Captain Key LargoFind Us

First island in the chain, one road down.

Key Largo starts about an hour south of Miami and runs roughly 30 miles of mile markers. Brian fishes both sides of it, so your meeting dock is set to the trip and the tide rather than fixed to one marina.

WhereKey Largo, Florida Keys
From MiamiAbout 1 hour on US-1
Meeting dockConfirmed when you book
Offshore departuresIslamorada, 20 min south

From anywhere in South Florida it is one road. Take the Florida Turnpike south until it ends in Florida City, then follow US-1. Eighteen miles of mangrove and open water later you cross into Key Largo and the mile markers start counting down. Coming from Naples or the west coast, Alligator Alley to the Turnpike works the same way.

Why there is no single dock address

This is deliberate. A backcountry trip that starts in Florida Bay and a night trip that works the oceanside channels do not launch from the same place, and forcing every trip through one ramp would cost you fishing time. Brian picks the ramp that puts you closest to the fish, then sends you a map pin and a time once the date is confirmed. If you are staying somewhere specific in the Upper Keys, say so and he will factor it in.

Planning the drive

Morning trips leave early enough that the road is still quiet. Coffee and breakfast are easy the whole way down US-1. Night trips are the opposite problem: you drive down in traffic and back in none. Plenty of guests coming from Miami just stay the night in Key Largo, and there is far more lodging here than further down the chain.

If your trip is with the Islamorada fleet

Offshore days with The Poppa Wahoo Collective, the family's Islamorada operation, sail from a fixed dock: the marina at Three Waters Resort, 84001 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada. That is roughly twenty more minutes south on US-1 from Key Largo, with guest parking on site. See the collective and its fleet here. Same family, different island, different kind of water.

Quick answers

Where exactly do we meet?

Brian confirms the ramp or dock when he confirms your date, chosen for your trip and the tide. You get a map pin and a time, not a guess.

Why is there no fixed marina address?

Because the fishing moves. Launching from the closest ramp to where you are actually fishing buys you more time on the water.

How far is Key Largo from Miami?

About an hour to the top of the island without traffic, straight down US-1.

Where do the offshore boats leave from?

The collective's fleet sails from Three Waters Resort Marina, 84001 Overseas Hwy in Islamorada, about twenty minutes south of Key Largo.

Should we stay in Key Largo or Islamorada?

If you are fishing with Brian, Key Largo. If you are fishing offshore with the family fleet, Islamorada puts you at the dock faster. Either way it is a twenty minute drive between them.

The Poppa Wahoo Collective

Two captains, two islands, one family. Call either one.

The Epsteins run charters out of both Key Largo and Islamorada. Brian handles the backcountry and the flats here; his family runs the offshore fleet 20 minutes south. Whichever you call, you get pointed at the right boat.

See the Collective