We had our 10, 8 and 6 year old with us and they wanted action.  Joe and Bryan did a great job keeping us busy for half a day.  They put us on a bunch of yellowtail snapper, a mackerel, grouper, barracuda and a huge mutton snapper.  They fileted it all up for a great lunch.  Great people and a great day.

My father and I decided to visit Key West and fish with the Jolly Roger II. Last time we did was April 2004, over 20 year years ago. Capt. Joe is one of the most experienced charter boat captains in Zoey West. Keep in mind that he specializes in trolling so you will be targeting most pelagic species. Both days were a tough bite but Capt. Joe and his first mate Brian worked their asses off and kept us on the fish. We limited out the first day on Mahi and caught a barracuda in addition. Second day was a bit tougher but we still cameout with a full cooler of Mahi. We will be coming back hopefully next April to target some different species.

Most guys take their wives to Paris or a fancy resort for their 20th wedding anniversary. You know — massages, room service, wine with weird names. Not me. I booked us a deep sea fishing trip with Captain Joe and First Mate Brian on the Jolly Roger II. Because nothing says “I love you, babe” like the smell of bait, fish guts, and sunscreen SPF 100.
And it turned out to be the best anniversary idea I’ve had in two decades. No joke.

The night before the trip, Captain Joe gave me the most honest pep talk ever: “I’m not God. I can’t make the fish bite or the weather behave.” Fair enough. I appreciated the warning — figured I’d probably be spending six hours on a boat, burning to a crisp while holding an empty fishing rod and trying to act like this was totally worth it.

Turns out… he was lying. Or at least being modest. Because the weather? Absolutely perfect. Blue skies, calm seas, warm breeze. No storm clouds, no squalls, not even a seagull that looked at me funny. The ocean practically rolled out the red carpet. And the fish? They wouldn’t leave us alone. We pulled in 19 Mahi Mahi and 4 barracuda like we were running some kind of underwater fast food drive-thru.

Captain Joe runs the show like a guy who’s seen everything — funny, laid back, and patient enough to deal with first-timers who have no idea which end of the rod is up (that would be me). His jokes were sharp, his advice was spot-on, and I only tangled the lines twice. Maybe three times. Brian probably untangled them before I noticed.

Speaking of Brian — the first mate might be part human, part fishing robot. The man never stops. He’s baiting hooks, setting lines, clearing decks, handing out tips, and telling ridiculous boat stories — all while acting like the circus going on behind him (me) is completely normal.

Even my wife — who originally thought this anniversary idea meant I’d forgotten a dinner reservation — was hauling in fish and grinning like a kid on Christmas. And she caught more than me, which she will remind me of for the next 20 years. Possibly longer.

By the time we got back to the dock, my arms were spaghetti, my face was sunburned in weird shapes, and I had the biggest grin I’ve worn since the wedding. Best day ever — and way cheaper than jewelry.

So if you want a fishing trip that feels like part comedy show, part National Geographic episode, and 100% worth it, book with Captain Joe and Brian on the Jolly Roger II. These guys are the real deal — and apparently, Captain Joe is God after all, because the fish sure listened to him.

This was My Son and I’s first off shore fishing trip.
Weather and water a little rough. We were approx 8 miles off Keywest. We were both feeling a little nauseous, but we started hooking fish, the adrenaline must have subsided the nausea , it went away, the fish started biting! So much fun! We kept a Mahi Mahi, and first mate Brian filleted it and Captain Joe recommended a restaurant to go have it prepared. Best Mahi we’ve ever had. Captain Joes a colorful guy with a great sense of humor! Brian gets to work and keeps you busy reeling in fish. The Mahi we kept had a chunk bitten out of his tail, probably a barracuda (see pic).What a great experience. Highly recommend captain Joe and his first mate Brian. We will be back for sure.

The Jolly Roger II, captain and crew provided a great experience for myself and my older son.  We did a 3/4 day trip and having fished before but not down in the Keys before, so we put our trust in the crew and they did not disappoint.  In the first 20 mins, we had fish on the line.  Brian, the first mate, worked hard the whole trip making sure all the lines (we were trolling) were out and baited at all times so as not to miss any opportunities.  The captain kept the boat moving all day and both worked very hard to try to catch as much as possible.  Caught barracuda, black fin tuna, rainbow runner, mackerel and some jacks.  Brian, the mate recommended a couple of restaurants where we could take the tuna to cook it and that was amazing too.  Very memorable trip and will definitely do it again on the Jolly Roger II the next time we get back to Key West.