Marathon Florida Private Shark Charters

Targeting Blacktip, Lemon, Bull, and Hammerhead Sharks!

If you’ve never gone toe-to-toe with a shark, you don’t know what your fishing rod is actually capable of. I’m Captain Kevin Johnsen with Florida Keys Reel Adventures, and my shark fishing charters out of Marathon will put you face-to-face with some of the most powerful predators in the ocean.

These are 4-hour trips built for pure adrenaline. We’re targeting bull sharks, blacktips, lemon sharks, hammerheads, and whatever else is patrolling the waters that day. When a big shark picks up your bait and that drag starts screaming, you’ll understand real fast why people get hooked on this kind of fishing.

What Sharks Will You Catch in the Florida Keys?

The warm waters around Marathon are home to sharks year-round, and there’s serious variety out here depending on conditions and where we set up.

Bull sharks are the bruisers — aggressive, powerful, and built for a fight that will leave your arms shaking.

Blacktip sharks are fast and acrobatic, known for explosive strikes and launching themselves out of the water.

Lemon sharks get big and pull hard. They’re one of the most common species in the Keys and always a handful on the rod.

Hammerheads are the ones everyone wants to see. Hooking into one of these iconic predators is a bucket-list moment for most anglers, and the Florida Keys are one of the best places in the world to do it.

Every trip is different, and that’s part of the fun — you never know exactly what’s going to show up. But something always does.

More Than Just a Fight

There’s a moment on every shark trip that sticks with people long after the fishing is over. It’s when we get a big shark alongside the boat and you see it up close for the first time — the size, the power, the way it moves through the water. It hits different when you’re three feet away from an apex predator you just spent twenty minutes battling.

All of our sharks are carefully released. These animals are critical to the health of the ocean, and getting to see one up close before watching it swim away is an experience that stays with you. I’ve had kids on the boat who talked about nothing else for weeks. It’s part big-game fishing, part hands-on marine biology lesson, and it’s one of the most memorable things you can do in the Florida Keys.

Is This Trip Right for Your Group?

Shark fishing is one of my most popular trips for families, and it’s beginner-friendly. You don’t need any experience — I’ll handle the rigging, the bait, and the setup. All you need to do is hold on when something big grabs the line, and I’ll coach you through the fight every step of the way.

That said, these are powerful fish, and the fights are physical. Younger kids are absolutely welcome and they love it, but they’ll likely need some help from a parent or from me when a bigger shark gets on. The 4-hour trip length keeps it manageable for all ages without wearing anyone out.

If your group is looking for a safe, exciting, and totally different kind of fishing trip, this is it!