Linda D Sportfishing is the deep sea name in Key West with the longest family record behind it, a Wickers family operation that has run charters off the island since 1938. Captain Billy Wickers III is the fourth generation to run the boat, and the operation holds a long catch and release record on sailfish and marlin that goes back decades. It earns its place near the top of the port on that consistency and on pricing it posts plainly, with the honest limit that the Linda D boats are well kept but older and smaller than the strongest hull in the field.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.9 Linda D is a strong choice and the second ranked boat in Key West, just behind Corsair 2 Sportfishing on the size and range of the boat rather than on the people running it. What carries it is the longest track record in the port and a captain and crew reviewers consistently praise, plus the cleanest pricing of the private boats, posted on its own site. Book it for a private day with a captain whose family has fished this water for four generations, especially if a winter sailfish release is the goal. If you want the largest boat for a long run offshore, Corsair 2 is the pick, and the Key West ranking lays out the cheaper party boat too.
The boat
Linda D runs two sportfishers, the Linda D IV, a 40 foot Liberty with an open cabin, and the Linda D V, a closed cabin boat of the same class. Each is licensed for up to 6 anglers and rigged for offshore and reef work, with four anglers able to fish the platform at once. Reviewers consistently describe the boats as clean and well kept rather than tired, but they are older and smaller than the 50 foot Corsair 2, so the ride is wetter and the cockpit tighter on a full day in a chop. For a half or three quarter day on the reef edge, which is most of what the boats run, the size is a fair match to the trip.
The fishing and what you target
The draw off Key West is how much water is in reach: the reef edge, the wrecks, and the Gulf Stream all sit close to the island. Linda D trolls and live baits the pelagic spread, with sailfish the winter headliner, mahi mahi from spring into the fall, blackfin tuna and king mackerel through the year, and wahoo in the cooler months, and it bottom fishes the reef for snapper and grouper. The billfish record is the calling card here, and the crew matches the trip to the season rather than promising the same catch all year.
Trips and prices
Linda D sells by the whole boat for up to 6 anglers, private only, and posts its rates on its own site: $1,000 for a 4 hour half day, $1,300 for a 6 hour three quarter day, and $1,500 for an 8 hour full day. The bait, tackle, ice, and fishing license are included, and a crew gratuity is customary on top. That posted, all inclusive pricing is a real strength against the boats in the port that route you to a phone call. Our cost guide sets those private boat numbers against a shared seat on the party boat.
The crew
Captain Billy Wickers III and Captain Phil run the boats, with mates the reviews name often, AJ, Ryan, and Jesse among them. The sentiment across TripAdvisor and Yelp runs strongly positive on the same points: captains who know the local spots, mates who are patient teachers with first timers and kids, and a crew that clearly enjoys the work. The review volume is smaller than the leading boat’s, in the dozens rather than the hundreds, so the record is steady rather than deep, but nothing recurring surfaces against the crew across the platforms.
Booking and what to know
Book by phone or through the operator’s site, or on its FishingBooker listings. Full day charters run 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., three quarter days to 1:30 p.m., and half days either 8 a.m. to noon or 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The boats leave from Garrison Bight Marina on North Roosevelt Boulevard, the main charter row in Key West. Bring your own food and drinks and a soft cooler for your fillets. No license is needed, since the boat covers it, and the crew cleans your catch at the dock.
How we scored it
Linda D scores 7.9: the longest family track record in Key West and a captain and crew with strong, steady sentiment, on capable but older and smaller sportfishers, with the clearest posted pricing of the private boats. Track record and value and transparency are its strongest factors; boat and equipment is where it slips behind the larger Corsair 2. See how we scored this boat, and compare it against the rest of the Key West boats.