathon Sailfish Marina to look at the conditions and water color. We stopped and Sabiki some more live bait on the reef along the way!
Captain Alex then headed offshore, found a sweet color change and we put them out. We did not even have 6 baits in the water and we raised a sailfish! I pulled the hooked, ugh. We finally had all 6 baits in the water shortly after only to have a 13lb Mutton come up and eat the right short. We then raised, caught and released 2 sailfish, going 2 for 3 on sailfish for the day. Alex and Mike were also very patient with my buddy who was along teaching him how to kite fish!
After this Wahoo tore up the right middle and right long and hearing reports of Wahoo being caught and seen to the East of us we put the Wahoo gear and headed east. While we had no Wahoo bites, I am confident Capatin Alex will put me on a Wahoo at some point in the coming months, days or years as I will continue to fish with Captain Marty & Katie and Captain Alex Lewis. Tight Lines.
Mark Busch
Key Colony Beach, FLA & Westlake, Ohio
I have now had the experience of fishing with 3 generations of Lewis Family Captains! Congratulations Captain Alex Lewis! Alex is Moriss's Grandson and Marty's son. I have fished with Alex for years, but not as a Captain!
Alex was game on for fishing me as a Captain for the first time yesterday.
Captain Alex and first mate Mike Cungemi had Main Attraction ready to roll with excellent preparation before our arrival at 645AM.
We headed west from Marathon Sailfish Marina to look at the conditions and water color. We stopped and Sabiki some more live bait on the reef along the way!
Captain Alex then headed offshore, found a sweet color change and we put them out. We did not even have 6 baits in the water and we raised a sailfish! I pulled the hooked, ugh. We finally had all 6 baits in the water shortly after only to have a 13lb Mutton come up and eat the right short. We then raised, caught and released 2 sailfish, going 2 for 3 on sailfish for the day. Alex and Mike were also very patient with my buddy who was along teaching him how to kite fish!
After this Wahoo tore up the right middle and right long and hearing reports of Wahoo being caught and seen to the East of us we put the Wahoo gear and headed east. While we had no Wahoo bites, I am confident Capatin Alex will put me on a Wahoo at some point in the coming months, days or years as I will continue to fish with Captain Marty & Katie and Captain Alex Lewis. Tight Lines.
Mark Busch
Key Colony Beach, FLA & Westlake, Ohio
Written February 5, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Grandma Sue
Slinger, WI79 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
To celebrate our 50th anniversary and our love for fishing we chose Main Attraction for an all-day fishing adventure. Friends that we met on our 1st wedding anniversary cruise 49 years ago also joined us. So, we chose their largest boat the Main One 49' Sportfishing, it was a beautiful boat with all the amenities needed. Captain Marty and First Mates Ben & Matt worked very hard to make sure our trip was a memorable one, and it truly was. Katie was also great to work with and she followed up immediately with any of our questions. If fishing is on your bucket list, we would highly recommend Main Attraction you will not be disappointed.
Written October 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tammy S
2 contributions
Mar 2023
Main Attraction came highly recommend and did not disappoint! Katie was extremely pleasant, informative and super helpful recommending the best charter to suit our needs. We went out with Captain Steve on the Reel Attraction on our son’s 17th birthday. When we arrived at the marina, the well equipped boat was ready to go and Steve discussed options for the day. We had no prior experience fishing saltwater and he did a great job educating us on the fish as well as how to catch them. We set up on the reef and brought in a bounty of Yellowtail Snapper. Just over half way through our trip, we huddled up with Steve to discuss options to finish our day in deep waters and away we went. He did an amazing job setting us up targeting Sailfish and it was not long before we had one on! After just 15 short minutes (what seemed like an eternity), the Birthday Boy caught a 75 pound Sailfish! What an amazing trip and a birthday to remember. We are already planning our next trip out with Captain Steve and the Main Attraction team.
Written March 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David
Palm Beach Gardens, FL16 contributions
Mar 2023
Captain Marty is by far one of the best captains I have been deep sea fishing with. He has a great personality and always provides a fun day filled with excitement. Every time I go deep sea fishing in the Keys, I will always use Main Attraction Sprot fishing. Thank you, Marty and Katie, for a fantastic experience.
Written March 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
T. Claude
3 contributions
May 2021 • Family
On Wed. May 26th me and my son were scheduled for a fishing charter with Main Attraction on boat Reel Attraction with Capt. Steve. We initially booked a full day but after speaking with Katie she stated there had been rough seas due to wind so we switched to a half day, but we stated we could extend back to a full day if needed. When we arrived, Steve was preparing the boat and playing 90's music. While leaving the dock Steve stated when we get out to the fishing spot, we can connect to the Bluetooth and play our own music. I stated to Steve that he could play the music he chooses, since it was easy listening music. Once we got out into 380 feet of water the music Steve was playing changed. The music that was playing now was extremely vulgar and filled with Ni**er repeatedly being said. We felt very offended, that Steve thought it was ok to play this music in front of us assuming because we are black that it was what we would want to listen to. I do not even listen to this music personally. We were reluctant to say anything as we were far from shore, and we were fearful that we may not make it back to shore if we caused a confrontation. We asked ourselves does he play this music for all his customers (being that they are 97% white from viewing their Facebook page every day for months) or listen to this music personally.
We also feel we did not get the service we paid for. Fished for 2 hours catching baitfish to use as bait to catch bigger fish, than at the end of the trip Steve offered us the same fish he was using as bait to take home. I told him I cannot feed my family with that. We never got to touch a fishing pole other than the one used to catch bait. He only put one pole big game pole out at a time the entire trip. We did not truly get to fish. We can understand the fish not biting, but please do not insult our intelligence by stating 3 times it was a full moon the night before and the fish ate all night. We googled about that, and it said fish bite better after a full moon. Do not recommend.
We also feel we did not get the service we paid for. Fished for 2 hours catching baitfish to use as bait to catch bigger fish, than at the end of the trip Steve offered us the same fish he was using as bait to take home. I told him I cannot feed my family with that. We never got to touch a fishing pole other than the one used to catch bait. He only put one pole big game pole out at a time the entire trip. We did not truly get to fish. We can understand the fish not biting, but please do not insult our intelligence by stating 3 times it was a full moon the night before and the fish ate all night. We googled about that, and it said fish bite better after a full moon. Do not recommend.
Written May 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response will be directed to the readers of this review as Mr. Claude has already expended an inordinate amount of Main Attraction staff's time. We will simply relay the facts and show examples of how Main Attraction employees were courteous and respectful to Mr. Claude throughout what has been an exhausting and unprofitable relationship with Mr. Claude.
Mr. Claude initially booked a full day. He called in approximately a dozen times prior to his trip. He tried to find loopholes in our booking system that do not exist. An example would be reserving the boat for a full day but then having the option to go in on a half-day and not pay for the 2nd half of the trip. When it was explained to him he can’t do that he decided to change his full day to a half-day reef and wreck combo trip with the option to extend to a full day if the boat was not booked in the afternoon.
On Wednesday 5/26, Mr. Claude and his adult son showed up at the dock to meet Captain Steve. Steve was listening to 90’s hip hop music as he prepared his boat for the trip. When the clients approached, as always, he turned the music down to introduce himself. Steve offered them a Bluetooth connection to his radio to play the music they liked. They turned down that option and said they liked the music that was on already. At no time before or during the trip, did Steve change the music, nor was he asked to, nor did he treat Mr. Claude, or his son any differently than he would anyone else.
They went out to the first spot to catch some yellowtail snapper on the reef. While catching yellowtail, Captain Steve caught a variety of smaller fish to use to lure the grouper and amberjacks on the wrecks.
Mr. Claude was after grouper and potentially amberjack. He had seen on social media that Captain Steve caught some earlier that week. After the reef portion of their combo trip, Captain Steve cruised out to deeper water to try and accomplish that goal. On the ride out Captain Steve said his customers were having a great time, singing along and “freestyling” to the radio. Captain Steve said they were riding the waves, laughing, and cutting up. At no point did Steve think they were uncomfortable or offended in any way.
Captain Steve was marking fish and tried several times to try to catch a grouper or amberjack, but it was one of those days and they just weren’t biting. He even stayed out an extra 30 mins to try more attempts, still no luck. Captain Steve said this is the point where Mr. Claude's attitude began to sour.
When they returned, Steve attempted to filet some yellowtail for them, yet Mr. Claude refused. They had fished a combo reef/wreck trip which is $800 but the captain discounted the trip to $700 due to the lack of action in the second half. Mr. Claude paid for the trip, did not tip the captain, and left.
Immediately after the charter, the client called to complain. Katie, who typically answers the phone, was tied up and asked Captain Marty to call the client back. Captain Marty, an owner of Main Attraction, spoke to Mr. Claude, explained that the conditions were slow, and Steve tried his best to help him catch the specific type of fish he wanted. Captain Marty also reminded him that the trip was already discounted. Mr. Claude told Marty that Steve was great (despite never tipping him) and when he didn’t get a larger refund which is what he was hinting at, he hung up on Marty.
Two days later on Friday 5/28, Mr. Claude called the company number and left a message for someone to call him back. Katie proceeded to call him back immediately. He was extremely rude to her. He said he slept on it and thought she should know that at some point heading offshore, the music changed to racist music. Katie asked Mr. Claude if he as asked Captain Steve to change the music, and he responded that he did not. Mr. Claude then proceeded to claim that he didn’t know if he was going to make it back to dry land!?!? Katie was completely blindsided by this. All of a sudden Mr. Claude not catching a Grouper and not getting a big enough discount had turned into a race issue and a fear of “not making it back” from his fishing trip.
In the interest of providing great customer service Katie listened to his side of the story, she said she was very sorry that he did not like the music and explained she would need to speak with her Captain. At this point, Mr. Claude got defensive and said Captain Steve would deny it anyways.
Katie tried to resolve the issue and deescalate the situation by offering a complete refund for his trip. To her shock, Mr. Claude said in addition to a refund he also wanted an additional trip and threatened to take “proper measures”!
At this point, it became clear that Mr. Claude was an extortionist and this was a shakedown. Katie calmly offered the refund but denied him an additional trip. Katie wondered to herself why Mr. Claude would want to even fish with Main Attraction again if he felt so uncomfortable and unsafe?
Mr. Claude then accused Katie of trying to silence him. Mr. Claude then threatened to call the district attorney's office, call the news media, and write bad reviews online. At this point, Katie had enough and told him she would not stay on the line and be threatened and verbally abused. Katie hung up the phone and filed the incident with her lawyers.
Written May 29, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Gary A
1 contribution
Feb 2023
Captain Marty’s father began the business over forty years ago. Marty’s fishing knowledge is equal to anybody and greater than most. He caters to his customers and is serious on the water to be successful for his customers. His mates on the boat work tirelessly in preparation and execution doing all possible to enrich your experience. I have caught many major game fish under his guidance as well as enjoying reef fishing for food. I have been on his boat with my wife, children and grandchildren, he meets everyone’s needs.you will go home satisfied with the desire to return.
Written February 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John H
Aurora, NY14 contributions
Jul 2022 • Solo
My second time fishing with Main Attraction. This time their two day summer “fish camp”. I plan to be here in Marathon a lot when I retire so I want to learn everything I can about fishing these waters. Captain Marty put together a great combination or reef and wreck one day and off-shore the next. We had to dodge showers and navigate some angry seas but Marty put us on fish at every stop. Mangrove snapper, black fin and skipjack tuna, Mahi, Queen snapper and
more. Two highly capable and friendly mates (Ben and Nick) kept the gear in the water and the fish on the hook. Altogether an amazing experience. I learned a lot, which was my goal. Thank you Marty and Katie for all the planning (and swag!) that went into this experience. I will be back!
more. Two highly capable and friendly mates (Ben and Nick) kept the gear in the water and the fish on the hook. Altogether an amazing experience. I learned a lot, which was my goal. Thank you Marty and Katie for all the planning (and swag!) that went into this experience. I will be back!
Written July 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark M
3 contributions
Jun 2023 • Family
A hugely successful day for me and my teenage son! My son caught a beautiful bull Mahi amongst a tough fishing year according to the Captain and many locals! We caught more Mahi than I knew what to do with! Captain Steve of the Reel Attraction is an experienced professional and despite a minor mechanical mishap continued to put us on fish and made for an excellent day! His expertise on the water was noticeable and showed at every turn! Thank you to The Main Attraction Fishing Team for making a trip of a lifetime for my son and I!! We will be back!!
Written June 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JDR
Buford, GA2 contributions
Jul 2021 • Family
This was our third time fishing with Main Attraction and they NEVER disappoint. We went out the day after tropical storm Elsa went through the keys and while the storm disrupted the fishing patterns the pros at Main Attraction had no problem putting us on the fish. Don’t waste your time or money with other charters. This is a family owned business, they work exceptionally hard, the communication is always great from booking through the day of the trip (unlike many other charters) and they ALWAYS deliver with an incredible experience for our family!!! Best in the keys!!
Written July 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
v'burgresident
Vicksburg, MS32 contributions
Dec 2020 • Family
Our family of four fished with Captain Steve on one of the smaller boats, Reel Attraction, and I'm so glad we did. We had a blast. We did a half day reef trip. Capt Steve was professional, fun, patient, got us on fish right away and was overall wonderful. Prior to this trip we have gone on several, less productive fishing charters and this was the best one by far! I was nervous about the smaller boat at first but it was faster than the larger ones, so we had more time to catch fish! Well worth the money!
Written December 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I'm looking for 2 half day charters 8/20 and 8/21. One is back water for tarpon snapper etc. The other for dolphin and wahoo etc. Looking for pricing and availability
Written July 7, 2019
I believe it was $1500 for the larger boat, Main Attraction, for the full day of reef fishing but there were only 3 of us and we didn't need that large of a boat but we wanted to fish specifically with Captain Marty and Digger. Their rates are posted on their website.
Written February 27, 2019
Hi there! Great page! I think my husband would love to go out... We are coming that way around May 9th. What types of charters do you offer and approx pricing? Thank you!
Crystal
Written April 14, 2018
Hi. I have fished with Capt Marty and Main Attraction for many years. Great people and fishing with many options. I would recommend the full day combo reef and deep sea fishing. Have you tried their web page:
Goggle Main Attraction, Marathon FL
take care
Bill
Written April 14, 2018
This is the weirdest review I have ever read. HAHA! Thanks for the entertainment :)
Written December 10, 2017
Coming in late February. What type of fishing would be best then?
Written January 5, 2016
edward m
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
how is the fishing from 1/23/2016 to 2/13/2016 and what type of fish are running that time of the year
Written December 15, 2015
Give the Main Attraction a call, They are very helpfull and can let you know what is running and where they can go depending on the weather.
Written December 17, 2015
Yes all of the boats have ice coolers to support large quantities of catch. We do however recommend customers bring a cooler for their drive home.
Written April 17, 2015
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.