About the Captain...

Hi, I’m Captain Rick Mager. I’ll be your guide on Flats Fever, my 18 foot Maverick “Master Angler” flats boat. With a 150 HP 4 stoke 07 suzuki engine no  time is wasted getting you right onto the best flats in Key West’s famous “back  country.”

I run a one boat, one captain operation. What this means is you get an experienced guide, with a good boat, and top of the line tackle. There are quite a few multi-boat operations in Key West. These operations are owned and run by one person, but have multiple guides with less experience. You pay good money to fish, so why not have the best guides? One boat operations are the way to go. Guides that do it full time, for a long time, are your best shot!

I have 38 years experience fishing Key West waters. I started off blue water fishing, but now I prefer poling the crystal clear backcountry flats. For the past 18 years I’ve been exploring these flats - east to the Content Keys and west to the Marquesa Keys. This encompasses 60 miles of some of the most beautiful, unspoiled ecosystems still left on Earth. You learn an awful lot about fishing down here when you spend your life on the water. The intricate maze of channels and flats on the calmer side of the Keys offers up some great fishing. No “chugging” along, hour after hour, on a big hulk of a boat, with diesel fumes filling the air, hoping that sometime during the day some kind of fish is going to pass by your trolling line and show some interest in your bait.

There is another side of sport fishing. Using fly or light spin gear offers up a whole new world of opportunities and challenges, such as hooking into a big Tarpon up to 100 lbs, or hunting for Permit and Bone fish in shallow water. This kind of fishing will crank up your adrenaline, and you will never look at fishing quite the same.

When it comes to gear and tackle, I supply Loomis G.L.X. rods, as well as Sage. I use Pate reels and Quantum Cobo 40 and 60 spin reels. I use the best of everything. Most guides will not spend the money or put expensive tackle into clients’ hands. I, on the other hand, feel that good tackle makes a world of difference. Who wants to fish with cheap gear?!

My boat is also top of the line. It is fast, roomy, stable, and dry. I fish hard and know the best places to fish. I am also easy to get along with and do not mind teaching beginners. When you fish with me, you’ll get away from the crowds and fish in the most beautiful places imaginable!

No cares, worries, or stress here. Only the desire to get you hooked up to a fish and having a great time. Unwind, relax and get back in touch with nature. It’s not often you can experience the excitement of going one-on-one with the world's most challenging game fish in just a couple of feet of clear water.

Perhaps it's the hunt that makes it so stimulating. Think about it – a fishing adventure in crystal clear waters. Imagine fighting an eighty pound Tarpon on a fly or light spinning tackle in three feet of water, putting your skills to the ultimate test. 

It pretty much boils down to this. If you like big fish in shallow water, if you enjoy using ultra-light tackle and sight fishing, then flats fishing is the ticket! Surround yourself in a beautiful, serene ecosystem with endless miles of pearl white sand flats and mangrove islands. There’s a world of diverse marine life and aquatic birds, and every trip is a new experience.

When you have a moment, check out our exclusive Flats Fishing Report for the current fishing conditions for the month. You’ll get an idea of what’s up in our waters this month.  But first,  continue on to our next page and read up a bit on the  flats.

Oh, by the way, we’re very proud of our philosophy...

“Return the Resource.  Catch and Release!”