Vosslings Adventure Book: Part 2- Day 32 Deep Sea Fishing

Day 32

Tuesday, July 19, 2016 Deep Sea Fishing

Everyone was excited for this day to come! Deep Sea Fishing is more than just fishing, it's an adventure!

We climbed aboard Integrity Charter at 1pm, right in the thick of the heat and humidity. Josh was kind enough to book a bigger boat so I could avoid being sea sick as much as possible and join in the fun. I will admit I took my meds and was still boat shy. The boat had a lower level and a bathroom, something you don't often see in a charter fishing boat. Captain Mike asked what we wanted to do first, I told him it was up to him cause we weren't likely to eat anything we catch! So off we went to "troll" for fish. That's a new word we learned. Trolling is fishing for fish that will later be used as bait for catching a SHARK! That made everyone excited. The deep sea fishing goal is always "what size shark can I catch." We were trolling in about 25' deep water. The captain kept the boat moving slowly in circles as we trolled. We caught 4 large fish. Which the pictures speak louder than words. Everyone was so proud of themselves.

Once our bait fish were caught, we moved inland to about 15' deep water to bait our hooks for shark fishing. Josh had to point out to me how funny it was that we moved inland to more shallow water to catch shark. Ha..Ha..Ha... not amused. Carmen had a goal for this trip, to catch a shark. So when he cast the first line, he handed the reel to Carmen after she strapped on the pole holster around her waist. After about 10 minutes, there was a bite on her line. The fisherman coached her every step of the way. She moved side to side in the boat, careful not to snap her line. He wasn't coming in without a fight. When the shark came close enough to the boat, he tried to hook him to bring it up but he was too quick. So the fisherman grabbed the line and flung the shark onto the boat. WOW! She caught a 30 lb black tip shark. It was so awesome to witness! Carmen's smile was beaming from ear to ear. The fisherman unhooked the shark and handed it over to Carmen for her photo moment. After Carmen threw him back in the Ocean, her hands were shaking, her excitement and nerves had taken it's toll.

Captain Mike kept the boat moving as the fisherman baited the line for another good catch. Chandler was up next. He had several great bites on his line but nothing seemed to take the bait. Our 4 hours was up and we had to bring it in and head back to shore. Chandler was pretty bummed but we had plenty of excitement for the day. I am pleased to say that I did not get sick. The Captain kept the boat moving the entire time so we did not rock at all. That's my kind of fishing!

When we arrived at the dock, we decided to eat dinner at Quarterdeck Waterfront Dining right there at the Lighthouse off the dock. We looked like a hot, sticky mess walking into a beautiful upscale dining room. Oh well, they didn't seem to care so neither do we! Josh and Chandler decided to try oysters for the first time. Chandler hates seafood so this was going to be pretty funny. When the oyster appetizer came, there was one for each of them. Josh went first. He piled seafood sauce on his and ate it up. He said it wasn't too bad, kinda like a shrimp. Chandler added his sauces and down the hatch it went. The waitress witnessed his turn and she got a good laugh. He was not very happy. He couldn't make eye contact with any of us! When our dinner came, Carmen ordered swordfish which she had never had. She really seemed to like it. The little boys tried the swordfish and liked it as well. Josh and I had double baked lobster. It was very interesting. Never had a lobster like it before. Our food was very enjoyable. The boys didn't stray too far from their traditional dishes but we had a fun time dining and talking about our fishing adventure.