Key Largo Sportfishing runs the Two Reel, a clean 38 foot Outer Banks sportfisher out of Garden Cove at mile marker 106, and it is the steadiest of the port’s private boats. It carries a deep, well rounded review record, more than 120 reviews on the booking platform alone plus a presence on the open review sites, and the recurring note is a patient, organized captain who runs a tidy boat and is good with families. It ranks near the top of our Key Largo field for that consistency, held back a notch by a catch rate that dips on the slow days more than the boats above it.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.9 it is a strong choice and the second ranked boat in the port, a half step behind Anglers Choice and right alongside Reel Deal on the following day. The strength is the whole package: a capable mid size sportfisher, a captain reviewers trust, and clear posted pricing. What holds it a notch below the top is the one honest weakness in its own record, the booking platform’s caught fish score sits below its near perfect marks for the captain and the boat, which means a real share of trips come back light. Book it for a family three quarter day or a full day offshore, and match the date to the season. The Key Largo ranking sets the field side by side.
The boat
The Two Reel is a 38 foot Outer Banks sportfisher, built in 2010 and powered by twin 500 horsepower Cummins diesels that cruise it out at around 30 knots. It is rigged for offshore, reef, and wreck work with an air conditioned cabin for the run, and reviewers single out how clean and well kept it is, the boat scores near the top of its booking record on condition. It is a comfortable middle of the field hull: bigger and drier than the center consoles below it, a step down in size from the 40 and 43 foot boats above. It carries up to 6 anglers, the Coast Guard limit on a six pack boat.
The fishing and what you target
The Two Reel works the reef, the wrecks, and the Gulf Stream off the north end of the island. The offshore trips chase mahi mahi from spring into fall and sailfish in the cooler months, the reef and wreck trips drop for snapper and grouper year round, and the boat runs dedicated shark and summer tarpon trips as well as a long swordfish run. Captain Dustin fishes the conditions across the day rather than forcing a long run on a rough morning, which is part of why the boat reads so steady on service and seamanship. The honest qualifier is that the bite still does not always cooperate, and the review record is open about it.
Trips and prices
The Two Reel sells by the whole boat for up to 6 anglers, private only, with posted rates of $1,500 for a 6 hour three quarter day, $1,800 for an 8 hour full day offshore, and $2,500 for a 10 hour swordfish trip. The 3 hour shark trips and the summer shark and tarpon trip run $1,000. The license, equipment, live bait, light snacks, and catch cleaning are included, and the listing carries free cancellation up to 7 days out. The pricing sits in the middle of the Key Largo private fleet, fair for a clean 38 foot boat. Our cost guide puts those numbers against a shared seat on the Sailors Choice party boat.
The crew
Captain Dustin runs the boat with a roster of named mates, and the reviews across the booking platform and the open sites line up on the same points: a professional, patient captain who is good with kids and beginners, a crew that keeps the deck organized, and filleting done well at the dock. The crew is the heart of the score. The one place the record pushes back is the fishing itself rather than the people: the booking platform’s caught fish metric runs below its scores for the captain and the boat, a fair sign that a share of trips come back light on the slow weeks. That is honest, not a knock on the crew, who reviewers say work hard either way.
Booking and what to know
Book through the operator’s site or its FishingBooker listing. The boat leaves from Garden Cove on the north, ocean side end of Key Largo, a few miles up the highway from the mile marker 100 marinas where most of the fleet docks, so check the address when you book. No fishing license is needed, the boat covers it, and the crew cleans your catch. Bring food, water, sunscreen, and motion sickness medication if you are unsure of your stomach on the offshore runs.
How we scored it
The Two Reel scores 7.9: a clean, well run 38 foot sportfisher with a captain reviewers trust and the most rounded review record among the port’s private boats, held just below the top by a catch rate that dips more than its rivals on the slow days. Captain and crew, boat and equipment, and value are its strongest factors. See how we scored this boat, and weigh it against the rest of the Key Largo fleet.