This week we continue to follow the Viking FiveStar on its East Coast Voyage and showcase the results of their second leg running from Key West to Port Canaveral, Florida. To recap last week, Capt. Steven Jr. and Capt. Bobby had already amassed a whopping 35 species to their expedition tally which included a 130 pound, trophy Warsaw Grouper among vast quantities of other reef fish. Needless to say, the bar was set exceptionally high for their second leg which left the dock on Sunday, April 21st.
Unlike the first leg, which focused largely on bottom fishing deep-water structures in the Gulf, the second portion of the voyage hinged on trolling. This shift in tactics took the FiveStar around the southern tip of Florida, through the Florida Straits and into the Gulf Stream. Trolling these offshore waters as well as a few inshore weed lines and patches of flotsam, Capt. Steven Jr. and Capt. Bobby found some fish but not in the abundance expected. The score for their efforts included some respectable mahi mahi up to 20 pounds along with a brace of wahoo; the larger of which topped out at approximately 50 pounds. Mixed in on the troll was the classic trio of smaller, but scrappy tuna species which included bonitos, skip jacks and false albacore. These are a far cry from the husky blackfin and slammer Allison yellowfin tuna that can be encountered in South Florida but still kept rods bent and customers happy which is what really counts. In hopes of mustering a better bite with outsized pelagic species, the duo of captains put their crosshairs on swordfish after sunset. Steaming out to the abyss, they spent two nights on the drift waiting for a broadbill gladiator to gobble a hook bait. Unfortunately lady luck proved to be a bitter wench and both nights produced the dreaded skunk. This lack of success can be attributed to stiff northeast winds making for a terrible drift and thwarting efforts to properly present a bait.
Rebounding from the lackluster sword fishing, the FiveStar remained in deep water off the Keys and dropped lines to the bottom. This strategy was rewarded with a catch of yellow edge and snowy grouper in addition to an accompaniment of jumbo champagne porgies and brilliantly colored black belly rose fish. From there the captains brought the boat up the coast in closer proximity to Cape Canaveral. Probing a couple wrecks and ledges, they never found a ‘Viking’ caliber bite but still managed a healthy assortment of fish. The bottom fishing at the tail end of the second leg yielded a helping of mangrove and mutton snapper along with a mess of porgies and a variety of other reef fish, including red snapper and black sea bass which were quite plentiful but had to be released in accordance with season closures.
Although Capt. Steven Jr. and Capt. Bobby didn’t regard this trip as being nearly as impressive as their first leg in the Gulf, they still fared well. When the FiveStar pulled into Port Canaveral on Thursday the 25th everyone aboard went home with a hefty pile of fillets from a diverse array of fish. The second leg saw 25 different species caught; 11 of which were new to the East Coast Voyage log, thus elevating the trip total to 46 species since its departure from Tarpon Springs, FL. Considering Capt. Steven Jr. and Capt. Bobby set 50 species as their goal for the entire expedition, these results are nothing short of incredible. With only four species left to check off and two more legs to go, the duo is bound to accomplish their objective in extraordinary form. In fact, their next leg could very well see this to fruition. The FiveStar sets sail from Port Canaveral, Florida, on Saturday April 27th and will be returning to dock in Rudee Inlet, Virginia, on Friday May 3rd. With six days at sea, the third leg represents the largest portion of the East Coast Voyage and is rife with possibility. Stay tuned for the exciting details in the next issue of The Fisherman.
