Cowboy Cowgirl SportFishing Charters

Cowboy Cowgirl SportFishing Charters began in Key West in 1965, when Hans Baumgarten started running charters, and it is now a three generation family operation working out of Garrison Bight Marina at 1801 N. Roosevelt Boulevard. The fleet is six boats, each taking up to six anglers: the Cowboy, a 36 foot Hatteras; the Irish Cowboy, a 40 foot Luhrs; the Cowgirl, a 45 foot Hatteras with air conditioning; the Sanctuary, a 47 foot Hatteras; and two Contenders, the 37 foot Knotty Cowgirl and the 34 foot Blue Cowboy.

The range of trips is wider than most. Shared and split charters start around $200 a person and run four to eight hours, which is the affordable way in. Private charters run four to twelve. Beyond the usual offshore and reef and wreck days there is shark fishing, night snapper fishing, and a run out to the Marquesas Keys, the uninhabited atoll west of Key West that most boats never bother with.

The species list matches the range: mahi, tuna, wahoo, sailfish and marlin offshore; yellowtail, snapper, grouper and amberjack on the reef and wrecks; tarpon, permit and bonefish inshore; and bull, hammerhead, blacktip, tiger, lemon and mako sharks for anyone who came specifically for that. Gear, bait, tackle, your fishing license, ice and a cooler, and cleaning for anything legal you keep are all included, along with a professional crew. Call (305) 304-2946.