“Cobia! Cobia!! Cobia!!!”
When Capt. Al Crudele III of Bayhound Charters told me about cobia and that he had sighted a few while fishing with a client a day or two before, I was absolutely intrigued. This visitor to south Jersey’s inshore coastal waters is here only for a short time beginning in July, usually heading back south by mid to late September. Sometimes it stays a bit later, but usually by the end of the first week of autumn, it’s heading back south. The skipper described how aggressive and strong the cobia is, how hard it fights and, yes, how great it is on the table! So…with fishing partner Tom P. in tow, I headed to Sea Isle the morning of August 19th, and, along with Capt. Al’s son Mike who is the Bayhound mate, we hopped aboard the beamy center console and were soon a couple of miles out of Townsend’s Inlet and were set up near a buoy. The species likes structure such as this, and a small bluefish was put out on a kite rig to attract any cruising cobia. Meanwhile, we were using casting two and three ounce S&S Rattletail bucktails (thank you, Stanley from S&S!) tipped with Uncle Josh Meat strips and Uncle Josh Meat eels. Eels, I was told by the skipper, are a fave of cobia. After a wild catch and release of a hammerhead shark, another kite rig was sent out, this time with a foot long amberjack (another brief summertime visitor), hoping to get the attention of a cobia. I felt a bump then a thump whumpon the medium/heavy rod. I was using a two ounce Ratttletail in a sea robin pattern, and it was tipped with a black Uncle Josh Meat eel, and the spinning reel was spooled with 40-pound test Sufix braid. That fish took off like a runaway bus, and simultaneously Capt. Cru and Mate Mike yelled “Cobia! Cobia!! Cobia!!!” Holy bleep! That fish was insane. After 10-15 minutes of going from the bow to the stern and back to the bow, with the skipper expertly maneuvering the boat, I was beginning to ache as the rod butt was digging into my abdomen. Mike fastened a fighting belt around my waist and it was “OK, Cobia, now I’m going to kick your ass!” Not so! The fish kept taking off, pulling forward then turning broadside, then sounding, then running to the boat, then trying to wrap around the props…it was crazy! Three times it came close enough to be gaffed, but at the last second would tear towards the bottom and pull more line off the groaning Shimano. My arms, legs and lower back were taking a beating! An hour into the fight, the cobia once again turned broadside to the boat about 10 yards out and, following Capt. Cru’s expert tutelage, I was able to work the cobia in tight, and Mike expertly gaffed it. On ehour and eight minutes! WOW! I screamed my signature “Yahooooo!” and had to lean on Tom P. for a few seconds because my legs were shaking, I was coated with sweat, and my arms were twitching. Capt. Al, Mike and Tom P. congratulated me, and they wanted me to catch another one. No way! I was beat! The scale at a local marina read 39.4 pounds, and according to Capt. Al, it was one hell of a fish, one hell of a fight and one hell of a fishing experience for me. Thank you Capt. Crudele and Mate Mike! And yes, cobia taste great! The “Veal Chop of the Sea!”
From: Denise Marie Theiler
Monday june13 th we set out for a day of stripper fishing from the Brielle yacht club on board the Big K id a 45′ serious boat for fishing run by Capt Ken Gallop and his crew. We left out of the Manasquan inlet trolling for some strippers. The morning was overcast with light drizzle and rough swells that kept us holding on to the rails as we fished off shore a few miles. Today we were joined by two of our hosts John Garrone and Denise Marie Theiler both experienced anglers. They hooked into a few small blues and lost a stripper and then we got a solid hit and we knew it was something big . It didn’t take long to know this wasn’t a bass. Denise grabbed the pole and the fight was on, it that lasted almost two hours before the 236 lb Thresher shark was boated. These sharks can grow up to 60′ and the tails up to 20′. We were amazed she landed it on light tackle and certainly got our blood pumping and it was a spectacle to everyone in the Marina. Goes to show you never know whats on the other side of the line out there. Check out the video will be online shortly to catch the action on board. other photo is a 37 lb striper Denise caught the week before on the Big Kid.
