What do you need to bring on a Key West charter?
Sun protection and a plan for seasickness. The boat supplies rods, reels, bait and tackle, so you are packing for the conditions rather than the fishing. A long-sleeved shirt, a brimmed hat, polarised sunglasses, sunscreen, a remedy taken the night before, soft shoes, water and cash for the mate.
What actually ends a Key West charter day?
Not the fishing. Sun and seasickness, in that order, and both are preventable.
People underestimate the sun here because a hot destination sounds like an easy one. It is not a beach. You are on open water for the whole trip, with light coming off the surface as well as down, and the only shade is whatever the boat happens to have.
Cover skin instead of relying on cream. A light long-sleeved shirt is cooler in direct sun than bare arms, which sounds wrong and is not.
Take the seasickness remedy the night before
This is the single most useful line on the page. Most remedies are built to work in advance. Very little helps once you already feel it.
Offshore is the roughest of the three trips, because it is the longest run in the most open water. Reef is steadier. Flats is calm. If somebody in the party is prone to it, that is a reason to choose the fishery too.
Which remedy is a question for a pharmacist. This site names the category and stops there.
The list
Nine things. None of them is tackle, because the tackle is theirs.
- Long-sleeved shirt
- Covering skin beats reapplying cream for eight hours. A light sun shirt is cooler than bare arms in direct sun.
- Hat with a brim
- A cap leaves your ears and neck exposed. A brim all the way round does not.
- Polarised sunglasses
- Cuts glare off the water. On a flats trip they are not optional — you cannot sight fish without them.
- Sunscreen
- For everything the clothing does not cover. Ask the operator whether they prefer a particular kind.
- Seasickness remedy
- Taken the night before, not at the dock. Most work in advance and not much works once you feel it.
- Soft-soled shoes
- Non-marking soles, or bare feet on some boats. Black soles mark a deck and dark shoes get hot.
- Water
- More than you think. Check what the boat provides rather than assuming.
- Cash
- For the mate. A card reader is not always aboard.
- A cooler in the car
- For the drive back with your fillets, if you are keeping fish.
What the boat already has
Rods, reels, bait, terminal tackle and the knowledge to rig it. That is true across flats, reef and offshore.
If you want to fish your own gear — fly tackle on the flats is the usual case — say so when you book. Turning up with it unannounced is how people end up not using it.
Packing questions
What should I bring on a Key West fishing charter?
Sun protection and something for seasickness, and very little else. The boat supplies rods, reels, bait and tackle on every trip type. Bring a long-sleeved shirt, a brimmed hat, polarised sunglasses, sunscreen, a seasickness remedy taken the night before, soft-soled shoes, water and cash for the mate. If you plan to keep fish, leave a cooler in the car.
Do I need to bring my own rod?
No. Tackle comes with the boat on flats, reef and offshore trips alike, and it is matched to the fishing. Bringing your own is normally unnecessary. If you want to fish your own gear, particularly fly tackle on the flats, say so when you book rather than turning up with it.
How bad is the sun on a Key West charter?
It is the thing most likely to spoil the day, and people underestimate it because a hot destination sounds like an easy one. You are on open water with light coming off the surface as well as down, for the whole trip, with no shade beyond whatever the boat has. Cover skin rather than relying on cream you have to remember to reapply.
What about seasickness?
Take something the night before. Most remedies are designed to work in advance and very little helps once you already feel it. Offshore is the roughest of the three trips because it is the longest run in the most open water; reef is steadier and flats is calm. If somebody in the party is prone to it, that is a reason to pick the fishery as well as the remedy. Anything beyond that is a question for a pharmacist, not a fishing site.
Is there a rule about reef-safe sunscreen?
The position is contested and this site does not state one. Key West passed an ordinance on the subject and Florida later preempted it, so what applies has moved. Individual operators may still ask you to use a particular kind on their boat, which is their call to make. Ask when you book — it is a short question and it avoids a conversation at the dock.
Next step
Looking for fishing trips in the Florida Keys?
Fishing Trips Florida Keys is an independent guide — no boats, no bookings, nothing to sell. It exists so you can ask better questions before you hand an operator a deposit.
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