Main Attraction is the Marathon sportfishing institution, a tournament winning operation that has run out of Marathon Sailfish Marina for more than 30 years and fishes the widest offshore menu in the port. Owners Captain Marty and Katie Lewis have built a three boat fleet that can put a family on the reef and run a serious crew out to the Marathon Hump or down to swordfish in 1,800 feet on the same day. The reputation is deep and the trip list is the longest in town. The honest gaps are that the rates are quoted on request rather than posted, and that the same fleet that gives it range spreads the captain across boats.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.9 Main Attraction is second in the Marathon ranking, a hair behind Infinite Blue on the comfort of the boats and the sheer depth of the reviews, and ahead of the rest on range and pedigree. The reason to book it is access: no one else in the port offers as many ways to fish, from a short reef trip to a deep drop or a swordfish run, backed by 30 years and a tournament record. The marks against it are the unposted pricing and the multi boat rotation, so you call for a quote and you confirm the captain. Book it when you want the widest choice of trip and a deep local pedigree behind the wheel. For the most comfortable boat, Infinite Blue edges it; for a single named owner operator, Big Game is the pick.
The boat
Main Attraction runs three offshore charter boats, the Main Attraction, the Main One, and the Reel One, each rigged for up to 6 anglers with seating, shade, and a restroom aboard. The three boat fleet is the operational strength: it can run several trips at once, match a boat to the trip, and keep fishing when one boat is booked, which a single boat operation cannot. The trade is uniformity, since the boats differ and the captain you draw depends on the day. Reviewers describe well kept, comfortable boats suited to the long runs the Hump and the swordfish grounds ask for, which is what the menu here depends on.
The fishing and what you target
This is the deepest trip menu in Marathon. Offshore, the boats troll for mahi mahi from late spring into summer, sailfish on the winter push, and wahoo and blackfin tuna as they run, and they make the 25 mile run to the Marathon Hump for tuna, amberjack, and the chance at a marlin. Beyond that they fish the wrecks, deep drop the deeper structure for snowy grouper, queen snapper, and African pompano, and run swordfish trips in up to 1,800 feet. Closer in they work the reef for grouper and snapper and run tarpon trips at the bridges. Few operations anywhere in the Keys cover this much water, and the captains match the trip to the season and the weather.
Trips and prices
Main Attraction sells by the whole boat and prices by the boat and the trip length, and the honest gap is that it quotes rates on request rather than posting them online, so you confirm the number when you book. What is clear is the inclusions: bait, tackle, fuel, and fish cleaning are all in the price across the fleet, which keeps the dock bill simple. The longer Hump, deep drop, and swordfish trips run higher and longer than a standard half day, as you would expect. Our cost guide sets out what a private Keys day runs, and the Marathon ranking lays out the cheaper party boat option too.
The crew
The crew is the pedigree. Owners Marty and Katie Lewis bring a tournament record and 30 years on these grounds, and reviewers consistently single out knowledgeable, funny captains who are good with families and a helpful office, with Katie named repeatedly for steering people to the right trip. As a three boat operation it runs a roster of captains, so the owner is not on every trip and the experience depends on the draw, which is the main reason captain and crew sits a notch below the single owner operator boats in the port rather than above them. Ask who is running your trip when you book.
Booking and what to know
Book by phone, since the rates and the calendar are quoted rather than posted, and confirm the boat, the captain, and the trip length. Departures are from Marathon Sailfish Marina at Mile Marker 54.5. Bring food, drinks, sun protection, and a cooler; bait, tackle, fuel, and cleaning are covered. For the Hump or a swordfish trip, plan for a longer day and a calmer weather window, and book ahead in the winter sailfish and summer mahi seasons.
How we scored it
Main Attraction scores 7.9: the widest offshore menu in Marathon and a 30 year tournament pedigree across a capable three boat fleet, marked down on value because the rates are not posted and on service because the multi boat rotation means the owner does not run every trip. Trips and access is its strongest factor. See how we scored this boat for the full rubric and weighting, and compare it against the rest of the Marathon charters, including Top Notch and Infinite Blue.