# Instigator Cobia Season recap



## atlantacapt (Oct 2, 2007)

I promised a report much more frequently then this, but I'm now finally settled down and in front of my computer, so here goes.

As many know, the Cobia season started a bit slow, but the grade of fish was very good. Water was below 70 until really a few days past easter. I'd guess that the run will continue until about May 20th this year then really thin out with the water climbing above 75-77.

I came down April 4-5-6 and we had the good, the bad and the ugly...on the 4th we went 1-2, popping a 35-40 pounder and having a 65-70 non-eater. Not bad, got the monkey off the boat. April 5th was a slightly bigger SE day, but fairly cloudy. We found a nice fish above 50 that wouldnt eat, and a decent one, above 40, that we never got a real shot on. The 6th was a very interesting day...but ugly. Flat calm and really, really foggy. We nosed out the pass and hung right on the bar with an incomong tide. After about an hour, we spot about a 55-60 lb fish, throw eel to him, he spits and then accelerates back to the eel and inhales it, nose out of the water. Set hook going away..everything is perfect until the rod loads up and POW!!!! Line snaps above leader. We were bummed out about this one and had to regroup. We find another no eater and then do a quick lap about a mile east, back to the pass, turn around and boom...THERE HE IS! 85 lber, sitting pretty. Throw him the eel. He sucks it down, rod loads up........POW!!! another broken line above leader, above knot. This is insane. Two big fish gone withing 45 minutes. My brother and I thought back through our memory banks. We can not think of one instance where we had done this before on Cobia. We decided to take all of the 30 lb Ande off of the boat and off of the reels, and go with a different brand...we switched to Suffix...never used it before. Didn't skip a beat after that.....

My brother ran the boat a handful of days before I showed up in earnest on April 17th (the day before outcast Invitational). They were spordaically on the fish, and then nailed a 65 lber literally on the day before Outcast - would have been a really nice fish for that tourney, but caught one day early. 

We fished that weekend of the 18-20th in fairly ideal conditions, but the fish were just not here...went 0-0, 1-1, 0-0. Boshamps Destin Flathead Classic started on, April 22 and that is when we put it into high gear. It is a 5-day format, and in my opinion is the best format on the Gulf Coast...it allows ample time to really put in your fishing and find good fish. 

Day 1 we fished west and spotted a coupple small ones, and then a nice pair off navarre. We eased up on the pair and they spooked before we got a shot - one spooked north, one spooked south...damn it! Look over...they had regrouped 50 yards north of us and were swimming west as they should. Eased up on them, threw eel 7 feet west of them and got immediate bite. Fish ON. Smaller one (by a few lbs) ate. Fish stayed together and we presented a live pinfish - I was up in the tower as my brother let it back...I saw huge gill flare and told him to set him up. Now we have a 64 and a 57 pair both hooked up. After a few minutes they are both resting comfortable on ice a spirits are high. We saw one other non-eater that day and coasted into Boshamps with the day 1 aggregate lead and dialy prize honors. On a side note we had an awesome show from a 500-600 lb Mako. I spotted him swimming east on the bar, we got the 50W ready and threw him a big live bait...he sank down and accelerated presumably towards the livebait...he then skyrocketed 15-20 feet out of the water, doing a cartwheel with bait fish showering everywhere out of his mouth...he obviosuly found something more appetizing than our ruby lips...I was on deck seeing all of this waiting for the 50W to come tight, but it never did. We also saw a nice big sailfish up on the bar that day, but he wouldnt eat...overall a very nice fishing day.

Day 2 - went 3-5, with a lot of activity, but nothing over 40 lbs for the tourney. All three fish were 36-37-39ish lbs. 

Day 3 we werent on the fish...went 0-2 with a small dink that we didnt mess with and a decent 45-50 that wouldnt commit. Saw a 40 and a 50 lb king free swimming as well.

Day 4 - left early in a slight SW wind and decided to put in our time from the tower to navarre houses. It paid off...found a small fish early and decided not to mess with him. About noon, My brother spots what he thought was a 50 lber. first cast was off the mark by an angler, and then my brother popped him with an eel. He ran off a lot of line that we quickly recovered. I was driving from tower and yelled down that this fish was fat...way bigger than 45-50. Got him to the boat, gaffed him and drug him in. Really fat head - I thought he was 80 lbs while looking down. Wasn't long enough though. Went 73 lbs at scales. We then found a mid 40's fish to complete our tournement aggregate, so things were good. We fished another hour before we found what we thought was a pair...threw eel. smaller of the two screams out and sucks eel down. both fish come back up and they turned into a wad of 6! hooked a 55 and had nothing else immediately ready to hook a third (should have jigged one). Tag and released the small one and tagged the 55 onto ice. We turned the boat home and pulled into Boshamps about 6:15 with two decent fish, bringing our 4-fish aggregate to 245.5 lbs and second place overall and first in Calcuttas (Papi was in first at 262 lbs for 4 fish). 

Day 5 started really foggy. We fought the fog until 1 and we never really found a fish over 15 lbs all day. We had high spirits until we got back to the dock and learned that the Mother Lode (down there with us in the fog) had jumped up...ended up winning approximately $2.5K, but could have been a bunch more. They found their winning fish on a fad anf on a turtle...bummer. Conograts to Mother Lode and Papi for a great Tourney, and the Full Draw for a 91.6 lber. Boshamps puts on a wonderful tourney...everyone should get into it next year and make it an even bigger event. They donate some portion of the Award to mthe Austin Lacey Fund, fighting Cancer.

After the tourney we had a few good days, but never saw giant numbers. Ended up catching a 68 lber on the last day of the Harbor Docks Cobia World Championships, bringing our aggregate to 265.5 lbs, exactly tying Papi for 5th place out of 88 boats. Not a bad year really....I'd guess the big numbers of small fish come this week as a bunch of males swim the beach.

We are about to put the riggers on now and have 10.5 months to dream about the cobia run for 2015...should be awesome! I can't wait....till then it is bills, wahoos, tunas and mahi.

Our biggest were 73, 68, 65, 64, 60, 58, 57, 55, 51 and quite a few 30-40's, plus a few tag and releases. Didn't have ridiculous numbers, but did have good quality. Hopefully next year brings a few 100 lbers to the scales. We caught the big fish that we saw, but wish we could have had more chances...perhaps April 2015?

Tight lines out there...Good luck to everyone.

Pics to come...

Cameron


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## atlantacapt (Oct 2, 2007)

more pics...:thumbsup:


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## atlantacapt (Oct 2, 2007)

and last one...


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## atlantacapt (Oct 2, 2007)

no idea how to flip pictures that are oriented wrong...perhaps one of the grand poobahs can do that? thx


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## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

Nice work y'all!


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

Congrats on a great season. Good report.


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## Bayfisher (Jun 7, 2013)

Ah I see the instigator all the time coming in and out of the harbor. Nice cobias capt,


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## fishnhuntguy (Feb 8, 2012)

*Great Job*

Great Job with the Cobia's this year Capt.. Wish I got to fish with y'all, but just did not work out. Great weather week before and week after, but severe weather the week I was supposed to fish with y'all. Maybe next year.


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## jjam (Dec 9, 2007)

atlantacapt said:


> no idea how to flip pictures that are oriented wrong...perhaps one of the grand poobahs can do that? thx


Good jobs on the Cobes, thanks for the report!

















Jimmy


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## Captain Jake Adams (Oct 3, 2007)

Pretty work guys and thanks for the report. I think we passed you all a few times this year, pretty boat!


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## WhyMe (Apr 21, 2013)

Nice report and great pix...
WhyMe 
Mako My Dayo


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## B-4 Reel (Oct 13, 2007)

I sure enjoyed it and can't wait for next year. Also glad to put the 68lber on ice the last day. Thats a good way to finish. I've had nightmares of the bigger one that popped off and sweet dreams of the last one for the year. Thanks again Cam and Jase.


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## Dynamic (Oct 3, 2007)

Congrats Y'all!!!!.....Can't wait for next year!!!!


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