Sorry for the late report. My newest fishin buddy (Travis) and myself took advantage of the calm seas and beautiful weather last Wednesday to try some of the inshore reefs around St. Marks. We put in at the fort just after dawn loaded with 1 whole squid and 4 dozen live shrimp. On the flats we loaded the livewell with a couple dozen small pinfish, and headed southwest to rotary reef. After finding suitable bottom structure I anchored in 18 ft. of water and we proceded to fish. Travis was fishing a pin under a CT, and I was fishing one on bottom with a grouper rig. We both were casting live shrimp. The shrimp were producing lots os smaller fish including 2 small gags and lots of hard fighting hardtails. Travis caught a lookdown, and as I was preparing to take a photo my pinfish went off. 10 minutes later we boated a 30 inch cobia which was returned to the blue unharmed. I immediately reloaded and dropped to find another fish waiting for my bait. I set the hook and was not prepared as the fish's first run nearly pulled me out of the boat. After about fifteen minutes we landed this brute.
While I was taking a quick break Travis informed me that he needed the net because he had hooked up with something big on the shrimp pole. Several minutes later I netted this 26 inch red.
At this point we noticed that clouds were building to the South and the wind was picking up, so we decided to head back toward St. Marks. Unable to resist the temptation, we stopped and anchored at the St. Marks reef in 20 ft. of water. The shrimp produced more hardtails, and Travis had a pinfish bite that appeard to have been a kingfish. He rerigged and in a short time his CT disappeared. Travis was busy with a hardtail, so I opened the bail of his reel so the fish could run with the bait. Travis finally got to his pole, set the hook, and the fight was on.
After about 45 minutes on light tackle we were able to boat this beauty.
Each of us now had a cobia in the box (which was full) and we headed to the flats to finish the day with 4 trout 16-20" and many shorts.
