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Where Have All The Cobia Gone?

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 9, 2007

GO FISHING is a daily look at the area fishing scene through the eyes of local charter boat captains and fishing guides. Today: Fred Everson.

Despite great weather this week, there was light traffic around the mouth of the Little Manatee River. Attribute that to the closure of snook season last Saturday, although some guides kept after them as a catch-and-release proposition. Captain Danny Guarino said he caught plenty of short snook on live bait earlier this week, but most were very small.

Captain Chet Jennings switched his focus to the jack crevalles that have been in and out of the river for weeks now. He was chumming with live sardines. Bait is being netted on the range markers in the middle of the bay, but it gets harder with each passing winter day.
Captain Larry Malinoski went offshore this week and caught snapper, grunts and trolled up a few kingfish. The kings will stay local as long as the water temperature hangs around 70 degrees.

I am still seeing redfish and snook on the flats between Big Pass and Apollo Beach, along with an assortment of sharks and a few flounder. I have been targeting the redfish with artificials, and the sharks with live shrimp. The redfish have been hitting a chartreuse pompano jig.

The big surprise for me this fall has been the absence of cobia. I didn't see a single fish in November on the flats, and I have only heard of a few caught in the middle of the bay. In my best year I caught 11 on the South Shore flats in the fall, and the spring was even better.

Visit captain Fred Everson's Web site at Tampabayfishingguide.com for charter info or call (813) 830-8890.

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