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Chuck3000 · Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 5:52 pm Post subject: sat 3/8 offshore

Made it offshore 2 weekends in a row, pretty lucky for the weather around here. Too much current for chunking and it kept blowing our baits off the rig. We still caught red snapper until our backs and arms hurt with the biggest going 12 pounds. Highlight of the day was a dolphin giving us a show jumping maybe 10 ft behind the boat. We saw another boat that was trolling hook up with something big. They had it near the boat maybe 400 yds away from us when it jumped clear out of the water...dark color, shaped like a wahoo but with the long pectoral fins like a tuna although there is no way a tuna that big is within 30 miles. In any case I will be getting some new trolling lures for next time.

Any tips for catching cobia on the rigs out there? We put live baits near the bottom on several rigs between 28 and 35 miles out with only red snapper to show for it.

Chuck

Also, I am thinking of moving up to a bigger boat so if anyone is interested I posted an ad in the classified section. Would be a great starter boat if you like offshore fishing
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CHUCK

19' trophy offshore

SurfinSapo · Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 6:29 pm Post subject:

Nice catch and great report. thanks
SS
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sotx23 · Horse Mullet Joined: 12 Jul 2006 Posts: 245

My best luck for ling has been either live pin fish, crab free lined and site casted, or hardheads with their fins cut off.

Gib · Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 11:56 pm Post subject: Cobia bait

My best luck has come with free-lined live perch. Cobia or Ling are very curios critters and many times will swim right up to the boat.

Beware, their curosity also makes them leary. Have I caught them with wire leader, yes - but my best and most of the fish have been on about 80 to 100 pound test line. I have a rod and reel specifically for them.

I can count on one hand catching them down deep with weight and leader and the works.

Be careful with these fish. While they do not have the typical offshore mouth full of razor sharp teeth, they do have some spines and just when you think they are green, gaff 'em, and put in the boat, they go wild. Some fishermen have had their legs broken by these fish.

Not trying to scare you - just be careful as they are delicious tablefare.

By the way, I have also caught them on dead shad.

cheeseburger · Horse Mullet Joined: 30 Oct 2006 Posts: 187

Whole squid and live pinperch freelined are a good way to get them when you can see them (Sight casting is the best way). Chum the water with anything you have and rev your engines a few times in neutral and cross you fingers. I have also caught a few keepers with a semi-knocker rig on the bottom and my mom has caught quite a few non-keepers (under 37") with a double drop leader with almost any kind of bait. The younger ones are the dumber ones. They are one of the best eating fish available. The meat is so firm you can use tongs to turn them on your grill (very similar to mahi). Can't wait 'till the water warms up a bit!!

Cheeseburger
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MJW · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:18 am Post subject:

Nice catches..great report
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Bigun23 · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 2:06 pm Post subject:

I have caught them on squid on the bottom, along with all the other baits mentioned above. The one thing I dont think anybody mentioned was the fact that it is probably too early to catch them right now. Water still in the 60's, should probably wait till temps in the mid 70's to low 80's. Great table fare and very, very strong. Amen to the setiment of gaffing them and then holding on for dear life!
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cephus · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:13 pm Post subject: Ling

Ling will almost never pass up a "large" fresh shrimp. I keep a designated spin cast rod ready to go with a 6 foot, 80 lb. florocarbon leader and a red circle hook on it. I use that same rig to sight cast to Mangrove snapper that get chummed to the surface.
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Chuck3000 · Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:17 am Post subject:

Yeah I'm still reading about 68 out there. I thought ling lived around here all year? I also can't wait for the water to hit mid 70s
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CHUCK

19' trophy offshore

Bigun23 · Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:37 am Post subject:

Im hoping that that bermuda chub you kept was for bait and not the table. Those things are very bloody. I've caught ling out at the close in rigs till Nov. usually. Then they are gone. A very good bait for ling is a live crab. They will go nuts if they see one especially swimming on the surface, like in the bays.
But the others are right, a rod specificallt rigged for them is usually essential.
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