Friend of The New Angler, Sergio Macias sent us this report.  We appreciate his contribution to the site and hope to see more in the future.

 This day, like so many other days that came before it, Zak, Alex, and myself arrived at Bob’s house at about 4:30 in the am. We stood around the coffee maker while it brewed the last batch of joe and talked about the days conditions and our plan of attack. We decided on trying our luck with some Triple Tail in the morning and then head out to the Cobia Hotel later in the day and see if they needed any room service served Cold.

Fast forward about an hour and a half and we are scurrying around the bait shop and gas station grabbing 4 Loco’s, beer, ice, and chum before we head to the Slip. While we are loading the boat with our last minute supplies we notice that we have a flat on the trailer!! (Typical day for boat owners I suppose) Instead of putting it off we decide to fix it before we launch. While outside the NAPA auto parts store, which hasn’t opened yet, our pal B.J. passes us on his way to the boat ramp. He graciously offers us his spare so we don’t have to wait around till NAPA opens. We pop the spare on and we are off to the races. Thank you B.J. we need family now more than ever!

After we battle though our early morning obstacles we are catching pinfish and cast netting mullet. Once we get the livewell blacked out with bait we head to the Triple Tail grounds to get our lines wet. We pass B.J. on the way there and he tells us that they missed a good one and are heading elsewhere to try there luck on some cobia. Both boats throttle up in different directions and part ways. We get to our Triple Tail spot and start chunkin baits. After about 20 minutes the first bobber gets pulled under and appears to go right around the marker. We try and gun the boat around in time to put pressure on the fish but by the time we do the braid is cut by the piling. Next bobber goes down and Bob pulls a Small sea Brim into the boat.

The Triple Tail aren’t exactly jumping in the boat so we decide that its about time to head to where the Brown things are and do Ling Things. The weather is very calm, so we get the boat up on plain and we are at the spot in no time flat. When we arrive at our destination there is another boat posted up exactly where we need to be, but following the “don’t be a dick” rule we anchor up a good distance away, bait our hooks and get ready. Within about 2 minutes of our first pinny hitting the water we are hooked into our first fish. This Cobia like a lot of Cobias comes right up to the surface. This fish looks like a nice one and has at least 5 or 6 others with it. While reeling in the other rods Zak hooks into one of the fish that are trailing, what looks to be about a 30Lb+ fish, But OH NO! The lines are crossed! They deftly get them “Un-Fuggled”, and no exaggeration, the bigger of the two fish is within range of my Gaff in about 45 seconds! In my opinion the best gaff job is the one that puts the fish in the icebox. So even though this fish is far from tired, I stick him. After we get this very green Cobia under control we realize that its barely hooked. If this fish didn’t swim right at the gaff … we may have never gotten him. Its a game of inches.

 When we pulled into the drive way mamma R. was waiting for us with some fresh homemade tacos and some hugs and kisses even though we smelled of salt and dead fish! We pulled out the bathroom scale and measured what turned out to be our only keeper Cobia of the day. He turned out to be a 45Lb Male! A personal best for Alex. Shown here being hosed down after an 8 loco day? Or was it 12 loco? Either way it was Muy Loco SA. Hooray For Alex (He said so Curmudgeonly)

Understandably Zak wanted to share a piece of the glory so when we got the fish home and in the driveway he stole a photo-op! But careful with that Karma man you might end up with a middle finger and an Alabama car magnet in your pic. You have no one to blame but yourself sir.

While on the subject of Karma our pal B.J., that gave us the spare in the morning, caught five Cobia, three of the keepers. Also he Gave one of those keepers to a passer by out there in The Gulf Of America! So there ya go. We made some cobia sushi with some green chili’s, soy and sriracha when we finished getting the boat cleaned and fish filleted.

Cooked some tonight on a smoking hot griddle, finished in the oven, topped with a mushroom/shallot cream sauce. Served with purple and honey gold potatoes, and some steamed broccoli.

Thank you B.J. for stopping and helping us out, that was pretty awesome of you.

Thank you to The New Angler for letting us share this story.

“The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope.”