Where to start... maybe just in saying 2013 has been the oddest fishing year I can ever remember. In many ways it's been like the year that didn't exist. I'm betting lot of board members feel the same way.
Between windy days, stormy weekends, and a record wet July, the year has found me chasing cobia half as much as in the past. Work, a hunt for a new home, and a fairly substantial family health scare that had me making multiple trips to the Carolinas kept me off the waters for over a month.
So it was with much excitement this past Friday that coworker Ontiltttttt and I hatched a game plan to take his gal out to see if the cobia were still at home. We even had visions of checking out 3 or 4 new offshore spots if the weather allowed. Well... that (the weather cooperating) didn't happen. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Due to concerns with a solid east-bound rain band running from Pensacola to Canada we agreed to meet up in St. Marks at dawn.
Even if we hadn't been able to fish, I would have gotten some therapy in with the beautiful sunrise.
Though overcast we were hopeful for decent waters due to wind / wave forecasts of 5mph /1' seas. Well, whoever made those forecasts must have been smoking a well-filled crack pipe.
Just took getting into the channel at the mouth to know we were in for a bumpy day. To break up the rough ride we tried catching some bait in 4', 6', and 8' waters with only a single pin to show for the effort. Tried hitting St. Marks Reef and it didn't produce any hits or mark well either.
So kept on trudging towards deeper water... and... we found that once we got between 15' and 20' waters further away from the mouth we found evidence of bait. Ran into more than one set of feeding birds. Definitely was our experience that the further we got away from the river mouths flooded by summer freshwater rains, the more action we noted.
Worried that we were fighting a losing battle with the clock, we trudged on out to a favorite rocky spot just beyond the federal line. On one of our very first drops, big ladyfish. Thank her for her sacrifice and put her to service as cut bait. Few minutes later and Ontiltttttt proves the cobia are still in town!
It's about 10:00am at this point, and I've predicted that once the tide starts heading back in with the wind versus against it we can hope for some relief. So much for hope & dreams. Wind and swells just keep right on building. Anyone boating by would have deemed us three varying shades of green and likely noticed with each minute the green coloration darkening. Making the situation all the sadder is the fact that my sonar is staying lit up like a Christmas tree and I'm catching nice macks on topwater plug with each cast. With our guest of the fairer sex the most green, I make a promise that if we can go 15 minutes without a bite we'll head on in. Throw two more pieces of ladyfish on two rigs... and almost instantly we have a double hook-up!
Ontiltttttt's catch is a beautiful mogan mackerel that he lands fairly quickly after a drag-blistering, albeit brief, fight.
Here Ontiltttttt shows off the business end of the big mack.
Ontiltttttt's gal actually lands the big fish of the day after quickly taking the first hit rod so Ontiltttttt could reel in the mackerel that hit second. Her fight proves to be a far longer ordeal, and one that is exciting enough that we all momentarily forget about feeling green. End result, a 25 pound black tip destined for the skillet!
Ontiltttttt's work gaffing the black tip into the boat led to a few images worthy of being included in the movie "Scarface."
Get our double catch in the boat and as we struggle to maintain our balance we notice rain filled storm clouds to the south, west, north,
AND east of us. Probably didn't get a full hour of drop time with lines actually in the water, but with some fun fish caught and conditions threatening to get far worse we decide to say thanks for our blessings and call it a day quite early. Actually passed feeding frenzies with birds diving on the way back in, something I've NEVER done... but... not going to lie, this proved one of the most welcome sights of the day.
As a follow-up, next day Ontiltttttt's gal is rightfully bragging on Ontiltttttt's cullinary skills. Ontiltttttt raised working with a family restaurant didn't waste time exploring with the shark, preparing "shark avocado salad."
With a warning that it might cause seasickness, did put together a video highlighting some of the fight footage. Way Ontiltttttt's gal didn't waste time taking control of the shark, as well as her maintaining a great positive attitude through a darn nasty nautical day, don't think the mackerel is the only keeper Ontiltttttt took home.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HgboFYh74U[/video]
"The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank GOD for the United States Marine Corps." Eleanor Roosevelt, 1945
haha! Thanks BBG!
