Man, Saturday was just one of those days that keeps you coming back.   I put together two Cobia make up trips earlier this year.  The first one was Saturday and it was a great time.  I watched the forecast all night and finally made the call to fish out of Hatteras even though the reports were pretty slow.  

We got out and conditions were fishable, but tough.  Breezy and choppy.  The swell was down so it was just a surface chop we had to contend with all day.   Only a handful of boats out on the shoals.  We did have that nice clear water though – top to bottom in 12-15 feet of water.

First fish happened pretty fast. About a 40lber that came off a turtle, Craig reeled that one in and into the box he went.   Super stoked for a great start.   We kept on looking around – then we saw a piggy…..!

The fish comes right behind the boat and grabs one of the jigs, YES! After a couple seconds he shakes the hook, NO!…… Lucky for us the cobia decided to hang near the boat.  We kept throwing at it and it hits again!  This time we came tight and Graham is on the rod.  After about 30 mins he gets the fish next to the boat.   I went to gaff it and she gets one good kick and nearly pulls me in the water. The gaff comes out and she fights a little while longer.   Fish gets back up again and I gaff her again and she flops off again and the line breaks and away she swims…..

However!!!!!!!!!   The water was so clear that we were able to stay with her for a while as she swam half dead on the bottom.  After the second gaff shot she bled out so much that she was done.  She started coming up to the top and Graham snags her tail  with a bucktail and pulls her in.  I finally successfully gaffed the fish and in the boat she came.  YES!!!!!  That was one unlucky cobia.   That fish had 4 chances to get away.  76lb stud.

Got back up top and started looking again.  It didn’t take long and we found another stud fish.  That one went pretty smooth and Curtis puts a 75lber in the boat.  Caught a few smallish keepers somewhere in between there along with a couple throw backs.

It wasn’t much later I saw a dark shadow on the bottom. Couldn’t tell what it was but always worth a cast.  A couple pops off the bottom and up comes another great fish.  Craig manhandles a nice 65lber to the boat and the cobia coffin is full.  8 fish total with 3 nice’ns.  Very enjoyable company.  Thanks alot guys – great day!