[oldgoat46]

A friend of mine and his 32 year old son were down about two weeks ago for some late spring Cobia fishing. We got out early and set up anchored along a deep channel right beside a sand bar and grass flat. We set the chum line and put out two large heavy duty spinning rods with 50 pound test braided line and 60 pound leader. All of a sudden my buddies reel really began to sing. As he set the hook and settled into the fight we could tell it was a large Cobia about 40 pounds or so. when the fish made one last long run the line went completely slack moving away in a much different direction but slowly. Otis raised the rod and met with tremendous resistance still moving slowly away. When he really cranked down on the rod it bent double and a sea turtle weighing about 400 pounds came thrashing to the top of the water beside the boat. Well I grabbed one flipper and Otis's son Mick grabbed another and we slowly extricated the turtle from the tangle of line. When we finally got the turtle loose we dumped him back in only to see the thing swim right into the anchor line rolling and twisting and finally grabbing a good bite of it. We hauled the anchor line in raising the anchor which caused us to drift aground on the sand bar. We got the Turtle untangled from the anchor line and we had to get a big screw driver and pry the line out of the turtles mouth. We drank beer the rest of the day which ended with two nice 15 pound Reds a 38" cobia, a couple of Snook and some nice Sea Trout for dinner. No turtles were harmed in the filming of this adventure.

 

[falm16]

that's an adventure. i thought you were going to say a shark got your cobia. wnen i lived down there, we cought zillions of specs/ silver and sugar trout. the only ones i like to eat were the really big specs...... 4to 6 pounds. man they were as good as snook. but i guess i miss the fried mullet the most.

 

[oldgoat46]

Falm I have a recipe for smoked mullet thatt'l make you want to write a bad check

 

[falm16]

i used to smoke them also, then make a spread after smoked, also smoked a lot of mackeral. man i miss mullet and oysters and stone crabs. but not
FLA.

 

[Florida Mike]

flam16 im with you . I miss my family and the fishing/ hunting down there. but not being there is worth the lack of great fishing.

Old goat I miss the smoked mullet!!! freash specks and reds are top notch diner fare!!!!! ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh the SNOOK how I miss thee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will make the trip home in the fall. if you had said that the gag grouper or mangrove snaper were hitting also I would write offensive things about you and your good fortune.
What are you doing to that baby turtle?

 

[oldgoat46]

we were trying to turn him loose and get back to fishin. trout are in big time. Water temp in Pine island sound is allready 76 degrees and the Greenbacks and mackeral are allready here. come on down

 

[shucks]

Good trip!