Purple Heron Charters
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18 years experience fishing the Lower Keys and Key West. If you have any questions about what to target, length of trip recommendations for a specific species/style of fishing, or just in general, please message me first. I will be gladly be able to recommend an appropriate trip to best suit your goals. With 18 years of fishing experience in the Lower Keys and Key West I can help point you in the right direction. My number one priority is a safe and enjoyable day on the water for you when you visit. I strive to do the best I can to provide that opportunity for you.
Purple Heron Charters runs fishing trips year-round and full time out of Key West and offers to show you what the local fishery and ecosystem is all about.
Capt. John will do his best to make sure you have a fun day full of fishing. He specializes in spin fishing, fly fishing, and sight fishing. All to get you on that bite. This involves 4 to 10-hour trips, mainly fishing for Bonefish, Seatrout, Sharks, Pompano, Barracuda, Tarpon, Snapper, Permit, Jacks, and Goliath Grouper, depending on the season and conditions of the day.
Your adventure begins on board a 18ft Dolphin skiff powered by a Mercury 115 Pro XS that can fit a maximum of 2 anglers. The boat is fitted with an ice box.
All rods, reels, and terminal tackle are included in the price so you can focus on what really matters, fishing. The captain will supply all the needed fishing licenses for your trip. You can keep anything you catch, as long as it's legal to do so.
The boat will be supplied with drinking waters in recyclable aluminum cans for your pleasure, be sure to let the captain know if you have any questions or want to bring your own.
Up for a family trip? This is a children-friendly business, so bring your loved ones to share these memories with.
Book your trip now and hit the water with Purple Heron Charters.
18 years experience fishing the Lower Keys and Key West. If you have any questions about what to target, length of trip recommendations for a specific species/style of fishing, or just in general, please message me first. I will be gladly be able to recommend an appropriate trip to best suit your goals. With 18 years of fishing experience in the Lower Keys and Key West I can help point you in the right direction. My number one priority is a safe and enjoyable day on the water for you when you visit. I strive to do the best I can to provide that opportunity for you.
Purple Heron Charters runs fishing trips year-round and full time out of Key West and offers to show you what the local fishery and ecosystem is all about.
Capt. John will do his best to make sure you have a fun day full of fishing. He specializes in spin fishing, fly fishing, and sight fishing. All to get you on that bite. This involves 4 to 10-hour trips, mainly fishing for Bonefish, Seatrout, Sharks, Pompano, Barracuda, Tarpon, Snapper, Permit, Jacks, and Goliath Grouper, depending on the season and conditions of the day.
Your adventure begins on board a 18ft Dolphin skiff powered by a Mercury 115 Pro XS that can fit a maximum of 2 anglers. The boat is fitted with an ice box.
All rods, reels, and terminal tackle are included in the price so you can focus on what really matters, fishing. The captain will supply all the needed fishing licenses for your trip. You can keep anything you catch, as long as it's legal to do so.
The boat will be supplied with drinking waters in recyclable aluminum cans for your pleasure, be sure to let the captain know if you have any questions or want to bring your own.
Up for a family trip? This is a children-friendly business, so bring your loved ones to share these memories with.
Book your trip now and hit the water with Purple Heron Charters.
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Customer reviews
Rating
Anglers' gallery (145)
What anglers say
Reviews (215)
Jonathan Yowell5.0VerifiedOn the Fish. best Grand Slam Oppertunity
3/4 Day Trip on July 31, 2026 • 1 adultWhen asked if a Grand Slam was an oppertunity on a 3/4 day, I expected 100 questions about me, what I got was a yes and what we did is hook up a good tarpon, land a huge bonefish and ended the day following 3 permit wakes, all in near 90 deg water, all in near record heat. The flat, near windless oppertunity that I was given opened up a rare magical target window leaving this surf fisherman to understand I need to be far more practiced at my short game. Next year, I only will be considering ONE flats guide John Hoover!
Regan Phillips5.0VerifiedJohn was great! He's so knowledgeable and very patient, kept us moving and never bored. We caught a lot!
Afternoon Half Day Trip on July 28, 2026 • 2 adults • 1 childJohn was great! He's so knowledgeable and very patient, kept us moving around and we never got bored. We caught a lot of different species in a short amount of time & he explained each one in detail, he obviously knows the flats are very well. We even had a shark on the line at one time. It was beautiful, calm & very peaceful, the perfect place for someone who gets seasick but still wants to fish in the ocean.
Keith Mccray5.0VerifiedGreat Key West Trip
Half Day Fishing Trip on July 3, 2026 • 2 adultsmy wife and i ended catching multiple species and our target fish over the course of the trip and were even able to bring fish back to have cooked st a local restaurant. Captain John was extremely knowledgeable of his home waters and put us on fish quickly. All we had to do was “romance” them. It was my wife’s first time on a solo charter like this and she had a great time. I highly recommend Captain John.
Eric LenardRepeat angler5.0VerifiedGreat guide and a terrific experience
Full Day Marquesas Keys Trip on June 6, 2026 • 1 adultJohn got me into fish immediately and took me to a series of beautiful spots off the beaten track. Hooked up all day on tarpon, snapper, jacks a couole of sharks and even a couple of untargeted bonefish. barely saw a soul all day on a Saturday in peak season. great boat, equipment and a terrific guide with encyclpedic knowledge of the waters around Key West. Do a multi- day if you can!!!
Patrick FoxRepeat angler5.0VerifiedShark Attack!!
Afternoon Half Day Trip on November 27, 2025 • 2 adultsOur backcountry fishing trip in Key West was absolutely unforgettable. We were on the fish nonstop—catching them until our arms were genuinely tired. The highlight of the day was watching my daughter battle and land a huge blacktip shark, and the captain was incredibly patient and encouraging the whole time. On top of the great fishing, we also got an awesome history lesson about the area that made the trip even more memorable. Beautiful scenery, nonstop action, and a captain who truly knows his stuff. Highly recommend!
Matthew Retkowski5.0Verified2 Great Lakes Anglers try Keys Flats for 1st time
Full Day Marquesas Keys Trip on December 30, 2025 • 1 adultMe & my buddy had a real blast getting out with Captain John for a day on the flats. He was super flexible with us, and did a great job showing us all the different types of terrain within this Fishery. We got into some nice fish, and walked away with knowledge and stories to last a lifetime. Great to find a guide who still cares about the right things.
- Joseph JonesRepeat angler5.0Verified
He asked what we expected and he delivered.
Half Day Fishing Trip on July 4, 2026 • 2 adultsCommunication with the captain is important so you are both on the same page. Purple Heron did a nice job of providing the trip we asked for.
Jaime Underwood5.0VerifiedExcellent !!
Half Day Fishing Trip on January 2, 2026 • 2 adultsMy husband and I had a great experience and caught some impressive barracuda despite having limited time to fish. Captain John is very knowledgeable and takes the time to share that knowledge with his guests. Highly recommend Purple Heron Charters for anyone planning a fishing trip in Key West!!
Sarah Frohock5.0VerifiedEndless Knowledge and Appreciation of the Ecosystem!
Afternoon Half Day Trip on November 21, 2025 • 2 adultsIt was a great trip, worth spending the money so it was just the Captain, my husband and myself. No fighting for poles, or over crowding. John has endless knowledge of the island and absolutely cares genuinely about the ecosystem. He also has endless knowledge about fishing of course! 10/10!!
Konstantin Shlyakhov5.0VerifiedCaptain John is a real profi!
Half Day Fishing Trip on June 30, 2026 • 2 adultsCaptain was perfect in findind fish and pisitioning the boatfor a cast. our fault that we did not score((
Rating
Anglers' gallery (145)
What anglers say
All reviews (215)
When asked if a Grand Slam was an oppertunity on a 3/4 day, I expected 100 questions about me, what I got was a yes and what we did is hook up a good tarpon, land a huge bonefish and ended the day following 3 permit wakes, all in near 90 deg water, all in near record heat. The flat, near windless oppertunity that I was given opened up a rare magical target window leaving this surf fisherman to understand I need to be far more practiced at my short game. Next year, I only will be considering ONE flats guide John Hoover!
John made the experience truly one to remember, was extremely knowledgeable, experienced and patient with a very novice salt water fisherman. He was able to get us on the fish and knew exactly where to find them. He tried so hard for me to achieve the slam but I clearly need to work on my skills as he gave me so many opportunities but I just couldn't land them in the boat for true success. An amazing adventure with a very well rounded experienced captain.
John was great! He's so knowledgeable and very patient, kept us moving around and we never got bored. We caught a lot of different species in a short amount of time & he explained each one in detail, he obviously knows the flats are very well. We even had a shark on the line at one time. It was beautiful, calm & very peaceful, the perfect place for someone who gets seasick but still wants to fish in the ocean.
my wife and i ended catching multiple species and our target fish over the course of the trip and were even able to bring fish back to have cooked st a local restaurant. Captain John was extremely knowledgeable of his home waters and put us on fish quickly. All we had to do was “romance” them. It was my wife’s first time on a solo charter like this and she had a great time. I highly recommend Captain John.
John got me into fish immediately and took me to a series of beautiful spots off the beaten track. Hooked up all day on tarpon, snapper, jacks a couole of sharks and even a couple of untargeted bonefish. barely saw a soul all day on a Saturday in peak season. great boat, equipment and a terrific guide with encyclpedic knowledge of the waters around Key West. Do a multi- day if you can!!!
