My Adventure Story
Party of 4, aboard the 20' Key West 196 Bay & Reef boat.
After leaving my canal home in Port Charlotte, FL, we trolled a few miles off shore, from Boca Grande Pass south to Captiva Pass, in search of King Mackerel but only found Spanish Mackerel.
We returned Boca Grande Pass and caught 2 Bonnethead Sharks; caught and released catfish, undersize grouper and perch.
My new friend Dave, also new to fishing, battled a nice shark on just 10 pound test. It took him about 15 minutes but he expertly worked the drag and got the big boy landed.
Jason outfished everyone, catching more fish than we could count. He landed a nice shark of his own, bled it out, gutted it and took it home to grill.
Catch of the day came minutes before we were ready to head for home as Ben's line went off like none before. We used the boat to pursue the beast as it continued taking hundreds of feet of 30lb mono line. After about 10 minutes of expertly working the drag, Ben suddenly felt his reel slipping from the rod. While distracted and trying to tighten up the tension screw, the line went slack enough for the big fish to bite the line and escape. We lost what would have likely been the best shark of the day.
Nonetheless, it was a great trip. We ran 80 miles on the day. The 196BR handles 2-3' seas brilliantly. I am continuously amazed how dry this hull runs.
