Islamorada
Fishing Guides
USCG-licensed. Tournament-tested. 368 five-star reviews and counting.
Book a Guided TripWhat an Islamorada Fishing Guide Actually Does
An Islamorada fishing guide is a USCG-licensed captain who runs the boat, finds the fish, rigs and baits the gear, teaches technique, and cleans your catch at the dock. The job is part navigation, part biology, part instruction — reading water temperature, current, structure, season, and the day's conditions to put you on a productive bite. In a place with 1,700 square miles of fishable water and a Gulf Stream that moves daily, a good guide is the difference between a hopeful outing and a real fishing trip.
DirtyBoat is run by Captain Kit Carson — Keys Weekly Best Fishing Guide 2023, Cheeca Presidential and Gold Cup Series competitor, captain behind the 463-lb swordfish featured in Keys Weekly. Every trip is led personally; no junior captains, no rotating mates, no "we'll match you with someone." 368 five-star reviews across Google, TripAdvisor, and FareHarbor say the system works.
Your Guide
USCG-Licensed Charter Captain
Captain Kit Carson
Florida-native captain running DirtyBoat 2.0 — a 42' Liberty Express — out of Robbie's Marina in Islamorada. Over a decade at the helm of this boat. Apprenticed three years under Capt. Joe Saba before acquiring the business. Tournament competitor on the Keys circuit and the captain behind the 463-lb swordfish Keys Weekly featured in 2023.
- 🏆 Keys Weekly Best Fishing Guide 2023
- 🏆 Cheeca Presidential Sailfish Tournament
- 🏆 Gold Cup Series Midseason Leader
- 📰 Southern Living 17 Best in Islamorada
- 📰 Keys Weekly 463-lb Swordfish Feature
- ⭐ 368 five-star reviews
What Makes a Great Islamorada Guide
Islamorada has more fishing guides per capita than almost any town in America. The bar is high; the floor is also high. The differences between a competent guide and a great one show up in specifics: how he reads current breaks on a flat day, how fast he adjusts when the bite goes from sailfish to mahi an hour into the trip, whether he hands you the rod at the right moment or before you're ready.
I've put in the years. There are no part-timers on this boat, no captain who learned on YouTube. Tournament results, customer reviews, gear quality, safety standards: all four matter, and the 368 five-star reviews didn't happen by accident. A bad guide can ruin a vacation; a good one can produce a story you'll tell at dinner parties for the next ten years.
My Standard
- ✅ USCG license — current, verifiable, every trip.
- ✅ Tournament-tested rig — same setup that fishes the Cheeca Presidential goes on every charter, half-day or full-day.
- ✅ 368-review consistency — 4.9+ average across Google, TripAdvisor, FareHarbor. Same captain, same prep, same outcomes.
- ✅ One captain, every trip — no junior mates running the boat, no "we'll match you with someone." If you book DirtyBoat, you fish with Capt. Kit.
- ✅ Truth about the day — if the weather is bad I'll move you to a reef plan or reschedule. Bad days don't make repeat customers.
Pick the Right Trip
The mismatch is usually tool to target species, not skill. Same captain, different game plan:
- ⚔️ Half-day reef + family — AC salon, head, stable hull, light tackle for snapper and yellowtail.
- ⚔️ Full-day mixed bag — reef on the way out, Gulf Stream on the way back, whatever's biting.
- ⚔️ Tournament-grade sailfish — kite spread, December through March is peak.
- ⚔️ Run-and-gun mahi — when the weed lines run, April through August.
- ⚔️ Swordfish deep-drop — year-round on calm-water days, the bucket-list trip.
- ⚔️ Split / shared — same boat, same captain, half the cost.
Sails From
Robbie's Marina, Mile Marker 77.5, Islamorada. Free parking, bait shop, restaurants, the tarpon feeding right next door. Five minutes from the slip to blue water.
Guided Trip Rates
Transparent published pricing — no mystery fees. The Ledger has it all.
View The LedgerThe Boat
DirtyBoat 2.0 — 42' Liberty Express, 900 HP twin turbo Cummins diesels, air-conditioned salon, enclosed head, tournament-grade cockpit. Up to 6 anglers private; 4-seat split.
Live Guided-Trip Availability
Real-time openings on DirtyBoat 2.0.
That day's either booked solid or off our regular schedule. Call us — we keep a waitlist for last-minute openings, and we work with a fleet of sister boats that can run if we can't.
📞 Call (305) 209-5594 See Sister-Boat Fleet →What My Approach Is Different About
Most Islamorada fishing guides learned the trade the same way: years of mate work, the right captain to learn from, and enough days at the dock to know what works. My path was that, plus three years apprenticing under Capt. Joe Saba before acquiring DirtyBoat. The Saba pedigree shows up in how the boat is rigged, how the spread is set, and how aggressive we get when the bite tells us to.
I fish like every trip matters because every trip does. The 368 five-star reviews didn't accumulate by accident — they accumulated because the same captain who shows up for the Cheeca Presidential shows up for a half-day with a first-time angler. Same prep, same rigging, same read of the water. The fish don't know the difference between your half-day and a tournament. I don't either.
Most importantly: I'll tell you the truth about the day. If the wind is blowing 25 knots out of the east and the offshore bite is dead, I'll move you to a reef plan, or talk you into rescheduling. Bad fishing days don't make repeat customers. I'm in this for the long game.
Islamorada Fishing Guide FAQs
What does a fishing guide do?
USCG-licensed captain who runs the boat, finds the fish, rigs gear, teaches technique, cleans your catch. Part navigation, part biology, part instruction.
Guide vs. charter captain — same thing?
In the Keys, usually yes. "Guide" implies instructional emphasis; "charter" emphasizes the boat + booking. DirtyBoat operates as both.
How much does an Islamorada guide cost?
Private half-day from $1,200 + fuel. Split $475/seat. Swordfish $2,700 + fuel. Full rate sheet.
How do I choose the right guide?
USCG license, verifiable reviews, tournament results, the boat matches the trip, captain answers your questions directly. If you can't talk to the captain pre-trip, skip them.
Do you teach beginners?
Yes. Most full-service Islamorada guides welcome first-timers. We rig everything, hand you the rod with the fish already hooked, and walk you through the fight. Kids and complete beginners fish productively on Keys charters every day.
Ready to Fish with a Guide Who Knows the Water?
Book direct, text me, or let Captain Jack (the AI booking mate) handle scheduling 24/7.
Islamorada Fishing Guides • Florida Keys Fishing Guides • USCG-Licensed Captain • Robbie's Marina • Capt. Kit Carson • Tournament Guide • Sailfish Capital of the World