The reviews that I read were spot on other than the the ones that talk bad about Cap. Frank (the one with the service dog). Frank and his first mate Kryll were totally pros and were absolutely wonderful with our boys 13 and 11. If you ever get the chance to fish with Sea dog charters I would do it. They are the best. Best money I ever spent. And you might learn something along the way. Can't wait to get back to the Keys so we can do it again. Thanks again Cap. Frank and Kryll read more

Captain Claudia is a fun personality! Her love for fishing is infectious! Her first mates rise to her occasion!

I've been doing fishing charters with Sea Dog Charters for 7+ years now and will keep on coming back to them because not only are they among the most affordable in the Keys, but they are the most fun and produce some of the best offshore results in Marathon. I've gone out for Spanish Mackerel, Yellowtail Snapper, Red Snapper, and even a 150 lb Nurse Shark and have had a blast every time (bayside, btw.) A couple of times we haven't gotten that many bites, but if you've got the right people, you're bound to have an awesome time. I'd recommend going out with a group of 6 to 8 for best results and so you don't get too crowded out or tangled with your friends' lines. Also, be sure to tell them your skill level and experience beforehand for the best day of fishing. If I didn't tell the captain that I was from an island and very experienced, we wouldn't have the day of Spanish Mackerel on artificials or the giant Nurse Shark on another charter. If you're going offshore, look no further than Sea Dog. Edit: Oh, and of course, they clean and pack your keeper fish for you. read more

Perfect. Captain Bill and crew were awesome. They took care of everything. Started out catching Yellowtail, and then huge King Mackerel. We had a great time, and the fishing was outstanding. I hope to be back. read more

DON'T GET SUCKERED!!!! Was told that our party of 8 would be private and would be the same as their special $59 per person! ADVERTISING SAID 10 person max we had 12 people could have been 20. 8 people should be max 6 recommended They started out 20-25 late and made up a little by coming in 10 mins later. Lines were getting tangled because everyone was shoulder to shoulder at the back of the boat. If you were on the side you baited you own hooks because little or no attention was given to you. Three of our party ended up not fishing after a short time. Defiantly bait and switch! read more

We had Captain Claudia and Sandy and they put us right on the fish...the boat caught over 120 snapper. We went out with them a few days later and had the same great experience. Would definitely book with them next time we are in Marathon. read more

Nothing fancy here but great fishing. Went out with Captain TJ and his mate wayne for a half day during a storm on 11/21/14 and had a blast and caught dinner. They worked hard to catch fish even though the elements were harsh at best. These are genuine guys and I'll use them every time I'm in the area! read more

Sea Dog Charters - Some yellow and Mangrove snappers - Boating Near Me - Marathon, Florida

We booked this charter several months in advance from Colorado. Upon our arrival we were told that they had double booked. They then proceeded to ignore us with little explanation and no accommodations. We had been planning on this excursion all week and were really looking forward to it. Their customer service was nonexistent. In the end we didn't get to go fishing and we were crushed. Very disappointing. read more

Stay away from Sea Dog. They are liars, crooks, their boat is incomplete disarray, filthy dirty. It's a good thing that we brought our own rods and reels because they have junk. Furthermore when you ask them any questions the little man behind the window becomes very defensive. The little man complex, even was going to call the cops because we wouldn't leave. Mind you I have my 2 younger son's and wife with me. If your staying at the Jolly Roger resort in Marathon don't consider booking a trip with the Sea Dog as they are listed with the Jolly Roger as a reference to go fishing. We live in Jupiter,Fl and are boat owners as well, so if your a tourist you will be ripped off..Stay away! read more

This place was GREAT! My first experience snorkeling in the open ocean was reasonably priced ($30 included snorkeling and a wet suit, they do request tips so bring an extra $5-$10 in cash). The captain and first mate were wonderful tour guides giving everyone helpful hints as well as plenty of assistance and empathy for those who ended up getting sea-sick. They made me feel very comfortable particularly since the water was very choppy. "Don't feel embarassed to ask for help or let us know you're having a problem." They got us to the best spot on the reef and took good care to ensure everyone had a safe and fun time. While waiting to get set up for snorkeling (we got there an hour early) one of the employees called us over to show us a manatee that was floating around in the marina area. You could tell they really respected the environment as they were very, very careful in manuvering their boats. The only downfall was there were 33 people total on our excursion so it was fairly crowded when trying to snorkel. I can't tell you how many people I head-butted or who ran into me. read more

Good fishing with these guys. A little more expensive than the other party boats but smaller crowds. The one thing that disappointed me was having to share my fish with everyone including the people that didn't even fish the whole time. Honestly though, I went out 3 or 4 times and they put us on the fish. read more

Sea Dog Charters - Sea Dog produces - Boating Near Me - Marathon, Florida

See all

Had a great experience w Captn Tom and deckhand Anthony. Both were professional and courteous. Anthony was personable and shared a lot of what he knows about fishing and the local area. Only 3 of us on our charter so it felt very private. My husband and I left w about 8 yellow fin snapper each!! Definitely worth the money. I was a bit nervous about going as I thought I'd get sea sick (which I didn't). And the water seemed choppy to me. But it was all good!! Highly recommend to anyone and when I read some of the reviews on here I was initially nervous. But we had a great time!!! Check it out if u want a great fishing experience!!!! read more

Sea Dog Charters - Boating Near Me - Marathon, Florida

See all

3 hours of snorkeling . It was a great price of 25 per person. The captain and the first mate (Lauren and Brian) were awesome. They were friendly and helpful. They helped us with the orientation as we were first time snorkelers. One of my friend didn't know swimming and they enabled him to enjoy his time. I will highly recommend this place. read more

Had a great time doing the Reef & Wreck charter. We opted for this charter since we are not very experienced in fishing and the captain and first mate were very patient and helpful! I thought it was very fairly priced, with taxes and fees it came out to about $150 for two people before (cash) tip. They were great about rotating people from fishing off the back of the boat to the sides so everyone got an equal shot at catching fish. If I ever come back to the Keys I would definitely do this charter again! read more

My son and I booked a charter and had a great experience. The captain was knowledgeable and patient with us. We caught enough for dinner. We would have caught more, except for the pesky barrcudas. That was totally out of the captain's control. He actually tried to catch the 'cuda. He almost had it in the boat, but it jumped off of the hook. I would book with them again if we are down this way. read more

A truly excellent charter company. Bill was our Captain and Dez was our deck hand. They were really great in every regard. We fished reefs and a wreck. Hooked a few fish due to Bill and Dez's expertise. Didn't manage to land any, but that was no one's fault. Sea Dogs is really a first rate operation from start to finish. Highly recommend and will definitely book with them next trip to the Keys. Bravo guys!! read more

Don't waste your money here. Crappy equipment. Hardly any bait. Unknowledgeable crew. So many other great fishing charters in marathon. Firstly, when we booked the fishing trip with sea dog chargers, they told us we would be fishing for grouper and yellowtail at a wreck site. We didn't go to a wreck site. They took us to the reef off sombrero and nothing was biting at all. Out of a group of 10, only 4 fish were caught. All under 10". The first mate announced at the beginning of the trip that she didn't have a clue how to tie a hook and we would have to do it ourselves or wait for the captain. He doesn't know how to tie a hook either I guess because everything he tied on came undone right when you'd get a bite. Very disappointed. Don't go here. read more

Do yourself a favor and DO NOT book a fishing trip with Captain Jim Purcell - he will take your money and deliver a sub-par experience with no apologies. He advertises 1/2 day trips for $59.99 a person yet charged me $1,800 for a full day charter and we were out LESS THAN 3 HOURS. Extremely disappointed in this charter and would not recommend to anyone. Save your hard-earned $$$ and go elsewhere (try the Key Colony Marina). read more

Kim and Claudia are pros and worked hard the entire time to ensure we had a good day on the water and got fish in the boat. Unfortunately several people got sea-sick which made more room for those that were fishing. Might have been a bit cramped if all 15 were fishing. They also divi up the fish equally at the end so no one goes home empty handed. Definitely a good value and fun day!! read more

We had a great time fishing. This place was easy to sign up and go. Captain Claudia was great. She made it fun for everyone. She pointed out large sea turtles and flying fish along the journey. This place was recommended to me by someone staying at the place we were at. Dont let the low cost fool you we got alot more than expected. I will recommend this place. read more

Captains make sure everyone rotates around to the hot spots so that everyone catches fish. They're very friendly and really work to keep bait on the hooks, take the fish off, and deal with snags and tangles so that you don't have a lot of time spent waiting for help and spend more time fishing. We did the party boat tour which was a more affordable option for us and we caught tons of fish. read more

Unfortunately our experience was not as expected after asking many questions prior to booking the private service. We specifically inquired about our interest in catching tarpon. The experienced fisherman of our 3 person group felt the equipment were less than par for the cost paid. The cost was 30% above website published pricing. At the end of the 3 hour trip, one 10-15 lb shark was landed. The best rod of 3 had at least 3 larger fish hooked and line broke all times. A very disappointing experience for other reasons as well, which will not be mentioned (but could be privately if asked specific questions). read more

My wife and I booked a fishing charter for June 13th of this year. The timeliness of the charter was good as we left on time and the price was right. The captain, Mark, put us on fish and brought home a decent amount of snapper, along with catching a barracuda and a nurse shark. The reason for the 3 stars is because of the captain's horrible attitude and lack of people/customer service skills. The guy flat out didn't want to be there and let us know it. Additionally, he was barking at a 7 year old boy the whole time telling him he wasn't fishing right. The company I'm sure is decent, however that captain needs to go!!! read more

A half day out with Captain Claudia and Kimberly yielded a lovely catch , much fun and camaraderie, and a shared catch of several species. Highly recommend this company! read more

This place is awesome Capt was cool all Girl crew these woman are BadAss ! Not scared! to get dirty The capt took extra time to show the guest how to fish ,Took extra time to show the Kids 1 on 1 ,MY wife and I caught fish and had a blast .All the way from Texas will be back next Summer for sure next time going after Maui. Larence and Dahena read more

This place is a total joke. The captain was completely rude to everyone and we did not even get on the boat yet. Also show up time a half hour early and never started boarding untill 45 minutes later. Total scam. Totally awful people skills and hospitality. read more

The 3 of us went on the snorkel cruise to see the reef. This company is inexpensive and now we know why. Once we were all on board & were leaving the dock, the captain informed us that it was too windy to go to the reef, so we had to go elsewhere. The Captain was grumpy & impatient with questions by customers. He made multiple mistakes: didn't do a count before people got in the water, forgot to tell us how to put the life jackets on, he was unable to set his boat anchor & we drifted so far away from the site, there was no marine life near the boat area. A couple of experienced divers swam 1/4 mile to a nearby island and saw marine life, the rest of us saw nothing! The wetsuit we rented had a broken zipper so we couldn't use it. The captain and the mate were both unprofessional & lacking in social skills. The water & soda were only $1 & chips/cookies only $1 also. Don't waste your money on this boat crew. read more

Booked days ahead of time and after waiting an hour on the dock we were told we had to go in a smaller boat with no shade after paying for the larger boat. Owner rude and obnoxious. Had to argue for refund. Find a more ethical place to spend your money. read more

No real chum, just leftover fish cleaning scraps and some sand and oatmeal, no fresh bait, old stale cut up ballyhoo. Poor results. For all people on the charter, from 3 different families, (because they had overbooked two different charters.) Captain moved from the first non productive spot to second non productive spot and said, well, I've used all my bag of tricks. Rusty dull hooks, no weight on the lines, had 6 people letting out 200 feet of line into the current with no weights, and subsequent tangles on almost every rod. We realize this is a bargain rate charter,but come on, use some good tackle, get some sharp hooks or sharpen the old rusty ones. Invest in a little split shot, buy or catch some fresh bait, try a shrimp on a slow day. 0-keeper yellowtail (2 total) 0- keeper snapper (0 total) 1-short and banned red grouper for the entire charter, and the mate and captain were both fishing also. Went 5-6 miles out, collected $68.75 for each $59.95 charter (they don't tell you about the fuel surcharge, taxes etc.) times 8 equals $550, to catch no fish, and use no weight, and use old rusty hooks, and two reels that didn't work right. The mate doesn't get paid by the company, so anything he gets is extra. They did get some yellow tail snapper from their freezer, and filleted about about 10 to be split among 8 people. Nice enough guys, not good enough fishermen, or, we did not get their best effort. We caught more fish and more keeper fish off the dock where we were staying. read more

While we did do this charter mid-summer...it was memorable and I told the Captain I was going to write a review. He did NOT ask for it. I am compelled to write it as I did not check reviews before booking. We just wanted to go fishing and did not want to pay a lot. Then I booked and started checking around later...and found bad reviews. Our experience was GREAT! I have been a a few fishing charters and this was just great! My sons and I had a great time and we pulled in a number of fish. We had so much (and not place to freezer to put it) so we had fresh fish for 2 days for every single meal. There are a lot of places in the Keys where you can get it cooked for you. So we just carried it around in our cooler and pulled it out at each meal. the fishing was great. The captain and mate helpful. We would absolutely do it again! We went for a half day. After feasting on lunch and snorkeling we went back to the dock and the boat had just come back in again. That grouped was psyched too! Everyone was happy with their experience. Can't wait to go fishing again! read more

I called two days prior to get a spot for my dad and I. I was told the max amount of folks would be eight, but ended having eleven people on the boat, so I though the trip started out bad, but it ended being a great experience. read more

Captain Claudia and her mates are the best!! My husband and I had such a great time we caught lots of fish due to Capt. Claudia's expertise fishing. We will definitely do this again the next time we stay and highly recommend this adventure!! read more

Had a great time. Capt. Tim and First Mate Rob were great. My 9 year old daughter caught her first fish, actually caught more then me. The crew was extremely knowledgable and took care of all our needs. Mike who set everything up, was also a great guy. read more

We made reservations with this company, gave our credit card info to hold the reservation, stayed an extra night in the Keys to go fishing for 1/2 day, hung out doing nothing much in the Keys to show up for a 1-4 trip, showed up on time, then were told by a female employee that they did not have our reservation. No apologies. No offer to help find us another boat, as our 3 kids were highly disappointed. Rude. We ended up finding Robbie's in Islamorada and they were so helpful and accommodating they blow Sea Dogs out of the water. Skip Sea Dogs. Go see Robbie. read more

This was an absolute blast!! Captain Frank and his crew were fun, informative, and accommodating. The price was also amazing!! Will most definitely book again!! read more

My family and I are visiting the keys. This is our 3rd time heading out on one of the sea dog charters. We had a great experience lots of fish, laughs and memories made! Captain Vivian was very knowledgeable and fun. First mate Trey was awesome. He did a great job bating and untangling all the lines. He gave us a great recommendation of a place to have our fish cooked and it was phenomenal! Thank you Trey and Vivian your awesome! read more

I have fished in many places with many charter captains. Captain Claudia is by far, the most experienced and friendly captain with whom I've fished in my entire life. She worked extremely hard to ensure that everyone on her boat felt welcomed amd learned alot. Safety and fun are her first priorities! She keeps her boat clean and her clients happy. No doubt, she loves what she does! read more

We booked a 1/2 day fishing. brochure said 10 or less. when we booked they said we would be the last two. HOwever, when we got there they had 14 booked. As we waited to board 2 more walk on came on two. That was a total 0f 16. Fishing was impossible and those catching fish were hogging the best fishing spots. 8 huge men hogged the two sides, leavings the remainder to fish off the back of the boat and corners. Lines became tangled and we were shoulder to shoulder. It was the worst fishing charter I have ever been on. DO NOT BOOK ON THIS CHARTER, YOU WILL BE SO SORRY. And on top of everything, the anchor that they were using to anchor the boat was too small, because they had lost a anchor a week before and it was difficult to anchor the boat. I called to complain,however, no one ever called me back. DISASTER, THEY ARE LIARS. boat in terrible condition. read more

Kim and Claudia were awesome! We had a great time and caught a lot of fish! We are use to fishing offshore in the Atlantic off the coast of ocean city, md, so this was a different type of fishing for us but they were so helpful and knowledgeable! I'm so glad we went and we will definitely be back! read more

Had a great time with this charter last week! Would highly recommend this for anyone that is looking for a charter in Marathon. Look forward to our week trip! read more