BigBendFishing.Net

Going out tomorrow morning for the first time this year. Despite the rain, we still look to bring some fish home. Where has everyone been having the most success in those areas?

We launched at Lanark Village and headed straight to Carrabelle Reef. Piddled around there for a few hours and, although we got some nice hits, we only pulled in one keeper Mangrove snapper and some trash fish. I hooked up something really big, fought it for about 30 minutes and eventually my line broke. We were in 35ft of water and though it may be a Goliath grouper that took my under a reef and just plopped down. Any thoughts on what it could have been?

Also fished near the condos in Lanark as we ward trout have been around, but we have no luck.

Overall, we caught the snapper and a couple of spanish.

The water was about 70.5 deg for the most part and the wind starting whipping in the afternoon. Where has everyone been having luck?

timmy0257 wrote:I hooked up something really big, fought it for about 30 minutes and eventually my line broke. We were in 35ft of water and though it may be a Goliath grouper that took my under a reef and just plopped down. Any thoughts on what it could have been?

Big cobia are cruising through right now and sounds like you were in perfect territory for one.

Fight would best indicate what you had... if slow but massive pull that couldn't be turned more likely goliath, shark (especially nurse if stayed down), or big ray... mutliple fast drag-peeling runs with breaks between, very well could have been a big cobia (big ones cut us off on structure regluarly)... INSANELY fast drag peeling run, would say a king, but doubtful since didn't break you off much more quickly.

based on your descriptions, i would agree on Goliath. I was only using 12# Seagar red label fluorocarbon tied directly to 20# Yozuri fluoro leader.

i wanted to see this fish so badly, but he won.

You did awesome to fight anything big enough not to pull up and see over 30 minutes with line in that pound class. Heck, we use 60+ braid as main line and often with matched weight (60#) fluorocarbon, and still OFTEN get cut off quickly if structure is nearby. Know the feeling of badly wanting to see the sea-monster at the other end of the line. ALWAYS feel the same way when I lose one I didn't at least get to see!

BBG fishing reports seem pretty quiet these days... maybe you can throw up a "How to catch Cobia on deeper structure" post to educate some of us. I've always enjoyed your stories and videos. The few I've caught have been random on the flats and I know some people cruise the beaches during the migration move so no real good idea on targeting the deeper water fish.

zload wrote:BBG fishing reports seem pretty quiet these days... maybe you can throw up a "How to catch Cobia on deeper structure" post to educate some of us. I've always enjoyed your stories and videos. The few I've caught have been random on the flats and I know some people cruise the beaches during the migration move so no real good idea on targeting the deeper water fish.

Having posted a time or two on the board in the past on the issue, I'll reiterate what I've said in the past... focus on structure, structure, and then re-focus on structure.

Did I mention focus on structure? Seriously, doesn't matter if it's in 5' or 100' waters... the bird-racks, small bouys leading out of the local channels, good rocky bottom, offshore wrecks, or the bigger offshore towers... cobia like cruising into structure spots looking for huddled-up bait / easy prey, as well as rocky bottom areas that draw their beloved crabs.

Another tip -- see big turtles, rays, or even big sharks swimming nearby, cast jigs as close as you can to them. Cobia love following them, be it in shallow or deeper waters.

And while inshore, even if NOT on structure, always keep a lively pin floating behind the boat as cobia DO cruise the flats going from structure area to structure area and if you can put up with the many sharks / macks you'll catch floating pins behind the boat you WILL eventually snag a nice cobe.

Just made my first scouting trip of 2014 this Sunday. Took buddy Sharkman and we found a couple / brought one to the boat / will try to share a more detailed report asap. This shared, as much as I love going out of St. Marks and Ecky, do believe the MASSIVE freshwater dump has definitely impacted waters to the east enough that we ran into a good bit less activity than I hoped. Best fish I've seen this year have been hooked on the west side of the bay. Bet that will continue to prove true until the river freshwater dumps slow just a bit.

thanks for the encouragement and also all the tips.