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Captain's Corner: Catching a giant cobia

 
Published May 16, 2018

Cobia is the topic this week. Capt. Tom Markham, aboard the Simply Hooked, was beginning his daily bait routine. It turned out that one of the markers located near Clearwater Pass, surprisingly, had a giant fish waiting for him. The captain slid up to the marker, ready to start his daily bait-catching session. Immediately, a giant cobia came up to check them out. This is a normal occurrence for this particular species since they're one of the most curious fish in the gulf. They also happen to be one of the tastiest fillets. Spring and fall seasons seem to be when captains get this special gift. The problem that arose was that the giant fish had absolutely no interest in the first bait that they had thrown. The veteran captain jigged up another type of baitfish. The giant cobia inhaled their newfound offering. A pinfish was the deal-maker. After a 30 minute battle, Travis had the fish boatside. This was one of the biggest cobia landed along our coastline in a while. The transition from spring to summer can sometimes be monumental.

Dave Mistretta captains Jaws Too out of Indian Rocks Beach. Call (727) 439-2628 or visit jawstoo.com.