Catching cobia on the fly with a big shark assist - Daniel Island News

Learning keeps fishing interesting. Doing the same thing over and over again gets pretty boring. 

 

Even if you are catching fish.

 

Thankfully, when fishing, there is always something new to observe or learn. Recently, I have been focusing on cobia around artificial reefs and natural ledges. As it turns out, they are reasonably easy to catch. If you soak a live menhaden on a 6/0 circle hook over an artificial reef, your chances of catching a cobia are quite good.  

 

On Sunday, I wanted to try something new. So, I invited my brother, Dave, and set out to target cobia on the fly. On the ride out to the Charleston 60 reef, we spotted a large school of menhaden. Since we were fly fishing, we almost passed them by. But we figured it couldn't hurt to have a little bait. One throw of the 10-foot cast net produced all the menhaden we needed.  

 

Upon arrival at the reef, we idled around looking for cobia cruising on the surface. No luck. We set up a drift and began tossing out live menhaden. King mackerel and barracuda were quick to take advantage of the easy meal. A good bit later, an 11-foot tiger shark began milling around the boat. Dave and I just stared at it until it faded off into the depths. It was an interesting diversion from the fact that we had not seen a single cobia.  

 

A few minutes later, the big shark returned, and it was being followed by a school of small cobia. While Dave got ready with the fly rod, I threw a few more menhaden into the water to draw the shark closer to the boat. The school of cobia went wild and began chasing the menhaden. Dave cast a large fly into the frenzy and hooked up immediately. Steady pressure with the 12-weight fly rod quickly brought the cobia to the boat. Good thing because the tiger shark kept trying to eat it. 

 

After a round of high fives and a quick picture, we cautiously released the fish. It is an unnerving feeling to revive a fish (with your hands in the water) when a giant shark is lurking nearby.

 

For the next hour, each time the tiger shark came to the boat, we caught a cobia on the fly. When we ran out of menhaden, the shark lost interest and left for good. 

 

On the ride back to the dock, I looked at Dave and said, "Now that was interesting!"

 

 

Adblock test (Why?)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post

This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post Posted: 05 Jun 2016 12:00 AM PDT With exacting precision, the surgeon inserted the scalpel above the eyeball and cut out a snotty deposit of fatty tissue. The routine eye-lift was nearly complete when suddenly the patient awoke, suffocating, and began to flop about on the table. The audience gasped. Knowing time was of the essence, the surgeon scooped up the patient in his arms, raced across the stage, and dropped her into a tank of water. She revived. Because she was a fish. Yes, fish eye-lifts exist. As do fin jobs and tail tucks. The operating theater was a mall in Jakarta, Indonesia, where a pet expo was under way. As for the patient, she survived, her formerly droopy eyes now bright and perky. A good thing, too, as this was no ordinary goldfish but rather an Asian arowana, the world's most expensive aquarium denizen, rumored to sell for as mu...
Read more

Catching Dory: selling aquarium fish supports coastal livelihoods in Indonesia | npj Ocean Sustainability - Nature.com

Image
Abstract The global marine aquarium trade has created new local markets across the planet, including in Indonesia, now the second-largest exporting country of marine aquarium fish in the world. Participating in the global aquarium trade has been touted as a potentially sustainable addition to fisher livelihoods, but scant data exist showing the numbers of fish coming off the reef and how those fish contribute to income. To determine how participants in the trade incorporate aquarium species in their livelihoods, we examine source-level aquarium fish collecting and trading data in the Banggai Archipelago, a region in Central Sulawesi that has become a significant source for popular aquarium, also known as ornamental, fish species. Using a sustainable livelihoods lens, we examine this data to understand how participants in the aquarium trade both contribute to as well as benefit from the trade and consider how their participation relates to emerging Blue Justice principles. From one year...
Read more

NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire

Image
NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire Posted: 11 Mar 2021 02:00 AM PST ALBANY, Ore. , March 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NilocG launches a new website for planted tank enthusiasts to gather and make THRIVE, a plant fertilizer that assures planted tank aquascapes flourish while eliminating the need for multiple products more readily available online. The company also takes it a step further in the industry, making its flagship product easy to dose, super-concentrated, and an all-in-one solution based on an effective EL dosing method with all essential micro and macronutrients. Continue Reading Thrive fertilizer: North America's most trusted aquarium plant fertilizer Colin Grice , CEO, a self-described planted tank lover, re...
Read more