Ready for the next one?
- Prof. Salt
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Ready for the next one?
Saturday Tod and I headed South again looking for trouble. I definitely found a lot of it. First I caught a bunch of kings, and then the camera battery died just before the larger kings showed up. Of course. Then I tried a different piece of structure where I jigged up a 16" blue runner. I sent him back down on a wire rig and within minutes I hooked the biggest cobia I have ever seen. It made my 55lb fish from a couple of years age seem very small and skinny. After a very tough hour of fighting, she was tired and hiding just under the kayak, so after yelling for Tod (I had been pulled too far away for him to hear me), I decided it was go time. I slid the gaff right into her throat and then the world went slow-motion. The fish launched out of the water and her head came down in my lap. I was able to keep the boat from rolling over, but couldn't avoid that stupid stinger hook that impaled my thigh. The fish began a nasty death roll as she pushed back towards the water, and in the struggle she used the hook in my leg to straighten out the J hook in her mouth. The hook pulled out of her mouth as I held desperately onto the gaff and prayed for her to stop. As the foam began to subside the fish was suddenly gone and I had a nice new hole in my new SIMMS pants just above the new hole in my leg. Thankfully she had wrenched around so hard that the hole in the skin was now large enough to easily back the hook out. I was so mad that I didn't want to talk or even fish ...but I forced myself and caught another (undersized) cobia along with a few snapper and spades, and one mysterious and colorful little grouper that I had never seen before. Today I'm sore and aching, but in a few days I'll be ready to paddle again in search of monsters.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/xUVqZbY6ioI[/youtube]
[youtube]http://youtu.be/xUVqZbY6ioI[/youtube]
Re: Ready for the next one?
Wow man! Glad you are ok! Saw the video!!!Epic you truly are the king whisperer!!!!Prof. Salt wrote:Saturday Tod and I headed South again looking for trouble. I definitely found a lot of it. First I caught a bunch of kings, and then the camera battery died just before the larger kings showed up. Of course. Then I tried a different piece of structure where I jigged up a 16" blue runner. I sent him back down on a wire rig and within minutes I hooked the biggest cobia I have ever seen. It made my 55lb fish from a couple of years age seem very small and skinny. After a very tough hour of fighting, she was tired and hiding just under the kayak, so after yelling for Tod (I had been pulled too far away for him to hear me), I decided it was go time. I slid the gaff right into her throat and then the world went slow-motion. The fish launched out of the water and her head came down in my lap. I was able to keep the boat from rolling over, but couldn't avoid that stupid stinger hook that impaled my thigh. The fish began a nasty death roll as she pushed back towards the water, and in the struggle she used the hook in my leg to straighten out the J hook in her mouth. The hook pulled out of her mouth as I held desperately onto the gaff and prayed for her to stop. As the foam began to subside the fish was suddenly gone and I had a nice new hole in my new SIMMS pants just above the new hole in my leg. Thankfully she had wrenched around so hard that the hole in the skin was now large enough to easily back the hook out. I was so mad that I didn't want to talk or even fish ...but I forced myself and caught another (undersized) cobia along with a few snapper and spades, and one mysterious and colorful little grouper that I had never seen before. Today I'm sore and aching, but in a few days I'll be ready to paddle again in search of monsters.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/xUVqZbY6ioI[/youtube]
Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
Re: Ready for the next one?
Absolutely epic. An amazing story and I'm glad you are okay. I really need to make the BTB leap. Cobia like that will make me get out of my comfort zone
- Prof. Salt
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Re: Ready for the next one?
I know it, but three days later I still feel like I went through a car wreck. I’ve got to change my approach to getting those fish in the kayak.
Re: Ready for the next one?
Ouch!
I think that if I knew I was going to get stuck like that, but still catch the fish you did, I would still want to take the trip. It’d be worth the pain.
Heal soon and get back out there.
Dave
I think that if I knew I was going to get stuck like that, but still catch the fish you did, I would still want to take the trip. It’d be worth the pain.
Heal soon and get back out there.
Dave
- Prof. Salt
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Re: Ready for the next one?
Thanks, it won’t keep me off the water, but that new poke hole in the leg isn’t the issue. My shoulders, neck and hand took a beating (mostly on the left side) but soreness doesn’t usually last long.
Re: Ready for the next one?
Yeah… A fish that big is kinda unpredictable once stuck or grabbed. I don’t know much about BTB fishing but perhaps giving a “pre-poke” with the gaff, allowing the fish to freak out again and really wear it out… I’m sure you just wanted to get the thing in the boat by that time. I can only imagine how hard it can be after paddling, fighting kings, fishing, and then grappling with that beast.Thank you sharing and showing us it can be done.Prof. Salt wrote: ↑Tue Jul 12, 2022 9:53 pmI know it, but three days later I still feel like I went through a car wreck. I’ve got to change my approach to getting those fish in the kayak.
Re: Ready for the next one?
Patch that hole good Prof...about that time of year when the bacteria starts kicking in the salt. Id hate to hear of you getting infected
- Prof. Salt
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Re: Ready for the next one?
Thanks for another great read. I am no BTB expert but Blake aka Yakety Yak uses a “night night stick” for cobia. He recommends giving them a good solid whack on the head before attempting to land them.
- Prof. Salt
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Re: Ready for the next one?
Who do you think taught Blake that trick? For normal sized cobia 20-40 lbs that’s how you do it. My 55 lb fish required over 20 blows with a heavy bat before she went unconscious. This fish was much larger than 55lbs so hitting it first wasn’t going to do much with the lighter bat I had on board. I should have had a heavy bat with me, but I didn’t. I have now modified my heavy bat to be more effective at getting fish to sleep quickly, so the next cobia will be my test case.
Re: Ready for the next one?
Please, post a picture of his night-night stick if you can.
Re: Ready for the next one?
Prof. Salt, can you post a picture of your heavy bat.Prof. Salt wrote: ↑Thu Jul 14, 2022 6:31 amWho do you think taught Blake that trick? For normal sized cobia 20-40 lbs that’s how you do it. My 55 lb fish required over 20 blows with a heavy bat before she went unconscious. This fish was much larger than 55lbs so hitting it first wasn’t going to do much with the lighter bat I had on board. I should have had a heavy bat with me, but I didn’t. I have now modified my heavy bat to be more effective at getting fish to sleep quickly, so the next cobia will be my test case.
- Prof. Salt
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Re: Ready for the next one?
Can’t find a photo right now, but google “cold steel big boat bat”. That’s the one.
- Fishtolive
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Re: Ready for the next one?
Consider using a harpoon tied to a float like they used in Alaska
Re: Ready for the next one?
Lots of guys in Florida use a spear gaff. Works great you just can't miss with a cobia lol.
Re: Ready for the next one?
I keep and use both a bat and a spear gaff when offshore.
Bat is a sawed off shovel handle.
Spear gaff made of a big thick dowel (could be another shovel handle, i cant remember) with a piece of threaded stainless steel rod inserted in it with a copper end cap over the whole fitting.
.
Bat is a sawed off shovel handle.
Spear gaff made of a big thick dowel (could be another shovel handle, i cant remember) with a piece of threaded stainless steel rod inserted in it with a copper end cap over the whole fitting.
.