At first it seems like the idea to use light spinning rods to catch
kingfish is a serious miscalculation. After a hard strike, half of the spool has evaporated before
the fish even slows down, but the run finally ends and the angler regains some line before another
shorter run rips off some more 12-pound line. After a 30-minute battle, Capt. Mark St. Angelo gaffs
the 20-pound king and swings it aboard. One of the best things about angling for kingfish is that
it usually isn't too hard to find out where the action is: Just look for the fleet of boats. But
finding the fish is one thing, catching them is another. On this balmy day in Panama City on
Florida's Panhandle, the anglers aboard a Cobia 314 center console seem to be catching the most and
biggest fish. This new flagship of the Cobia fleet is 31 feet long and has a beam of nearly 10
feet, and the answer is yes, this boat can help you put fish in the box.
Powering the big center
console is a pair of state-of-the-art direct-injected powerhouses, Yamaha's new Z250 H.P.D.I.
2-strokes. This V6 engine features an all-new 3.3L design and has upped the fuel pressure to an
incredible 1,000 psi, to provide better atomization for a more complete burn that translates into
improved fuel economy. Most people who buy big V6 engines like to go fast, and the Yamaha Z250
rewards those in a hurry with vastly improved mileage at high rpm. According to Yamaha, the new
H.P.D.I. Z250 consumes 31 percent less fuel at wide-open throttle than its EFI counterpart.
After pulling away from the dock at the Marriott Bay Point Resort and clearing the no-wake
zone in St. Andrews Bay, the Yamahas are lit up and the Cobia gets on plane quickly with a modest
amount of bowrise. The Z250s hook up well and still have that glorious Yamaha Saltwater Series II
sound, albeit slightly quieter. Acceleration for the Cobia is brisk, with the 314 reaching 30 mph
in a little less than eight seconds. At wide-open throttle, the fuel management gauge shows that
the engines are consuming only 40 gallons per hour as the 31-footer reaches a top speed of 50.8
mph. To test the 'limp home' capability, one engine is tilted up and the Cobia's port engine pushes
it to an impressive 35 mph.
It seems like the
roughest inlets in Florida are the man-made ones, and the one framed on both sides by St. Andrews
State Park is proving that point today. With an outgoing tide and brisk incoming wind, the mouth of
the inlet is sporting steep four-foot waves. Normally seas that rough will get the crew's
attention, but the big Cobia 314 pounds the waves as flat as a 10-penny nail hit by a sledgehammer
with its substantial hull weight of 5,500 pounds and deep-V design that has 20 degrees of deadrise
at the stern. The Yamahas are highly responsive, which comes in handy to quickly adjust for the
variable sea conditions. Like the previous H.P.D.I. models, chopping the throttle quickly is almost
like having brakes ' the deceleration is so abrupt ' and on more than one occasion helps to keep
the driver from overcooking it into a larger than usual wave. Despite the rough conditions, two
brave souls ride on the bench seat in front of the console, which features grabrails and a
backrest, and report that the ride is pretty good up there.
Nothing induces fatigue
like a poorly designed helm station, and the Cobia scores well with a layout that features tilt
hydraulic steering and properly placed throttles. The standard electric Lenco trim tabs with
LED-status indicator lights are conveniently positioned in between the stainless-steel wheel and
the sturdy Yamaha control levers for easy use in these rough conditions, and deploying a bit of tab
keeps the boat on plane despite the relatively slow speed. The large console is a
'love-it-or-hate-it' proposition with the gauges and rocker switches for all of the accessories on
one panel set high above the wheel and directly in front of the driver. For those who like to watch
their gauges closely, it's the perfect setup, but fishermen who like to have their electronics
displays front and center will have to adjust to having them off to the side. In reality, this
might have been a problem with older fish-finder/GPS units, but today's color displays are so sharp
and bright, the pilot shouldn't have a problem reading it from an angle. The compass is positioned
for easy line-of-sight navigation on top of the large, flat console top, but this vast area needs a
lip or some non-skid material to keep the usual junk that fishermen like to put up there from
sliding off and crashing on the deck. The tall upright windshield does a great job of protecting
the crew, although some anglers might prefer to sacrifice comfort for improved forward vision and
cut it down to make it easier to spot birds and weedlines.
|
After exiting the inlet, the seas
subside and the fleet of boats working the kingfish schools is not far off the sandy white beach.
Captain St. Angelo heads to the console tackle storage compartment, then to the bait prep area at
the stern, which has a cutting board and sink with a raw water spigot. He begins rigging the light
spinning rods with cigar minnows and lead trolling weights to position the offerings farther down
the water column. Although live bait is preferable, the bait boat is nowhere in sight, which is a
shame because the 32-gallon livewell -' with its 700 gallon-per-hour recirculating pump and brass
high-speed pickup ' is full and waiting for the finny fodder. Unlike some boats that have the
livewell off to the side, Cobia places it near the middle of the stern to prevent listing.
Although fishing on a strange boat makes it tough on a charter captain, St. Angelo adapts quickly. His only request is that the four anglers on board keep the port walkway from the helm to the stern clear, and in short order, the crew sees why. Taking a lesson from the commercial fishermen, he puts the Cobia 314 in a gentle left-hand circle and gets four baits in the water, using two-thirds of the six in-gunwale rod holders. He is back and forth from the helm to the rods more often than a sumo wrestler at an all-you-can-eat buffet making subtle adjustments for the best presentation. And it isn't long before the first bite, which turns out to be a 5-pound Spanish mackerel. Then the big kingfish hits, and after the battle of the day is deposited into the insulated 12-cubic-foot starboard fishbox. If more capacity is needed (meaning you are probably keeping too many fish) there is an additional 6-cubic-foot box on the port side. The 20-pounder is a decent-sized late-summer king for this area and proves to be the biggest of the day for the fleet of boats fishing the half-day. Sometimes there are as many as five people in the cockpit because of multiple hookups of smaller 'snake' kingfish and hefty Spanish mackerel, illustrating the roominess of the big Cobia. Moving around is easy and safe thanks to the wide walk-arounds and tall gunwales. The heat causes numerous visits to grab an ice-cold water from the 72-quart Igloo cooler that is conveniently 'bungied' into position underneath the standard leaning post. A typical problem of center console boats is that few have cupholders in the cockpit. Cobia solves this by putting four of them between the five rocket launchers located behind the fixed seatback of the leaning post. In addition to the rocket launchers, there is storage for six more rods in the optional T-top, and room for four more under the gunwales, for a total capacity of 21. If you have purchased more rods than that, you may be narrowing your children's career choices down to two: barber or clown. A lull in the action gives those aboard a chance to investigate the mega-Cobia more thoroughly, and stepping down into the large console provides some surprises. The amount of headroom is impressive; a six-footer wearing a cowboy hat can stand down here without 'topping out.' There is a vanity with a sink, and other standard features include a hand-held freshwater shower, fed by a 20-gallon tank, as well as an electric head with a 20-gallon holding tank. Interestingly, there is even an abbreviated berth that would be perfect for catching a nap during a lull in the action. Roughly the size of a coffin, one adult or two very close friends could be accommodated here. Being about seven feet long, it would also be an excellent place to store rods under lock and key while in port. With a 270-gallon fuel tank, and vast dry storage compartments in the bow compartments and forward sole, this would be the ultimate Bahamas vacation cruiser. Retail pricing for the Cobia 314 with a pair of Yamaha's H.P.D.I. direct-injected Z250 2-strokes is $112,271, which is certainly not petty cash. But owners will get a boat that can safely take anglers to far-flung hot spots and allow large parties to fish in comfort, while keeping the cost of running a boat this size down to a minimum. Fit and finish are very good, and Cobia uses quality ingredients such as CCP Armorcote gel coat and LTP resin to cook up a substantial-feeling fishing boat that is backed by a 10-year limited warranty. Back at the marina, flopping the kingfish onto the dock causes an onlooker to say, 'That's a nice big one,' prompting one of the crew to ask, 'the boat or the fish?' And the spectator says, 'Yes.' |