# Stressless 1 for 1 Cobia on the Yak...



## Stressless (Oct 2, 2007)

I've been back from deployment for a week or so now and feeling pretty good so with the weather for today looking definitely 'iffy' for kayak fishing I decided to give it a go and see how the Hobie Outback does is poor conditions, 2-3' SE swells 15 mph blowing slop. Launch was a breeze with the breakers just a 1' or so and a nice cut in the sandbar.

Heading out alone into the breeze with the steep slop breaking over the bow I was wondering how well front concave hatch bleeds water out ( turns out after 4 hours in the mess no measurable water in the hull ) the WS Tarpon carves the water nicer - more on that later. First was to try and gather livies to troll for Cobia but didn't see anything worth dropping the sibiki on - but I did with nothing to show for it. Got the first spots and dropped some fresh dead on a dropper rig - Ruby's and respectable, if you can use that word when referencing Ruby Red lips...









Well the infestation of Ruby's was throughout the entire bottom so I rigged one up remembering to hook thru both lips so it didn't drown too quickly being pulled along. Got to the end of the spots with nothing in the cooler and no hits on the Ruby - figured in for a penny in for a pound so set up for a spot further SE, directly into the building slop now about 2'-3' steep and white-capping. 

Found the structure and dropped the bait - dag-gum RUBY'S!! Switched to a jig that Scott turned me onto and a couple drops later had a nice scamp latch onto it and had dinner in the cooler! While fighting the scamp I rolled over some good structure and marks so I went back and dropped on that - hooked into James and it tug and go for 20-25 seconds until he got just enough back to get into the wreak!! Felt like about a 10# gag or snapper so no real loss and good trial for the new yak in the continually building slop and big fish.

Figured I had pushed hard enough so turned her back North and still trolling Mr. Ruby went about 20' and line started singing out. I had very little drag set so the fish could eat and opened the bail let it run another 5 secs, tightened up and fish on. Felt right, in that it didn't race to the bottom and had a nice tug of war for 5 mins until I saw Red... HuH? Bull Redfish! Dang-it! Well that was a ruby put to good use even if just for the fight.

Got everything aboard after a good release and headed North - another spot loomed on the Humminbird 356i and I adjusted course a few degrees off Zen to hit it on the way in. Got there and sent the jig down thinking about Scamp on the grill and on the second drop thought to myself, "Self, you REALLY need to head in soon.." as a white-cap broached across the length of the outback... one more drop...

Down - hit the bottom - line's on the roller - jig, jig. reel.. jig jig -WHAM!

I tried to horse it out of the structure but the med-heavy spinning rod w/stradic 5000 didn't have it in it, all was well thou as the line started to rise ... huh - funky grouper? ... no my brain bulb hadn't lit yet... then I got that it wasn't headed to the wreck so I lightened the drag and got a look at the Ling about 10 mins later. So I'm in a new yak no support, a 20ish# fish on, seas are 2-3 with a 4' every so often winds are at 15+ and all I can think of is how extraordinarily lucky I am.

I work the fish for 20 mins or so and here is the key difference in the Paddle / Peddle for me. I would have been very near shore in the breakers with my WS tarpon 14 as it took both hands on the pole most of time and I would have been at the mercy of the wind to push me in. With the Hobie I was able to track up wind and steer - albeit sometimes with an elbow - to keep from entering a very bad place (Breakers) with a fish on.

So debated long on grab and gaff - fell back to gaff but I had the pair of Kevlar gloves in case - stuck her and then as I didn't bring the dive stringer today(da-huh), cut a slit in her chin and strung her up to tow in.










Note that the wave behind the yak is all you can see about a 3' Fun Fun Fun!!

Got up to the breakers brought her in and tied on onto the yak just in case I got roled - jumped out in 4' and rode the backend in with no problems at all. The fish made quite a gaggle with the tourists - one was nice enough to snap a pic while the cobe was still trying to swim! 










1 17" Scamp
1 38" or so Cobia
0 - dinosaurs burned

Cheers,
Stressless


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## FLSalomon (Oct 3, 2007)

Bob, you da man! Gutsy move, Mav!


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## 85okhai (Mar 15, 2010)

Wirelessly posted

WTG! Bet that was a heck of a fight. Sure is a catch to remember


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## chaps (Aug 31, 2009)

Wow, great story, great fish and great work. Were you bottom fishing Destin?


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## bbarton13 (May 4, 2009)

super jealous!


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## FelixH (Sep 28, 2007)

That's awesome, Bob!


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## MrPhoShiz (Sep 22, 2010)

Bad effin arse


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## Ultralite (Oct 1, 2007)

good report bob! congratulations on a nice cobe and scamp...may you catch many more!


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## mdrobe2 (Oct 12, 2007)

That's a freaking awesome story man. Great read- thanks for posting. Super cool you are yak fishing numbers offshore. Hope you won't hate me for one small joke- David Hassselhof from Baywatch called- he wants his bathing suit back. I will delete this post if you take offense- was hoping we'd all get a laugh after reading your great report and awesome accomplishment of a yak cobe.


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## Ultralite (Oct 1, 2007)

mdrobe2 said:


> small joke- David Hassselhof from Baywatch called- he wants his bathing suit back.


don't worry mike, the colonel has a good sence of humor...i guess you would have to with a bunch of deployments to the mountains and sand...


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## mdrobe2 (Oct 12, 2007)

Jesus Christ- the Colonel? Time overseas? My comment is retracted. David Hasselhof wouldn't last a day in that guy's shoes. Stressless if you thought my post was funny I will leave it, but I will delete if I came off disrepectful- not my intent. Thank you for your service, and any service member is welcome on my boat on any day, free of charge.


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## gottafish (Oct 6, 2007)

That is an awesome report, Bob! Congrats!!!


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## Robin (Mar 22, 2011)

Very nice..........................

Robin


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## Farmer (Jul 3, 2009)

Congrats on the cobia catch. Wonder if any of the tourists knew what a big deal that catch was on a kayak and in those conditions? Well, we do!


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## [email protected] (Mar 20, 2008)

Pretty Work!


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## swhiting (Oct 4, 2007)

Great Report! :thumbup:


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## BlackJeep (Jun 13, 2010)

Nice Fish Bob. Hope we can get out again and find some more.


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## swhiting (Oct 4, 2007)

.....


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## Catchinem (Dec 19, 2008)

Good catchin! That's a good eating size. With a little practice you will be riding those breakers in using the rudder and fins to steer.


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## Stressless (Oct 2, 2007)

Thanks - 










...LOL  can't compete with the hair... 

Can't stand "trunks" past your knees + you gotta wear shorts underneath and they catch the thighs while pumping... Oh-Boy there's another joke. 

Regardless great day thanks for comments.

Cheers,
Stressless


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## chasintail2010 (Feb 28, 2011)

very nice report and fish sir and on another note thanks for your service we all greatly appreciate what yall do...... hopefully if everything goes according to plan im going to bootcamp in september good luck sir thanks - kyle


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## mdrobe2 (Oct 12, 2007)

Holy crap- I just realized that Swhiting photo shopped that Baywatch girl into Sressless's pic- you guys are freaking hilarious. This has got be be the funnest thread on here in quite some time- an awesome catch and some people with a sense of humor. 

I want to reiterate, since I have not received any PM's yet. Anyone that has ever been in the military is welcome on my boat- You show up and I take you on a free trip. My specialty is dock light trout, but I can do anything within reason for a 15 footer- we aint billfishing, ya' know?

Bottom line- an awesome catch by Stressless and that must have been fun beaching the yak with that stud brown bomber and watching all the beach goers flip out. Grouper as a bonus- my mouth is watering. Freaking cool thread- made my day.

Stressless- as a side note, I have caught two cobes in my life in the mid 60 pound class. If you see one that size in your yak I recommend you haul ass in the other direction before the cobe manages to get hold of something with a hook in it- those fish are ridiculous strong. You would be on one hell of a Nantucket sleigh ride if you weren't careful, and I wouldn't put it past a nice cobe to swamp a yak. I was in a 25 Hydra Sport and I got my arse whipped both times. I haven't been in a stalemate with a fish like that since I got my first YFT off Venice.


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## Linda (Oct 2, 2007)

GREAT report and congrats on the ling!! Go "Team Bottoms UP" 3 of our team members will be bottom fishing tomorrow ... let me know what your schedule is like so we can all get out there one of these days


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## Stressless (Oct 2, 2007)

Linda make that four members "if" the fog doesn't roll in too bad over here. I'll fight with a 60# Cobe but not a V hull driving in the fog.

I'll try to get over there again the week of the 18th - my last week off!

Cheers,
Stressless


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