Average Cost of Marathon, FL Fishing Charters (Full Guide)
Marathon offers some of the best fishing in Florida but the charter costs can seem prohibitive to many prospective anglers. Anglers should get familiar with charter costs when planning their Marathon fishing trips.
The average cost of Marathon fishing charter trips that last 4 hours is $647, 6 hours is $1165, 8 hours is $1245, 10 hours is $1905 and 12 hours is $2501.
Fishing in Marathon is excellent. There are reefs in the area that attract a lot of fish. In this guide, anglers will manage to find the information on when it is the best time to fish the area and how much they are going to pay for their trips.
Marathon Fishing Charter Trip Length (Costs)
4 Hour Trips
A 4-hour trip makes it possible for anglers to target inshore species only. Based on 21 charters surveyed, the average cost of a 4-hour Marathon fishing trip is $647. The lowest cost was $450 and the highest cost was $900.
A 4-hour fishing trip is suitable for families, fishermen on a budget, and anglers, who want to fish near the shore. It’s a relaxing trip that provides anglers with a lot of fun. With 4-hour trips, anglers can fish in bays and inshore waters only. It takes anglers about 30 minutes to 1 hour to get to fishing spots. As a result, an angler will have about 3 hours – 3 hours and 30 minutes on fishing.
With a 4-hour trip, anglers can fish only in the morning, afternoon, and evening. It would be better to go fishing during the morning or evening hours in summer. This will help anglers avoid summer heat on the hottest days.
6 Hour Trips
A 6-hour trip would be the perfect choice for anglers, who are interested in short fishing trips but want to spend more than 4 hours on the water. Based on 13 charters surveyed, the average cost of a 6-hour Marathon fishing trip is $1165. The lowest cost was $600 and the highest cost was $2640.
A 6-hour fishing trip gives anglers 2 additional hours. Nevertheless, such a trip is short. So, anglers can fish near shore only if they book a fishing trip that lasts 6 hours. With a 6-hour fishing trip, it takes anglers 1 – 2 hours to get to fishing spots. So, anglers have only 4 – 5 hours that they can spend fishing.
With a 6-hour fishing trip, anglers can also go offshore. However, traveling will take more time. Therefore, anglers will have less time that they can spend fishing.
8 Hour Trips
An 8-hour trip is a good choice for anglers, who would like to fish in offshore waters. Based on 15 charters surveyed, the average cost of an 8-hour Marathon fishing trip is $1245. The lowest cost was $850 and the highest cost was $1900.
Fishing trips that last 8 hours are known as full-day trips. Such longer trips allow anglers to go further offshore, explore more spots in Marathon and spend more time fishing.
Such a trip allows anglers to fish in inshore waters or go in the deep offshore waters to fish near the reefs and wrecks. Trips that last 8 hours are more productive than shorter ones. With an 8-hour trip, an angler can catch more fish and has a better chance to land a trophy.
During an 8-hour fishing trip, anglers spend 1 – 2 hours traveling and have 6 – 7 hours on fishing. Anglers need to prepare food as well as water for an 8-hour fishing trip. Trips that last 8 hours provide anglers with better fishing opportunities.
10 Hour Trips
Based on 19 charters surveyed, the average cost of a 10-hour Marathon fishing trip is $1905. The lowest cost was $1600 and the highest cost was $2200.
A 10-hour trip is an extended full-day fishing trip. Such a trip would be the perfect choice for anglers, who would like to go far offshore and want to catch a trophy-sized fish. Extended full-day trips are long. That’s why fishermen have to prepare 2 meals as well as water for a trip. With a 10-hour trip, anglers spend 2 hours traveling and 8 hours on fishing.
However, 10-hour trips have their own drawbacks. It’s important to know that such trips are often canceled due to bad weather. The reality is, that predicting the weather for a long trip can be difficult. If a trip is canceled, anglers either get a refund or a fishing trip is rescheduled for another date.
12 Hour Trips
If you need more fishing time, then a 12-hour trip is worth booking. Based on 9 charters surveyed, the average cost of a 12-hour Marathon fishing trip is $2501. The lowest cost was $1900 and the highest cost was $3200.
Anglers usually book such a trip if they are interested in offshore fishing. With a 12-hour trip, anglers can visit the most remote fishing spots in the area and have plenty of fishing time.
Such fishing trips would be a great choice for avid anglers, who want to get the most out of fishing in Marathon. On the other hand, trips of this type are not recommended for anglers, who fish just to have fun.
Like 10-hour trips, 12-hour trips depend a lot on the weather. Bad weather poses risk to anglers and boats. That’s why captains often decide to cancel 10-hour fishing trips if the weather is bad or there are signs of bad weather in the area.
Recommended Fishing Guides/Charters in Marathon
These Marathon-based charters have earned great reviews from anglers and will offer you a great service. The captains are knowledgeable and professional and are sure to put you on fish. By clicking the links below, you will be taken to the charter’s respective profile on Fishing Booker where you can read reviews, learn more about the charter, view photos, and book online at the best rate.
| Recommended Fishing Charters | Location |
| Captain Jay Charters | Marathon, FL |
| Callion Fishing Charters | Marathon, FL |
| Fishing Kings Fishing Charters | Marathon, FL |
| Just The Tip Charters | Marathon, FL |
| Riplines Charters | Marathon, FL |
| Jersey Key “Whitewater” | Marathon, FL |
| Foodchain Fishing Charters | Marathon, FL |
| Manicsportfishing – Pontoon 2 | Marathon, FL |
| Infinite Blue Charters | Marathon, FL |
| Captain Buddy LaPointe | Marathon, FL |
| March Forth Charters | Marathon, FL |
| Runaway Sportfishing Charters | Marathon, FL |
| Jersey Key Charters | Marathon, FL |
Marathon: Seasonal Charters Costs (Private Trips)
Spring
Spring is a busy fishing season in Marathon. It’s getting warmer in the early spring, but it’s not hot. So, a lot of anglers prefer to visit the region. The weather is good and comfortable conditions for fishing are created. However, winds can be a challenge for anglers.
The demand for fishing is high in Marathon during the spring months. That’s why prices on charters in the region go up. So, book a charter ahead of time if you are planning fishing adventures in spring.
Spring is a good time to plan a long fishing trip in Marathon. It’s cooler, so anglers find it comfortable to fish for a long period of time.
Marathon spring fishing is very productive. Anglers can target a great variety of fish species during the spring months. These include amberjack, barracuda, blackfin tuna, cobia, grouper, jack crevalle, king mackerel, ladyfish, blue marlin, permit, redfish, sailfish, snook, spotted seatrout, tarpon, and others.
Summer
It’s too hot in Marathon during the summer months. Fish go to deep waters because of high water temperatures. So, anglers have to fish in deep offshore waters to get good results. When booking a charter in Marathon in summer, anglers have to take into account weather conditions.
Fishing in the summer heat can be hard. That’s why anglers should aim to fish either during the morning or evening hours. So, it would be better to book shorter fishing trips in Marathon in the summer.
Traditionally, many anglers visit Marathon in summer. That’s why charter costs are higher in the region during the summer months. Among species that fishermen can catch in Marathon are barracuda, bonefish, blue marlin, mahi-mahi, permit, snapper, swordfish, tarpon, and wahoo.
Fall
Fall is a great time for fishing in Marathon. Fall is a good time of the year for those anglers, who want to avoid fishing in hot weather. Trolling, bottom fishing, reef fishing as well as offshore fishing work well during the fall months.
Fall fishing season in Marathon is not very busy. The demand for fishing decreases in the fall. That’s why charter costs are lower compared to the costs in spring and summer. Captains choose to lower costs to attract customers during the fall months.
Fall fishing is less productive in the region. However, it’s still possible to target certain species. Anglers can catch bonefish, blackfin tuna, grouper, jack crevalle, redfish, snapper, swordfish, spotted seatrout, tripletail and other species during their Marathon fishing trips in the fall.
Winter
Many fish species are inactive in winter due to cold weather. Nevertheless, winter fishing is still possible in Marathon. It’s worth noting that Marathon winter fishing is inexpensive.
The demand for fishing is much lower during the winter months. Only avid anglers go fishing in Marathon in winter. That’s why the prices of fishing in the area go down.
During a Marathon winter fishing trip, anglers can catch barracuda, bluefish, cobia, groupers, king mackerel, jack crevalle, ladyfish, pompano, redfish, snapper, snook, Spanish mackerel, spotted seatrout as well as wahoo.
Better Value Fishing with Group
Fishing with a group delivers multiple significant benefits to anglers. It’s a great idea to share charter costs with someone. In this case, anglers have to pay for charters on a per person basis rather than per boat. So, the cost of a trip is split among several anglers. As a result, fishing becomes more affordable.
Group fishing provides anglers with better opportunities. More anglers will be able to catch more fish during a trip. That means that fishing will be more productive.
Another big advantage is that fishing with friends is always fun. During a group fishing trip in Marathon, anglers always have a great time. Such fishing trips provide anglers with great memories that last forever. Obviously, group fishing is more suitable for anglers, who would like to fish for leisure.
On the other hand, fishing with a group is not for everyone. Are you a professional angler, who is very serious about fishing and aims to land a trophy fish? If so, it would be better to book either a solo or duo fishing trip.
Factors that Impact Marathon Fishing Charter Costs
Charter costs depend on many things. Among the factors that affect charter costs in Marathon are: time of the year, demand for charters, gas prices, bait prices, length of a trip, how far you go offshore, type of a trip and others.
Fishing will be more expensive if bait prices go up in Marathon. Bait prices increase when the demand for fishing is high.
Also, anglers shouldn’t forget about gas prices. Fishing boats use gas as fuel. The amount of gas that a boat can burn during a fishing trip depends a lot on its size. Big boats have high fuel consumption. That means that fishing will be more expensive if gas prices go up.
A peak fishing season in Marathon is spring and summer. And of course, anglers must be prepared to pay higher charter costs if they choose to book a trip during a busy season.
The demand for charters also increases during species-specific fishing trips. For example, spring is a great time to fish for permit in Marathon. Oftentimes, anglers catch a trophy sized permit during spring Marathon fishing trips. Mahi mahi and tuna get active in summer. Fishing for tarpon is the most productive between April and June.
Fishing in Marathon is more expensive during weekdays. So, anglers will manage to avoid crowds and save some money if they book a fishing trip on weekends.
Cost of Shared Fishing Charter
When booking a shared fishing charter, anglers have to pay a flat rate for a certain number of anglers. When more anglers are on a fishing trip, it’s also necessary to pay a cost for each additional angler.
Shared fishing charters make it possible for anglers to save some money on fishing. The cost of a shared fishing charter is lower comparing to a flat rate of a charter for 1 – 2 anglers.
Additional Costs with Charter Fishing
Some charters provide anglers with everything that’s required for a Marathon fishing trip. There are also charters that require fishermen to bring some things on a board. In this case, anglers have to pay some additional costs associated with charter fishing.
The additional costs include: food, drinks, sunscreen, etc. Sometimes, anglers have to purchase baits.
When fishing in Marathon, anglers have to follow the local rules and regulations. It’s necessary to purchase licenses to fish legally in the region. The cost of a fishing license depends on its durability. There are licenses that allow anglers to fish a day, week or a year.
Some charters in Marathon also offer a fish cleaning service. There are also charters that have a restaurant where fish that anglers catch can be cooked.
Anglers have to take into consideration the additional costs when getting ready for their Marathon fishing trips. It would be better for anglers to plan about 10 – 25% of a budget for the additional costs.
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