Cobias Are Here! Fishing With Captain Larry

Been a lot happening on the fishing scene since my last report. Grouper season re-opened on April 1st and (drum roll please), the Cobia Are Here !

I had still been running offshore to the Jacks prior to grouper opening and had not been able to look for cobia on the beach even though I had heard of a few being caught. The first of the month I got to stay up inshore and help my party catch a fine box of grouper for opening day and then look for an hour. We were fortunate enough to find a fish but he wasn't interested in anything we through. Oh well, some of 'em have to get by so there are more back next year! Capt Sam Wesley caught the first cobia off Grayton latter that afternoon - a fine one at 68#. Another beach boat -Capt Mike on the Trigger Happy said he found 2 singles and had one on also but the hook pulled. My folks had to be back in early or I'd have stayed out for the first "real" day they showed.

Opening Day Grouper- that big one had 3 old hooks in his mouth!

This young Lady caught 2 fine gags on a short 3 hour afternoon trip-- the day before they opened !

Yesterday I ran 3 little girls, Mom and Dad on a morning bottom trip. Caught a bunch of fish, everybody had fun but I really wanted to be looking for cobia ! After my folks left I picked up my son and Capt Mike ( he had a run a bottom trip also) and we took back off to see if we could catch one in the afternoon. We were not looking 20 minutes and I got to yell "There's One ! Everything went perfect, we put a fine fish in the box and we all had cobia for dinner last night.- Life is good! Several of the other Grayton boats got to cobia fish on thier charters and came in with some nice fish also.

There have been a few Spanish caught also and they should be showing up in force any day. I wish I was out there this morning but it's a little too rough for a 20 foot boat-- maybe this afternoon !

And One more of those "endangered" Red Snapper- The blasted things are everywhere!

Still plenty of Jacks but they play second fiddle to the cobia

Get out there and enjoy Spring !!

Capt Larry Pentel