Lucky Cobia Charms

[big bend gyrene]

Been WAY too long since Marine's Dream last floated in salt water. Honestly not even sure when I took my last trip out in 2015, but guessing August or at the very latest September. Too many reasons to list why the reduction in saltwater trips, but suffice it to say with May's arrival on the heels of a nice warm-up in April I developed a bad enough case of cobe fever to make me take on cleaning the neglected boat. The clean up task alone proved a 2 day trial. Batteries had to be charged, bilge pump unclogged, etc, etc, etc, but by this past weekend everything was in running order AND blessedly the weather reports showed the winds FINALLY dying down to manageable levels.

First bit of GREAT NEWS to report is that we caught pins readily on the east flats in front of Aucilla/Econ. Couldn't snag a single one a few years back, and fished out of the west part of the bay last year to ensure filling the live well. Flats seemed to have made an incredible recovery in comparison to where it was in 2014 after the late spring/early summer floods.

Second bit of GREAT NEWS is that we caught trout on pins we were trailing behind the boat in hopes of catching wandering cobes, on an old wire stinger rig I had on no less! I know some on the board use small pins for trout regularly, but I haven't had as much luck in the past as I did this trip out. We got bites less than a minute after casting the stinger rig out, then steadily until we headed out to deeper water.

Third bit of GREAT NEWS is that reports of cobia going M.I.A. from our area just aren't factual. Could the numbers be down? Maybe, but couldn't tell from our bite. Put our limit (one a piece) on ice AND did some tagging as well!

All in all a great day on the water. Almost forgot to speak to the "Lucky Cobia Charm" subject header, but will just say that I joked with board member and Yeti sales rep KyTrkyHntr that a Yeti cap I got last year seemed to be working for the bass on the pond behind my house so I was eager to test it on the cobes.

Well, either the hat's mojo is kicking in OR the lucky charm is actually a human -- board member and fishing bud Ontiltttttt (be dadgum if I know how many "t"s to type ). Ontilt (abbreviating it - lol) swears since he started fishing with me in 2013 we haven't made a SINGLE trip out without bringing a cobia aboard. Add to it he hooked the boat record cobe THE FIRST TRIP I TOOK HIM ON which happened to be the DAY AFTER I MET HIM, followed by his saying he wanted a rare relatively-shallow water kingish only to catch one the day of his request, and I'm honestly starting to think maybe he's just leading a blessedly charmed life and I should make sure he's able to go every trip out.

Here's the pics from the trip:

First fish up -- a short tagged and released for tracking research purposes.

First fish up had this buddy tagging along with him, giving us a double hook up right off the bat! ALWAYS love when that happens!

Few bigger fish followed

Lucky charm pic -- the Yeti hat or Ontilt? Think I'll keep them boat around versus testing them apart to find out.

[Salty Gator]

Nice report, thanks. I didn't know cobes were Mia, we tore em up last year

[big bend gyrene]

Salty Gator, definitely not my perception that they're MIA either (especially since I had a decent tagging season with just a few trips out last year) but a couple of recent posts had folks talking like they're nearly endangered. Have to do a bit of reading, but you'll find the comments if you read through the entire posts.

http://www.bigbendfishing.net/phpBB3/vi ... ia#p304120

http://www.bigbendfishing.net/phpBB3/vi ... ia#p304240

[Blue spinner]

nice report along with good pic to back it up
it was good to talk to Yall on Sunday hope i am able to get back before i have to go to Texas

[Salty Gator]

I didn't see those posts. Glad y'all found some fish, they are so much fun to catch. Glad the pins are back, that's good news. I hope that means the grass is back.

[ontiltttttt]

Blue spinner, it was a pleasure meeting you as well! I hope you can get out on the water soon.

And hand-on-the-bible serious, I've caught a cobia EVERYTIME I've been out with you BBG. You've done your fair share of wish-granting, that's for certain

[zload]

Salty Gator, definitely not my perception that they're MIA either (especially since I had a decent tagging season with just a few trips out last year) but a couple of recent posts had folks talking like they're nearly endangered. Have to do a bit of reading, but you'll find the comments if you read through the entire posts.

http://www.bigbendfishing.net/phpBB3/vi ... ia#p304120

http://www.bigbendfishing.net/phpBB3/vi ... ia#p304240

If MY fishing results were indicative of species population we'd really be in trouble, hopefully the people who make decisions related to our natural resources use better science

[woopty]

Way to git on em BBG!

[Sharkman]

Great job, guys! I miss the Big Bend Cobia and red fishing. Sad to say I haven't caught a Clearwater cobe yet! Have gotten into Grouper, snapper and snook though:) Great pics!

[big bend gyrene]

Sharkman, maybe wrong to wish it on you but it sure wouldn't make me sad if you end up back up this way one day.

Definitely miss fishing with you... fished for cobes with a few folks now, but none have the history we do of totaling a jeep near Hickory Mound, walking through muck after judging tides wrong at Wakulla Beach, or swimming a water-filled canoe up the lighthouse canal. Ok, those memories won't likely entice you back but I hope the memories of double digit reds and countless cobes may!