Late post Cobia Fishing 9/17/06
Posted: September 19th, 2006, 10:09 pm
After a disappointing loss by my beloved Seminoles, I tried to forget my sorrows by getting some salt air in my face. I have been very busy so it was my first trip in two months. I usually take a break during the heat of the summer to try and catch up on work that is leftover from Spring fishing.
I was targeting my favorite fish, Cobia. I didn't actually get on the water until 3:00. Fished for bait for about an hour. Drifted pin-fish while bait-fishing and caught trout, ladyfish, spanish, blues and jacks. Started hunting for Cobia ,however, by now sun was already low on the horizon. I was not spotting any fish so I began to fish my holes blindly. I normally like to sight fish for my Cobia and watch them pursue and inhale my bait. Third place I tried I felt my pinfish begin to swim with more authority than his little body was able to produce so I set the hook and the fight was on. A nice fish for this time of year, approximately 30-35 pounds. I have caught and released over 100 cobia over the years so I am pretty good at estimating. Fought the fish to boat-side only to have the fish spit the hook on that one last run by the boat. Thinking that it was going to be one of those days after your team losses and now a nice cobia spits the hook on you, I leave in frustration to my next cobia hole. No luck on about 4 holes and then tap....tap. Set the hook, small fish, sling it in the boat, tag the fish and release the fish. By now the sun is almost set, need to run for the house. Stop by one last place, no strike, reel like crazy and with my pinfish skipping across the water about five yards from my boat a dark shadow swirls around my pinfish but did not take the bait. Tried several more casts to no avail. Left for about ten minutes and returned, hooked the fish on my first cast. The fish looks like a marginal keeper so I try to net him in my new rubber net from Wal-Mart. Have the fish in the net and try to throw him in the boat but he wriggles out. Strike one. Net the fish again and finally throw it in the boat. Let the fish settle down, 34.5" to the fork of the tail. In the cooler it goes.
Beautiful sunset. Nice to spend some quality time again with my mistress of the sea, my brown eyed cobia.
I was targeting my favorite fish, Cobia. I didn't actually get on the water until 3:00. Fished for bait for about an hour. Drifted pin-fish while bait-fishing and caught trout, ladyfish, spanish, blues and jacks. Started hunting for Cobia ,however, by now sun was already low on the horizon. I was not spotting any fish so I began to fish my holes blindly. I normally like to sight fish for my Cobia and watch them pursue and inhale my bait. Third place I tried I felt my pinfish begin to swim with more authority than his little body was able to produce so I set the hook and the fight was on. A nice fish for this time of year, approximately 30-35 pounds. I have caught and released over 100 cobia over the years so I am pretty good at estimating. Fought the fish to boat-side only to have the fish spit the hook on that one last run by the boat. Thinking that it was going to be one of those days after your team losses and now a nice cobia spits the hook on you, I leave in frustration to my next cobia hole. No luck on about 4 holes and then tap....tap. Set the hook, small fish, sling it in the boat, tag the fish and release the fish. By now the sun is almost set, need to run for the house. Stop by one last place, no strike, reel like crazy and with my pinfish skipping across the water about five yards from my boat a dark shadow swirls around my pinfish but did not take the bait. Tried several more casts to no avail. Left for about ten minutes and returned, hooked the fish on my first cast. The fish looks like a marginal keeper so I try to net him in my new rubber net from Wal-Mart. Have the fish in the net and try to throw him in the boat but he wriggles out. Strike one. Net the fish again and finally throw it in the boat. Let the fish settle down, 34.5" to the fork of the tail. In the cooler it goes.
Beautiful sunset. Nice to spend some quality time again with my mistress of the sea, my brown eyed cobia.
