I was looking for a deep-sea trip for my son and me. It was daunting to figure out the perfect one for our needs. My boy saw that Captain Pete offered deep sea Mahi Mahi tours that ended with shooting clay traps off the back of the boat. We ended our search and booked immediately. We did not regret our choice.
We had booked an 8-hour, full day trip for the following day. When we got there, the Captain was fully willing to take us out but advised we should wait if possible because the seas were expected to be pretty active all day. We rerouted our plans for the day and decided to meet him the following morning. I have no idea what the seas were like or would have been, but I appreciate him trying to get us the best experience possible if we were able to adapt.
The trip went fantastic. It was still a little choppy getting out to his spot and I definitely need some practice gaining my sea legs. We were able to catch a couple of bait fish and a couple of tuna on the way out, which was neat and a cool prelude to what was to come.
The next three hours or so, we hit about 4 different schools of Mahi. He had the equipment set up in a way that allowed us to catch a fish, then move on to the next while his mate took care of the fish for us. The Captain and his mate were absolutely hopping. They were directing us what to do, giving us instructions and keeping the boat and equipment on point to get the job done. It was pretty interesting to see it all come together and they did a great job of working us, while also being understanding that we didn’t know what the heck we were doing.
We caught our limit and then the Captain gave me an option to call it a day for a discount or keep trying for a few more hours catching something else that may or may not happen. He didn’t have to do that and even admitted that it would be nothing more than a money grab if he did. I thought that showed integrity and honestly we had way more fish than I wanted to take on a plane at that point anyway.
Capt. Pete then got us all set up for the trap shoot. My son and I were able to shoot a box of shells off the stern. While this was fun, let me tell you, it was not an easy proposition. We were sitting in the back of the boat and he’d let the clays off. Shooting clays is a skill on dry land, but it’s pretty challenging from a boat on the open water. We hit one out of 25 targets and the kick of the shotgun blistered my already painful sun burn. We had 100% fun and I wouldn’t trade a bit of it to get rid of this strawberry on my shoulder that I’m currently still nursing!
If I go back to Key Largo, I won’t be looking for another charter to go fishing. Thanks to Pete and his mate, Chuck. We had a great day!
I was looking for a deep-sea trip for my son and me. It was daunting to figure out the perfect one for our needs. My boy...
