J.J. Hoyle, along with friends Jason Buchanan and Brian Hasson, were fishing in about 90 feet of water on Hasson's boat. Bottom fishing for grouper and flat-lining for tuna and king mackerel was the plan for the day. However, when the light-tackle rod doubled over from the strain of a fish, Hoyle knew right away it wasn't a tuna or a king.

A baited, live cigar minnow freely swimming around the boat enticed this fish to strike. It would be 30 minutes before the boys were able to get their first glimpse of the fish, a huge cobia. Feeling the cobia might not stay hooked to the light-tackle line for long, they decided to gaff the fish at the first opportunity.

The size of the cobia made the few grouper they caught seem insignificant. Even a 15-pound grouper looked minuscule next to this huge fish. The cooler was stuffed with as much cobia as they could get in. They headed for shore to find a scale to weigh their trophy.

The fish weighed more than 57 pounds. Not a bad day's fishing. Cobia can be found year-round in our waters, but the late spring run is the best. They are often caught while fishing for other species, notably king mackerel, as the chum also attracts cobia to the area. Often mistaken for sharks, cobia have an olive-colored back. One of the best tasting fish, it is extremely good on the grill or smoked.

-- Larry Blue charters the Niki Joe out of Madeira Beach. Call (727) 397-3773, or e-mail at Captlblue@aol.com.

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