Spearfishing Florida Keys

Ensure that your adventure spearfishing Florida Keys waters is hassle-free with our knowledge of local regulations. The combination of bag and size limits, license requirements, and extremely strict regulations make spearfishing a local sport you don’t want to take lightly. It is important to be aware of prohibited species, prohibited areas, and other laws meant to protect the local ecosystem and reef. Book a private spearfishing charter with us and all you need to worry about is your aim – our charter license covers you and our experience guides you. To get an idea of the serious regulations involved, view the brochure of Monroe County Spearfishing regulations.

Spearfishing Charters

Our Florida Keys spearfishing charters are for the experienced spearfisherman, with or without local knowledge. Our spearfishing charters are done mainly on the shallow wrecks and the reef in the waters surrounding Marathon and Duck Key. We offer half day, 3/4 day and full days charters. Bring your own spear and gear, as it is not provided.

When Florida keys lobster is in season, a combined lobstering and spearfishing charter is available.

Species Found Spearfishing Florida Keys Wrecks & Reef

The local wrecks and reef around Marathon and Duck Key offer the perfect environment for the avid spearfisherman. Species to target while spearfishing Florida Keys environs include grouper, snapper, hogfish, barracuda, and more. Snapper include both mutton snapper and mangrove snapper. Wreck spearfishing can also yield amberjack. Species of grouper that can legally be speared are black grouper, gag grouper, and red grouper. It is important to recognize the difference between those and the prohibited Nassau grouper and goliath grouper, which are often confused. Spearfishing Florida Keys wrecks and reefs can yield many of these species, which offer not only a great challenge but a delicious, well-earned dinner.

Florida Keys Spearfishing History and Info

Spearfishing as a sport is popular worldwide though intensively managed. It is an ancient method of fishing that dates back thousands of years which has evolved into the underwater sport of hunting that it is today. Though it continues to be a means for providing food for many avid spearfisherman, including those in the Florida Keys, it is most of all a sport of skill, marksmanship, and endurance. Locally, those involved in the sport typically practice it with much respect for the local fisheries and environment. Spearfishing Florida Keys reefs and wrecks is considered one of the most exciting and ecologically friendly fishing or hunting experiences around.

Florida and Florida Keys spearfishing hit the big time with the Sports Illustrated spearfishing article on the Pinder Brothers and their cousin Charley Andrews. The Pinder brothers were national spearfishing champions in their heyday and undefeated in Florida at one point in time. They spearfished from Biscayne Bay in Miami to the Florida Keys to the Bahamas and beyond.

The most locally renowned Florida Keys spearfisherman is Manny Puig, who was born in Cuba and cites his youth spearfishing Florida Keys reefs and wrecks as inspiration for his future wildlife adventures. Many of his exploits are viewable on film. His freediving and animal-wrangling adventures have been featured on many shows, including Savage Wild, Jackass, MTV’s Wildboyz and the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week. Much of his Florida Keys spearfishing was done with freediving parter Meghan Heaney-Grier, a local freediving champion.

Key Largo Spearfishing & Islamorada Spearfishing

Though we do not offer spearfishing charters to Islamorada or Keys Largo, they are worth mentioning because charters in Marathon and Duck Key provide a drastically greater abundance of unregulated spearing locations. Because of heavier regulations, Key Largo spearfishing and Islamorada spearfishing require more vigilance than spearfishing in Marathon FL or Duck Key. Many reefs in Key Largo and Islamorada are considered ‘Sanctuary Preservation Areas’ and are no-take zones. State Parks there such as Everglades National Park and John Pennekamp, though ripe with underwater wildlife, are heavily protected. Many areas prohibit even the possession of a speargun.

There is a 3-mile out rule in Islamorada which limits Islamorada spearfishing to 3 miles offshore, which makes much of the reef and the entire bayside off-limits. The Key Largo Sanctuary, which extends the boundary of Pennekamp, means all bay waters and most water oceanside of Key Largo is off-limits. Though Marathon, too, has protected areas including Coffins Patch and Sombrero Key, legal spearfishing grounds are much more frequent and within shorter distance which makes for more time in the water! Other than the areas just mentioned and standard bridge, beach, and jetty boundaries, virtually all of Marathon waters are legal, including the Bay. A charter out of Duck Key or Marathon FL is definitely one way to make the most of spearfishing Florida Keys reefs and wrecks.

Florida Keys Spearfishing Tournament

A great way to experience any type of fishing is with the added excitement of competing in a tournament and that goes for spearfishing too. Every July, the Florida Keys Open Spearfishing Tournament takes place in Marathon FL. The tournament format allows either a two-person team or an individual entrant. Book a charter with us for up to 3 teams or 6 individuals or a combination in between. Read more about the only annual tournament for spearfishing Florida Keys waters. Tournament proceeds benefit a good cause with past contributions going to the Kevin Piper Foundation (in memory a local teen spearfisherman) as well as to the American Cancer Society. The goal of the Florida keys spearfishing Tournament is to bring a respectful awareness to the sport, of both its dangers and its awesomeness.