03-10-2003, 04:05 AM
[size 2][font "Times New Roman"]![[Image: Cobe_with_mark_and_rob.JPG]](http://www.cruisebrevard.com/fishreports/images/15/Cobe_with_mark_and_rob.JPG)
Cobia action has really been heating lately outside Port Canaveral. Many boats have been reporting multi-fish catches, not to mention that the Port Canaveral Cobia record Fell on Friday. Local angler Phil Lillo caught an 81lb and then a 90Lb to break the existing record. [/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Today anglers Mark Moffitt and Rob Hollander fished with me in search of the big Brownies.We left the port around 8:00am and headed south down to the Steeples(8th street south) where several large Manta rays were seen late yesterday.The seas were calm and water temperature was 70f with a light breeze out of the west.As we approached the steeples,a fog bank was moving up the coast from the south which hampered our visibility as far as sight fishing was concerned. Radar on the boat provided the safety factor we needed to identify any boats that might get too closein the fog.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Being Sunday morning ,everybody and their brother was on the water as well , so you really had to watch out for Rays as well as other boats not paying attention to the surroundings. Suddenly Mark sees something out of the corner of his eye and then Rob sees it as well, a nice Tarpon about 100lb rolling off to the side.As quick as it appeared, it disappeared never to be seen again. Its always exciting to see Tarpon, especially this early in the season.We usually don’t have them in the area till late April or early May.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]We motored up to the North to another landmark, Stonewood, a large condo visible a long way off and still no Rays or free swimmers.Over the radio there were reports of rays to the south of us, but there were no Cobia on them.We made our way up the Canaveral Buoy line and then east out to the end of the channel. Nothing.So we now headed south again,but we were a couple of miles further out then earlier when suddenly a Cobe of about 30-40lb pops up right in front of the boat.It was so close that we weren’t able to get a shot off at it.Well, at least we saw one.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]About 20 minutes later we saw our first Ray of the day. It was now about noon.It had a couple of fish on it and Mark manages to get hooked up and now we have finally have one in the box.It measures out to be 38” long,a keeper.The next Rays we see are along the edge of a color change and that’s where we stayed for the rest of the day.The next 2 Rays had no fish on them either and most of the reports on the radio were similar to what we were finding. Rob now sees a large ray and I motor us as close as we can safely get without spooking the monster.And then another one appears and this one has fish all over it. The ray was about 12-14 ft across,the size everybody wants to find. Rob makes a good cast and hooks up immediately .But it sounds right in front of the huge manta ray and gets cut off. Now the rays surfaces right next to the boat an Mark and I both pitch our jigs at the fish. They were so close to the boat that all we could do was hold our breath and hope they would eat the jigs.Then a big fish of about 50+ lbs comes along side us and makes a run at my jig which is almost now right up to the boat and then it turns off. Not even enough time to grab a pin fish out of the live well and drop it over the side. The huge creature sounds again taking with it several Cobia between 30 – 50+lbs.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Another boat moves in now having seen us throwing at something in the water and the Rays now surface again only now they are right next to the other boat. Rob makes a great cast again allowing the other boat first shot, but they blew it and he hooks up. A few minutes later I stick the gaff into a 30lb fish and into the box goes another.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]The Rays were really getting worked hard from all the boats and it was getting difficult to approach them without them sounding. We were now heading in a NE direction along the edge of the color change when I now see a really big Turtle making tracks off to the east. I told Rob to take the helm and I headed for the bow to take my shot. Well , it was perfect, just to the right of the turtle and bingo,I hook up with a nice fish. A couple of minutes later ,Mark sinks the gaff into it and we have our 3 fish in the box.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]The wind starts to pick up as well and I notice that the sky was getting darker to the NE of us .Radio reports were saying that there is a nice storm heading our way and I start tracking it on the radar. It’s 14 miles away heading SE, right in our direction. Oh well ,time to go. As I throttle up we all see another large Ray make several jumps a couple of hundred yards away .Boy, it really hurt having to leave that sight ,but the weather did have priority and you don’t want to “ Mess with Mother Nature”, especially on the water.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Tight Lines, C Ya , Capt Bob [/font]
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Cobia action has really been heating lately outside Port Canaveral. Many boats have been reporting multi-fish catches, not to mention that the Port Canaveral Cobia record Fell on Friday. Local angler Phil Lillo caught an 81lb and then a 90Lb to break the existing record. [/font][font "Times New Roman"]Today anglers Mark Moffitt and Rob Hollander fished with me in search of the big Brownies.We left the port around 8:00am and headed south down to the Steeples(8th street south) where several large Manta rays were seen late yesterday.The seas were calm and water temperature was 70f with a light breeze out of the west.As we approached the steeples,a fog bank was moving up the coast from the south which hampered our visibility as far as sight fishing was concerned. Radar on the boat provided the safety factor we needed to identify any boats that might get too closein the fog.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Being Sunday morning ,everybody and their brother was on the water as well , so you really had to watch out for Rays as well as other boats not paying attention to the surroundings. Suddenly Mark sees something out of the corner of his eye and then Rob sees it as well, a nice Tarpon about 100lb rolling off to the side.As quick as it appeared, it disappeared never to be seen again. Its always exciting to see Tarpon, especially this early in the season.We usually don’t have them in the area till late April or early May.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]We motored up to the North to another landmark, Stonewood, a large condo visible a long way off and still no Rays or free swimmers.Over the radio there were reports of rays to the south of us, but there were no Cobia on them.We made our way up the Canaveral Buoy line and then east out to the end of the channel. Nothing.So we now headed south again,but we were a couple of miles further out then earlier when suddenly a Cobe of about 30-40lb pops up right in front of the boat.It was so close that we weren’t able to get a shot off at it.Well, at least we saw one.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]About 20 minutes later we saw our first Ray of the day. It was now about noon.It had a couple of fish on it and Mark manages to get hooked up and now we have finally have one in the box.It measures out to be 38” long,a keeper.The next Rays we see are along the edge of a color change and that’s where we stayed for the rest of the day.The next 2 Rays had no fish on them either and most of the reports on the radio were similar to what we were finding. Rob now sees a large ray and I motor us as close as we can safely get without spooking the monster.And then another one appears and this one has fish all over it. The ray was about 12-14 ft across,the size everybody wants to find. Rob makes a good cast and hooks up immediately .But it sounds right in front of the huge manta ray and gets cut off. Now the rays surfaces right next to the boat an Mark and I both pitch our jigs at the fish. They were so close to the boat that all we could do was hold our breath and hope they would eat the jigs.Then a big fish of about 50+ lbs comes along side us and makes a run at my jig which is almost now right up to the boat and then it turns off. Not even enough time to grab a pin fish out of the live well and drop it over the side. The huge creature sounds again taking with it several Cobia between 30 – 50+lbs.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Another boat moves in now having seen us throwing at something in the water and the Rays now surface again only now they are right next to the other boat. Rob makes a great cast again allowing the other boat first shot, but they blew it and he hooks up. A few minutes later I stick the gaff into a 30lb fish and into the box goes another.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]The Rays were really getting worked hard from all the boats and it was getting difficult to approach them without them sounding. We were now heading in a NE direction along the edge of the color change when I now see a really big Turtle making tracks off to the east. I told Rob to take the helm and I headed for the bow to take my shot. Well , it was perfect, just to the right of the turtle and bingo,I hook up with a nice fish. A couple of minutes later ,Mark sinks the gaff into it and we have our 3 fish in the box.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]The wind starts to pick up as well and I notice that the sky was getting darker to the NE of us .Radio reports were saying that there is a nice storm heading our way and I start tracking it on the radar. It’s 14 miles away heading SE, right in our direction. Oh well ,time to go. As I throttle up we all see another large Ray make several jumps a couple of hundred yards away .Boy, it really hurt having to leave that sight ,but the weather did have priority and you don’t want to “ Mess with Mother Nature”, especially on the water.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Tight Lines, C Ya , Capt Bob [/font]
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