But they say, "The truth shall set you free!", so it's my hope that flat out telling the truth will protect me.
The day started out like many other of my fishing days... last minute call from a friend with a request to put some out of town folks on fish if possible. What made it a bit different was that none other than forum owner Bman was on the other end of the line. Checked the computer and saw flat-seas wind forecast, a decent solunar bite predicted, and low threat of storms until late afternoon. Told Bman I would do my best to ensure mission accomplished.
Went out of St. Marks and fairly quickly loaded up on bait. Then ran out to a favorite rocky area in 18' of water. We aren't anchored for more than 30 minutes or so before we see a monster cobia swim by the boat. 10 minutes later one of our rods takes a Wicked Tuna drag-screaming bend. Realizing it's a BIG fish I grab the rod, asking everyone to get prepared for chaos and a hand-off to one of Barry's guests if at all possible. Get the fish to the surface... AND... it's the biggest cobia I've seen in our neck of the woods. Best estimate is 70 pounds. Far bigger than any of the hundred or so cobia pulled aboard Marine's Dream to date.
As soon as the visual is made, the bruiser cobe decides he HATES our boat and likes Pensacola MUCH more, making a mad dash westward. Line is SCREAMING off the reel. Try my best to turn it... no dice... add all the thumbing I can to an already heavy drag... no dice, just a blistered thumb. Watch as I'm half spooled in seconds. On the positive side, the fish is off the bottom and running on top away from any rocks and I know if we can JUST PULL ANCHOR AND CHASE to regain line one of Bman's guest is very likely going to make the memory of a LIFETIME!
I yell, "LET'S PULL ANCHOR!!!" and almost instantly get a holler back from Bman's friend, "ANCHOR FREE!"...and then... then... I yell, "BMAN, START THE BOAT AND CHASE!" Bman, moving in slow-motion answers back in a southern drawl, "Dang, Big Bend Gyrene! My sabiki's wrapped in your line!" and instead of chasing ambles back to me trying to fiddle with his sabiki line. Looking down I see I'm down to backing with black spool appearing between the last few feet of line and with tears welling in my eyes yell, "BMAN FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY CUT THE SABIKI AND CHASE!", and he then says something like, "Wait a second... I'm thirsty, let me get a spot of tea first!"... and with that... "KAPOWWW!"... the line snaps, taking every bit of my full spool of 65lb braid.
Well, they say karma's a bee-atch, so I guess I had it coming in light of my laughing at Bman's hilarious grappling attempt at another big cobe back in 2013. Anyone not familiar with that tale can find it here: http://www.bigbendfishing.net/phpBB3/vi ... =3&t=33903
Anyway, wiping away the tears I drowned myself with a few of these before getting refocused on the mission.
Versus typing anymore, this recap video REALLY does a decent job telling the entire rest of the tale, down to the very last minute of our return to port when I noticed something at the St. Mark's launching area I've NEVER noticed before. Just will sum it up with Mel Brook's famous words from History of the World: Part 1, "It's good to be the king!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpwOFQSt9q4[/video]
Great job and I miss you guys. Good job! Can I post snook on this site? Is it allowed? 
