- Big ol' fish.JPG (609.08 KiB) Viewed 3407 times
Today I was ready. I had some 7/0 circle hooks and some 30# leader material. I worked and worked. I landed one Cobia that was 30" and released him. Near the end of the day, after losing all but one of my circle hooks and the only two Cajun thunder floats I brought, I had a pin-fish trailing behind as I was drifting towards the platform again. I was casting a 1/4oz jig with a white 3" Gulp shrimp hoping to get a trout. Bang, thump, zoom went my line. My first reaction was, what the heck is this?, then it sunk in, a Cobia had hit my jig. I went to work. I fought him for about 10 minutes when he started getting close to my flat line. I picked up the live bait rod and started pulling it in to get it out of the way. I had nearly gotten it to the boat when I had to put the rod down to fight the not so tired Cobia on my jig. Cobia #1 had a buddy following him around. Cobia #2 saw my pin-fish and hit it. Now I have two Cobes and not nearly enough hands. Talk about looking like a monkey trying to do something unnatural to a football.
Cobe #2 has taken off south at mach one and all I need to do is hold on. Cobe #1 is tiring and I want to land him. I finally get him to the boat and try to use the fish grippers on him. (no gaff, no fish bat). He is having none of this and after a few violent shakes of the head, my line breaks at the jig.
Now I have my full attention applied to #2. He is working his way towards the platform and I want none of that. I chase him down using my trolling motor and cut off his approach to the platform. He works me back and forth round and round. I want to end this battle, but I am a little leery about putting too much pressure on him. I decide I am going to net this rascal. Each time I get him coming toward the net, he sees it and is having nothing to do with it! I decide it is now or never. I grab the leader, and just as he is starting to open his mouth for me to stick the grabber in, he shakes his head as if to say, "not yet my friend". Off he goes on another run. This is short lived as the Ling is quite tired. I get him to the boat, grab the leader again, and the fish grabber is attached. I quickly attach a second pair of grabbers just to be on the safe side and haul his butt aboard.
I am happy, tired and sore. I decide to call it a day and know it is going to be a late night if I don't get back to the ramp soon. The fish is cleaned and packaged for future cookouts. Now it is time to wash some clothes and catch some sleep so I can get my last day of vacation fishing in tomorrow.
FF
