Round Up Fishing Charters runs the biggest, most comfortable boats in Key Largo, a fleet headed by the Visco, a 54 foot Bertram, and the Miss J, a 43 foot Hatteras, out of Key Largo Fisheries at mile marker 100. It is a roughly 30 year operation with a deep, cross platform record, more than 100 reviews on the open sites plus a strong booking platform showing, and the recurring praise is for a hard working crew on boats with the space and the ride for a long offshore day. It ranks in the middle of our Key Largo field on the strength of those hulls, held back by a rotating captain roster, an unsettled price, and a small hard cluster of poor reviews under the many good ones.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.6 Round Up is a strong choice and sits in the middle of the Key Largo field. The case for it is the boats: the 54 foot Visco is the largest charter hull we rank in the port, and with the 43 foot Hatteras alongside it, Round Up is the operation to book when comfort and a steady ride on a long, rough offshore day matter most. What holds it back is everything around the boats. The captain roster rotates, so you may not draw the well reviewed Captain Dave; the Visco’s price differs between the operator’s own site and the booking platform; and under a deep, mostly glowing record sits a small knot of one star reviews. Book it for a long offshore day on a big boat, and confirm the captain and the rate when you reserve. The Key Largo ranking sets the field side by side.
The boats
The fleet is led by the Visco, a 54 foot Bertram built in 1981 and repowered in 2021, the biggest charter boat we rank in Key Largo and a genuinely comfortable platform for the long run, with the fuel range to fish farther. The Miss J is a 43 foot Hatteras sportfish with an air conditioned salon, and a smaller entry boat, the Matthew K, fills out the fleet at a lower price. All take up to 6 anglers, the Coast Guard limit on a six pack boat. The boats are the clearest reason to book here: reviewers describe them as clean, roomy, and comfortable, with the air conditioning and the head that a center console cannot offer. The operation also runs a smaller 30 foot boat under the Gone Fishing name from the same dock.
The fishing and what you target
Round Up works the reef, the wrecks, and the Gulf Stream off Key Largo. Offshore the boats troll for mahi mahi from spring into fall, sailfish in the cooler months, and blackfin tuna and wahoo through the year, with marlin a long shot on the full days, while the reef and wreck trips drop for snapper, grouper, hogfish, and yellowtail. Reviewers credit the crews with finding fish across a varied mix and working hard at it, with Captain Dave and the mate Mike named again and again. The one fishing related caveat is comfort rather than catch: the big boats ride better than the consoles, but the rougher offshore days still turn some stomachs.
Trips and prices
Round Up sells by the whole boat for up to 6 anglers, private only, across its fleet. The entry boat Matthew K runs $1,050 for a 4 hour half day, $1,350 for a three quarter day, and $1,600 for a full day. The flagship Visco runs $1,300 to $1,900 on the booking platform, though the operator’s own site lists it higher, from $1,600 to $2,200, which is the clearest mark against the value score: a customer should not have to reconcile two different prices for the same boat. A $200 deposit holds the date, refundable up to 7 days out, and the crew cleans your catch. Our cost guide puts those numbers in context.
The crew
Round Up is owned by Brian Stoner and runs with a roster of captains, with Captain Dave and the first mate Mike the names that recur in the offshore reviews as hard working and good with families. The operation has an A+ standing with the Better Business Bureau and no complaints on file, which argues against any systemic problem. The honest qualifier is the roster and the review shape: you may not get Dave, and against more than 100 five star reviews on TripAdvisor sits a small cluster of one star ones whose detail is not visible, the kind of split that usually points to a few trips that went badly wrong on weather or a cancellation rather than broad trouble. Worth reading the recent reviews before you book.
Booking and what to know
Book through the operator’s site or its FishingBooker listing. The boats leave from Key Largo Fisheries at 1313 Ocean Bay Drive, mile marker 100 on the ocean side, the same dock as Coastal Dreams. No fishing license is needed, the boats cover it, and the crew cleans your catch. Confirm which boat, which captain, and which price you are booking, since the fleet and the listings carry more than one of each. The big boats give you a cabin and a head, a real comfort on a hot or rough day.
How we scored it
Round Up scores 7.6: the biggest, most comfortable boats in Key Largo and a deep 30 year record, held in the middle of the field by a rotating captain roster, a Visco price that differs between the operator’s site and the booking platform, and a small hard cluster of poor reviews under the good ones. Boat and equipment is its standout factor; value and transparency is where it costs itself. See how we scored this boat, and weigh it against the rest of the Key Largo fleet.