Here's another pier rat fishing story that I still can't believe happened! The date was January 14, 2001 and we had just picked up five dozen live shrimp from the bait shop and headed out to the big lake near the hot water out-take. The morning was cold and the action was really hot as soon as we put out the first bait! We were on catching Jack crevelle's, Tarpon, and a few small Permit. None of us could know that the day would soon be interrupted by.......

"MASS CHAOS AT HIGH VOLUME"!

Something that I was very much used to. But, this day would prove to be one for the record books.

We were all fishing with very light tackle. There was Big Kev my brother Captain Billy and myself. We were alternating trying different baits and jigs. All of the tarpon had hit just plain drifting live shrimp. The permit and jacks all had hit yellow or white jigs tipped with live shrimp.

Big Kev had just broke off a big jack and asked if he could borrow one of my light spinning rods because he was too lazy to re-rig his rod back up. I told him he could. Kev baited a white feather jig with a fresh live shrimp and tossed it up current into the hot water out take.  As we were drifting back with the current Kevin yelled that he was ON! I looked over to his rod bent over in an arc and the line was smoking off of the Shimano baitrunner 3500 reel.

Now, this battle went on and on for over an hour. Until finally Kevin brought the monster to the side of the boat for a gaffing. I reached down over the gunnel and set the gaff but good. I pulled the huge cobia up into the boat and we all stood there and gasped. Kevin immediately had a mixed cocktail or two to celebrate his catch. He was hammered by the time we got into the scales. (LOL) Up on the scales at Sailfish Marina the monster cobia weighed 66 and a half pounds! It was the biggest the cobia I'd ever seen caught in the lake. It was indeed a great day for fishing and one that I will never forget. Nice fish Big Kev!