1801 N Roosevelt Blvd, Key West, FL 33040 · Monday–Sunday: 6:00 am – 9:00 pm
The Captain
Capt. John Hoover
Let me show you the natural beauty and angling opportunity that abounds in the nearshore waters off Key West. I am grateful everyday to continue to share this wonderful ecosystem with others.
Capt. John Hoover, a lifelong Floridian, has been fishing in the Lower Florida Keys for over 15 years. He is a year round fishing guide.
From the shallow flats to deep offshore, and everywhere in between, the diversity of the ecosystem is truly incredible.
Capt. Hoover is on the water over 300 days a year allowing him to provide unique insights on the current pulse of the local fisheries.
Capt. John will do his best to make sure you have a fun day full of fishing. He specializes in fly fishing, drift fishing, popping, and spinning, all to get you on that bite.
Captain
Capt. John Hoover, a lifelong Floridian
Experience
Fishing in the Lower Florida Keys for over 15 years. A year round fishing guide.
On the water
Over 300 days a year
Specialties
Fly fishing, drift fishing, popping, and spinning
Fishing
Inshore fishing, flats fishing, backcountry fishing, and light tackle
Trips
4 to 10-hour trips, mainly fishing for Barracuda, Tarpon, Snapper, Permit, Jack Crevalle, and Grouper, depending on the season and conditions of the day.
Rating
Captain & crew 5.0 · 4.9 from 215 reviews on FishingBooker
Customer Reviews
Customers love our trips!
“Fished with Capt. Hoover two days in November and its clear why he is one of the best inshore guides in Key West. He really knows how to build a charter around weather, tides, whats biting, and the clients interest for a perfectly tailored experience each trip. He also brings no ego to a fishing day- just calm, positive vibes all day long.
Made lots of memories, learned a lot, and had a stress free time catching bonefish.”
— Happy Customer, Craig Bonfield 2023
Full Day Trip
Epic Day Out!
★★★★★
“Captain John made a great day out of less than perfect conditions. It was worth letting him assess the best options for what mother nature brought. … John is an ethical and knowledgeable Captain who you can trust to give you the best options for a great day. We will fish again with him.”
Seth E. · FishingBooker
Full Day Trip
Good Full Day Trip!
★★★★★
“John is a great captain. Encyclopedic knowledge of local and indigenous flora and fauna (ask him about birds).”
Find out more details on which fishing charter option may work best for you depending on your goals for the day, type of fishing and target species desired.
Need help deciding? Find out more details on which trip option may work best for you by visiting our trip options page and scrolling down to the recommendations guide. You can also reach out to us directly and the captain will be happy to make recommendations depending on your goals for the day, type of fishing, angler expertise and target species desired.
What’s biting right now?
There are some species available to us year round in similar quantities throughout such as snappers, sharks, etc. Other species such as Tarpon, Barracuda, or Seatrout may have certain seasonal fluctuations in size or volume that are better at some times of year vs. others. There is always something thats a good option to fish for based on what your goalset is. If you’re looking to plan a trip for a particular species or style of fishing please feel free to reach out and we can strategize the best time of year for that. Check out our page on the seasonality of fishing for more details on times of year for certain targets.
Am I guaranteed to catch a fish?
There is no guarantee in fishing that there will be “catching”, and that is where the achievement is in successfully catching a fish. Some fisheries will have a very high catch rate, but not a lot of species variety or large size. Other fisheries will have a very low catch rate on average but very large sized or incredible fighting characteristics. Sometimes it comes down to angler ability of making an accurate cast or proper presentation of the bait. I will do everything in my power to positively increases all of the factors in my control to facilitate your success as best I can. I will ask you before we depart but it’s best to consider what the ideal type of fishing is for you to ensure maximum personal satisfaction with the day. Your happiness is my main goal.
