Excited to say that the girlfriend and I are taking a trip to Key Largo at the end of May. We are looking into hiring a guide for a half-day/full-day and maybe doing some shore fishing a day or so afterwards, along with general exploring on the Keys. I'm mainly making this post for info on a guide, but all Keys related info is appreciated (restaurants, night life, places to visit, etc). We fish around Galveston weekly and are familiar with inshore saltwater and have a lot of the tackle for that, along with some surf tackle. We are open to chasing whatever species gives the best opportunity for late May to early June. Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

Just got back yesterday.

We did half day with Capt Ty Sikes from Two Conchs out of Marathon. He was really great. Very fun guy. Wonderful trip with him. He communicated over text really well, and promptly. I can give you his number if you are interested.

There is road construction in Key Largo going outbound, so plan a little extra time.

I didn't have any meal that really stood out. All of it was pretty good. All of the service was pretty poor. The most memorable was Castaways on Marathon, close to the turtle hospital. The food was fine, service was mediocre. What made it memorable was the manatees. They drip the ac condensation line down into the canal and the manatee come drink the freshwater. They are literally right below you on the dock, maybe 3 feet from you. https://castawayfloridakeys.com/

We stayed at Hawks Caye and it is a fantastic resort.

We did a sandbar/snorkling tour out of Islamorada. It was a great trip. Snorkeling around Alligator Lighthouse was great. Tons of fish. Saw a huge grouper under one of the structures. The sandbar was cool. I imagine on the weekend it gets pretty crazy, particularly spring break. When we drove by on Saturday, it was mega crowded. We used Capt Rebekah with Coral Keys Adventures. She leaves out of the marina by Wahoos. Two thumbs up for her and the trip. Wahoos was a cool spot. Same as the rest. Good food, not great. Mediocre service.

Did you catch any fish?

Caught a bunch of mangrove snapper. Had my kids with me, so I asked that the trip be tailored to them. My kids are 7 and 10, so no technical poling and fly fishing just yet. We kept enough for dinner that night and tossed the rest back. Had one big hit that never stopped. Eventually cut the line on a piling before Ty could cut the boat loose to chase it. Ty guessed a permit. I have no clue. Ty kept the kids engaged so I could actually do some fishing myself. Just what I wanted him to do!

All that said, just because he was great with my kids doesn't mean the dude didn't know his grown up fishing too. I have not gone out with him on a trip like that, but my next time down without the kids, he will be my first call.

Fished there last week with Henry Warrington (Off Course Charters). Caught snook, specs, and snapper.

We were at the Hilton resort in Key Largo and he picked us up at their dock.

Marker 88 and DiGiorgio's Cafe were both very good. I'd eat there again. Lazy Lobster was good too.

I used to live in the Fort Lauderdale area and would regularly go down for a day trip to Islamorada and Key Largo. I moved away 10 years ago but most of the places down there are longtime staples. I would 1000% recommend Mrs. Mac's Kitchen for Key Lime Pie. It's the best I've ever had. The food is good too, but I always get the pie every time I'm down there even if it's just to-go. I had a buddy go down there last year for vacation and I had him bring me a pie back.

I would listen to the other guys who have posted on more recent food recommendations since it's been several years that I was down there.

Key west worth it - Page 2 | TexAgs

Here are some recommendations for Key West / The Keys in general (my reply is on page 2 so that's the link I copied, but there is some good info on page 1 as well).