Key West Fishing Charter

Experience the local Key West waters sport fishing on-board SOUTHBOUND.
Enjoy Offshore Fishing, Trolling, Live Baiting, Deep Sea, Reef and Wreck Fishing.

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About Southbound

Everyone is welcome.
From beginners to experts!

Join Captain Richard Houde aboard the Key West fishing charter boat SOUTHBOUND, a 40 ft. custom fiberglass sportfishing boat that comfortably accommodates up to 6 anglers.

The Latest Catch of the Day

Late season Dolphin

Nov 21, 2022

Oct. 23, 2022 The summer of 2022 was not a banner year for Dolphin. We caught some fish, but we had to earn most of them. This fall, for whatever reason has been better than usual. I'll take it. One thing I have learned fishing for the last 40 years is that you have...

Good Reef Action

Oct 22, 2022

Today we caught some live bait and fished the reef. We were looking for more eating fish than trophy fish. The yellowtail snapper and mutton snappers were cooperating and I'm sure a fantastic fish dinner was had by all!!

Little Guy….Big Fish

Mar 12, 2022

We had a tough decision to make on Saturday Key West was experiencing strong Southeast winds due to an approaching cold front. It makes my decision difficult because, while the wind was strong out of the South in the morning, I knew that the front was coming in and it...

Key West has some of the most exciting sport fishing the tropics have to offer.

Trolling, Live Baiting, Deep Sea, Wreck or Reef.

Sailfish, Wahoo, Tuna, Dolphin (Mahi or Dorado), Marlin, Barracuda, Shark, Tarpon, Grouper, Snapper and more!

Capt. Rich has been charter fishing the tropical waters of the lower Florida Keys since the late 80’s and the owner of the Southbound since 1992.

“I’ve been fishing the waters in and around Key West Florida for over 30 years. I am still amazed at the beauty of the water and the wildlife.”

Vacation in Key West, the perfect vacation destination!

Where you can enjoy the excitement of fishing the waters of Key West by day and the excitement of Key West’s nightlife afterward.

Fish More & Stay Free in Key West

When you book at least 2 days of sport fishing aboard Southbound you have a free place to stay a few blocks off Duval Street.

Learn more about our

Sportfishing Vacation Package.

Key West

79°

Fair

6:50 am5:38 pm EST

Feels like: 84°F
Wind: 8mph E
Humidity: 86%
Pressure: 30"Hg
UV index: 0

SunMonTue

82/75°F
81/75°F
82/77°F

Visit the Tropics and never leave the Country!

Desperate people in desperate times. Found this Cu

6-7 ft ‘ gator at the gate of my hunting camp!!

Sunday was a pretty good day! Caught some nice Dol

There have been a few nice late season Dolphin aro

Not a perfect “pancake”, but I still got 50+ B

41 years ago this week, I left my home state of Ne

I hate to see this, but this is why you have to ma

Hurricane Ian came through Key West last night. It

Past this abandoned Cuban raft this morning on the

Honestly not catching a lot of fish lately. But we

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Southbound Sport Fishing Key West

4.8

Based on 51 reviews

review us on

Jeff Grossman

18:23 31 Aug 22

Can't say enough for Capt. Rich and mate Barbie, My son and myself chartered... the Southbound for 3 days the week of Aug. 14 to Aug. 20th. The capt. and mate did not disappoint. The capt. put us on the fish and mate Barbie worked her tail off from before we got on the boat until after we left. If you talk about professionalism this is the boat to be on. The best perk of all is if you book the boat for whatever amount of days you get to stay in the house capt. Rich has. This was a great bonus because we didn't have to book a hotel for the week. If I could give 10 stars this would be where I would use them. Thanks again Capt. Rich and Barbie for a week I will never forget.read more

Garrison Shaker

00:38 10 Jul 22

By far one of my favorite fishing experiences I’ve ever done. Not only was he... super friendly and helpful and knowledgeable. But he gave us one of the best fishing recipes to make our own fish when we got home. And it was extremely delicious. Highly recommend to anyone. We also caught a ton of fish on what appeared to be a slow fishing day for other boats.read more

Stephanie Smith

21:15 18 Dec 21

If I could give 10 stars I would! My husband and I have taken our three boys on... several fishing charters from Hawaii, San Francisco, Great Lakes and the Panhandle and by far this has been the best! Rich and Edward are top notch! Educational, fun and really engaging with my boys during the entire trip! My boys are already begging to go back!The boat was clean and comfortable and we even saved a bird that tried to catch bait and got caught in the line.read more

Michael Caroselli

16:05 11 Dec 21

We were down in Key West celebrating a birthday and decided to go on a family... fishing trip. After calling one charter boat that didn't have time available they recommended Southbound. That was such a wonderful recommendation because as you can see in the pictures below we had a great day catching fish. The captain, Rick and his mate Edward taught us so much about catching fish. We left the boat with tons of fish and then went to a restaurant that prepares your catch for you. Key West was such a great trip so I would highly suggest going there for a trip.read more

COpalmer29 Gaming

00:56 25 Nov 21

Had such an awesome experience from the second we hit the docks captain Rich... and Edward were right there to greet us! Captain rich was on point with talking to my little man and making sure where ever we went was going to be a good safe spot for little man. Edward was on point making sure all the rods and reels were ready to go and we had bait and were hooking up with lots of fish! We had a blast catching several sharks and quite a few bait fish 10 out of 10 would highly recommend Southbound Sport Fishing to anyone looking to go out on a charter trip!! Will definitely be back and out again with these guys!!read more

Brian Judycki

16:17 18 Sep 21

Captain Rich and Mate Johnny were absolutely terrific! Had a great day catching... fish.read more

Alexandra Trofimov

21:16 24 Aug 21

THIS COMPANY HAS EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTATIONS! GREAT JOB!Highlights:... reservation experience, fishing, pregnancy, fish for food, extending the tripCapital Richard and his first mate Edward have done an exceptional job taking my husband and I on a private 6-hour fishing trip. During the reservation process, they promptly responded to my email and phone call, answered all of my questions, gave an honest feedback on the fishing situation at that time.Upon arrival, they were there on time, greeted and oriented us to the boat, provided a safety brief, and asked us about the exact type of fishing we desired. We ended up having a great deep sea fishing trip, caught several Mahis, lost several Mahis, and caught a gigantic barracuda that we let go. Edward has been very accommodating and informative. If you want to learn or get hands-on experience - this is the place. Other than that sit back, enjoy your refreshments, and wait for something to bite.P.S. We have never seen anyone reel in 3 rods so fast when the 4th one had a bite.If you have a successful fishing day and want to eat what you caught, these guys will cleaned and prepare the fish for you, and will recommend you some restaurants in the area that will cook your fish.When confirming the reservation details I asked about extending the trip time and was told it is possible if no other reservations were made that day. When we asked about extending our time one hour prior to the end of the trip the Captain said he had already turned back and headed to shore. If you want to extend your trip, it's better to ask about it before you begin your trip.I was in my second trimester and the trip was completely safe. There's also a head on the boat. I also received a very cute baby shirt for my baby as a gift to remember.Overall, great job!read more

Ron Collins

14:31 11 Jul 21

This was our 2 charter with Southbound and the experience was without tarnish!... Capt Rich was out of town and put us in the hands of Capt Andy and Capt Edward, both having decades of knowledge and experience in the waters of Key West. While Capt Andy scouted and navigated for the best areas, Capt Edward did a phenomenal job at managing the chaos of us having multiple lines hooked… all 5 at one point! Needless to say, we WILL be back to book another trip (as should you).read more

Georgia Radtkevegv-just l,kkk

19:10 27 Mar 21

We had Captain Craig with Adam as a shipmate, and they were incredible! They... had fun personalities and knew exactly where to find the fish! We can’t wait to book another trip with them!read more

Gary Cottrell

16:08 11 Feb 21

Captain Rich provided my family with a very positive fishing experience. Our... most important objective was to have a fun and engaging fishing trip. With 6 adults of varying levels of fishing background we mostly wanted to catch fish. Captain Rich delivered! The charter was a very positive experience for each of us. A+ super good time!read more

Michael Wehner

03:17 03 Jan 21

Excellent experience and they made the day very fun. Captain Rich and Ben did... an excellent job with my daughter and me in keeping us comfortable, getting to the fish and tailoring the day to our needs. Couldn't have asked for a better experience!! I highly recommend Southbound!!read more

Jeff Nash

13:03 03 Dec 20

Captain Rich and his First Mate did a great job putting us on fish when boats... around us struggled. The action was consistent and exceeded our expectations.The ocean was choppy and a cold front came through a day before. Captain Rich knew exactly where to go and put us on fish immediately.We will be coming back and highly recommend Southbound Fishing Charters.read more

Lance Stephens

20:42 10 Jul 20

Took a 1/2 day tour with Rich and Paul this morning. They had us on fish... minutes after getting the lines wet. Very knowledgeable fellers treated me, my wife, and 2 daughters very professionally. Outstanding service and will definitely look them up again.read more

James Fleege

18:00 13 Mar 20

Awesome!!! Caught a lot of fish! Great guys!

Victoria Cason

21:45 01 Mar 20

We could not have asked for a better trip. Captain Richard and his First Mate... Ben, worked very hard to make sure we had a great time. We booked the package that included 2 full days of fishing and three nights in a cabin. The cabin was close to the marina, comfortable, and perfect for us. We caught tons of fish - Cero Mackrel, King Mackrel, Yellow Jack, Yellowtail Snapper, and Barracuda. We saw manatees, dolphin Nd hammerhead shark too! Ben cleaned and filet all the fish, organized them by type, and packed them on ice for us. He even set aside a special bag of filets for us to take to a local restaurant so they could cook it up for dinner. Richard let us borrow his vacuum sealer so we could get the fish prepared to take home. I could go on and on! We will definitely be back!read more

aleksander kuzminov

16:36 16 Nov 19

Great boat. Great experience

Chris Ball

02:09 06 Jul 19

Capt Richard and mates of Southbound fishing have provided us with multiple... productive, exciting days of fishing with memories I won’t forget. Richard is very knowledgeable and uses his experience to put you on the fish! In the four times we have fished together, we caught Multiple species, including 4 nice sail fish and had an hour long battle with a 42 pound Bull Dolphin! If you want to come down to the keys and have a great time with the best chance at your fish of a life time, go with Southbound! Accommodations at the cottage were great both times as well and it’s placed in a very convenient location (close to the dock and close to the nightlife). Thanks to mates Steve, Paul, and Ben for your assistance and hard work. Hope to be back soon.Chris and Stephanie.read more

Rickie Zellers

20:36 09 Jun 19

On 6/4/19 I took my dad fishing with this outfitter. We had a blast!! The... Captain and Mate are a boat load of fun (no pun intended haha), and extremely knowledgeable. The Mate worked his butt off keeping everything running smoothly! My dad had such a great time he can't wait to be able to do it again!! If you are going fishing in Key West this is the guy you want!! My only wish is that he wasn't so busy and would post our fishing picture. haharead more

Scott Campbell

23:43 12 Feb 19

All I need to say is top shelf!!! Rich and Paul put me on fish quick. I had the... opportunity to catch and release many barracuda top was 30 lbs and then the hammer head shark came inUnbelievable experience. Saw sea turtle and dolphins, trolling home I caught a mackerel for dinner.This is the place to fish in Key West!!Rich and Paul thank you!Scottread more

Anonymous

13:31 27 Dec 18

We had a great day fishing with Rich and Ben! They were excellent... even... though the seas were very “sporty”. They made the experience and made sure we were ok at all times with the rough waters! They wanted us to catch something to bring home so we went even further to catch some black fin tuna after we already caught and released some bonitas and barracudas. I would definitely recommend using them for your fishing experience in the Keys! We can’t wait to come back!!read more

Rocky Alumbaugh

20:56 15 Dec 18

If you are going to Key West and want to catch some fish, book with Southbound.... Great people and they will put you on the fish. We had a great time. Thanks again.read more

Tyler Marincov

20:34 01 Dec 18

Great boat and even better hosts. Comfortable setup and lots of action! Will... definitely re-bookread more

Matt Strang

23:40 17 Nov 18

Great charter today. Guys were great and the fishing was excellent. ... Definitely recommend and will use them again.read more

James Pearce

02:12 20 Jun 18

Richard and John are the best in the business. Richard is the best captain I’ve... fished with, his first mate John is first class and also the absolute best. Two knowledge guys that try their hardest to get you onto fish and do a great job doing it. They’re a fun crew and love what they do and it shows. They’re military friendly and great people to spend a day on the water with. Our group had experienced fishermen and someone who was a first timer, and everyone had a great time. I don’t write reviews,ever. Good or bad. I just felt like I absolutely had to after the amazing day we had with them. We did a 6 hour trip and caught over 20 Mahi and some jack. What a day. Won’t go to anyone else in key west from now on.read more

Justin Gjokaj

12:01 04 Nov 17

One of the best trips I’ve ever been on and not only because we crushed fish,... but Capt Rich and Adam are great guys. Not only did they bring fun and energy all day, they taught us a lot of little tricks of the trade. Thanks guys for a great day!read more

Scott M

23:50 24 Dec 16

Best captain in Key West, period. We have been fishing on the Southbound for... over 20 years, and we don't go offshore fishing in Key West with anyone else. Captain Rich knows the waters, where and when to fish for target species, and how to keep the day fun for all on board.read more

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