When trying to schedule fishing trips in the fairly distant future, it’s impossible to consistently pick days with nice weather and biting fish.
The Gainesville Offshore Fishing Club has gone up against this truth for years, planning events like their “Sheepshead Shootout”, “Cobiathon”, “Mack Attack” and “Scallop Fest” months in advance. Often, the carefully-planned affairs end up being rescheduled.
Last weekend the GOFC, one of the best and oldest fishing clubs in Florida, nailed one dead on the money. Saturday morning their Cobiathon arrived to perfect conditions and the season’s leading wave of migrating bruisers.
Fishing out of Crystal River, Lou Graf, Jay Peacock, Mark Rustemier and Hal Wilson pulled up to a spot in water less than 20-feet deep. Jay explains what happened next:
“After a few minutes, about a dozen cobia swam up —and they were hungry”.
The ensuing scene must have been something to behold. Peacock and Rustemier hooked up while Graf maneuvered his vessel. At the end of the double battle, Mark had a 37.6-pound ling, and Jay had whipped a whopping 67.5-pound specimen. A little later, Hal hooked another brown powerhouse and eventually vanquished a 54.5-pounder. These would be the first, second and third-place fish in the Cobiathon.
Club members launching at other gulf sites also scored. John and Charlie Thomas and Phil and Reid Wagner docked with a 30-pounder; while Debbie Knopf took a 36.9-pound beauty off Cedar Key while fishing with her husband, Ken.
Following their Friday trip to Crystal River, Gainesville anglers, Bobby Bounds, Robert Bounds, and Ed Austin had a story very similar to the one told by the four GOFC fishers. The men were at anchor in water 26-feet deep when 10 large fish swam along. One of the brutes took Robert’s large Saltwater Assassin jig. For 45 minutes, the angler fought the cobia with spinning tackle before finally bringing it to gaff and into the boat. And the 52-inch, 60-pound fish was not the biggest in the pod.
“There was one in the bunch that was much bigger … it had to be at least 100 pounds,” Bobby said.
Jason Orrock and Jim Sanden hooked three large cobia Friday off Cedar Key. All four looked to be more than 40-inches long, but only one — Jason’s 54-inch beast from Seahorse Reef — made it into the boat.
Gulf fishers looking for tamer fare have had little to complain about when it comes to this season’s crop of speckled trout. Trout fishing is great out of every port.
The 8th Fishing for Kids Saltwater Tournament held last Saturday at Steinhatchee’s Sea Hag Marina saw nearly 200 entrants fishing in 80 boats. The biggest single trout was a 5 ?-pound whopper, and the top redfish weighed in at just more than seven pounds. Numerous hefty five-trout limits came in. Thirty-eight youth anglers participated, and each one went home with a rod and reel combination. As always, everyone in attendance raved about how well the contest was run.
The next on a full slate of upcoming gulf tournaments will be the Fightin’ Gator Touchdown Club’s 25th Fishin’ Tournament at Suwannee Cove. On the main competition day, May 12, freshwater entrants will compete in bass, bream and catfish categories. Those opting for the salty species will go after reds, trout, Spanish mackerel, red grouper, kingfish, cobia and amberjack. There are lots of ways to win in this one. For more info, call Greg Ahrens at 352-376-2060 or go to fgtc.org.
The Military Support Group of Alachua County held its 2nd Bass Tournament last Saturday at Rodman Reservoir. Fishing was good for the 38 competing teams, and there were lots of fine five-bass limits taken to the weigh scales. The Interlachen team of Jerry and Jason Gutierrez prevailed with a total weight of 16.94 pounds. Brian Smith and Chris Pierce were right behind with 16.80, and Travis Blucher and Steven Dose finished third with 15.11. The Gutierrez team was entered in the separate Small Boat Competition as well, giving them a clean sweep of the top paychecks. The successful fundraiser offered an impressive group of prizes that included four guided fishing trips — one to the Everglades for peacock bass.
The same day, Interlachen bass angler, Rick Hefner spent his birthday fishing Rodman. Although for years he was a popular bass guide, Hefner’s first target this day was shellcracker. While trying to locate a bed of the big bream, he spotted bassy surface activity that prompted him to cast a Red Eye Shad to the commotion. In short order, 15 bass up to 4.5 pounds had jumped on the lipless crankbait. The well-prepared sage was also armed with live shiners. With one of those, he also hauled in and released a nine-pound Rodman beauty.
Gary Simpson, a veteran tournament angler, operates Gary’s Tackle Box at L & S Auto Trim.
Area tournaments score big catchesBy Gary Simpson Gainesville.comMay 3, 2012 9:14 AMWhen trying to schedule fishing trips in the fairly distant future, it's impossible to consistently pick days with nice weather and biting fish.
The Gainesville Offshore Fishing Club has gone up against this truth for years, planning events like their “Sheepshead Shootout”, “Cobiathon”, “Mack Attack” and “Scallop Fest” months in advance. Often, the carefully-planned affairs end up being rescheduled.
Last weekend the GOFC, one of the best and oldest fishing clubs in Florida, nailed one dead on the money. Saturday morning their Cobiathon arrived to perfect conditions and the season's leading wave of migrating bruisers.
Fishing out of Crystal River, Lou Graf, Jay Peacock, Mark Rustemier and Hal Wilson pulled up to a spot in water less than 20-feet deep. Jay explains what happened next:
“After a few minutes, about a dozen cobia swam up —and they were hungry”.
The ensuing scene must have been something to behold. Peacock and Rustemier hooked up while Graf maneuvered his vessel. At the end of the double battle, Mark had a 37.6-pound ling, and Jay had whipped a whopping 67.5-pound specimen. A little later, Hal hooked another brown powerhouse and eventually vanquished a 54.5-pounder. These would be the first, second and third-place fish in the Cobiathon.
Club members launching at other gulf sites also scored. John and Charlie Thomas and Phil and Reid Wagner docked with a 30-pounder; while Debbie Knopf took a 36.9-pound beauty off Cedar Key while fishing with her husband, Ken.
Following their Friday trip to Crystal River, Gainesville anglers, Bobby Bounds, Robert Bounds, and Ed Austin had a story very similar to the one told by the four GOFC fishers. The men were at anchor in water 26-feet deep when 10 large fish swam along. One of the brutes took Robert's large Saltwater Assassin jig. For 45 minutes, the angler fought the cobia with spinning tackle before finally bringing it to gaff and into the boat. And the 52-inch, 60-pound fish was not the biggest in the pod.
“There was one in the bunch that was much bigger … it had to be at least 100 pounds,” Bobby said.
Jason Orrock and Jim Sanden hooked three large cobia Friday off Cedar Key. All four looked to be more than 40-inches long, but only one — Jason's 54-inch beast from Seahorse Reef — made it into the boat.
Gulf fishers looking for tamer fare have had little to complain about when it comes to this season's crop of speckled trout. Trout fishing is great out of every port.
The 8th Fishing for Kids Saltwater Tournament held last Saturday at Steinhatchee's Sea Hag Marina saw nearly 200 entrants fishing in 80 boats. The biggest single trout was a 5 ?-pound whopper, and the top redfish weighed in at just more than seven pounds. Numerous hefty five-trout limits came in. Thirty-eight youth anglers participated, and each one went home with a rod and reel combination. As always, everyone in attendance raved about how well the contest was run.
The next on a full slate of upcoming gulf tournaments will be the Fightin' Gator Touchdown Club's 25th Fishin' Tournament at Suwannee Cove. On the main competition day, May 12, freshwater entrants will compete in bass, bream and catfish categories. Those opting for the salty species will go after reds, trout, Spanish mackerel, red grouper, kingfish, cobia and amberjack. There are lots of ways to win in this one. For more info, call Greg Ahrens at 352-376-2060 or go to fgtc.org.
The Military Support Group of Alachua County held its 2nd Bass Tournament last Saturday at Rodman Reservoir. Fishing was good for the 38 competing teams, and there were lots of fine five-bass limits taken to the weigh scales. The Interlachen team of Jerry and Jason Gutierrez prevailed with a total weight of 16.94 pounds. Brian Smith and Chris Pierce were right behind with 16.80, and Travis Blucher and Steven Dose finished third with 15.11. The Gutierrez team was entered in the separate Small Boat Competition as well, giving them a clean sweep of the top paychecks. The successful fundraiser offered an impressive group of prizes that included four guided fishing trips — one to the Everglades for peacock bass.
The same day, Interlachen bass angler, Rick Hefner spent his birthday fishing Rodman. Although for years he was a popular bass guide, Hefner's first target this day was shellcracker. While trying to locate a bed of the big bream, he spotted bassy surface activity that prompted him to cast a Red Eye Shad to the commotion. In short order, 15 bass up to 4.5 pounds had jumped on the lipless crankbait. The well-prepared sage was also armed with live shiners. With one of those, he also hauled in and released a nine-pound Rodman beauty.
Gary Simpson, a veteran tournament angler, operates Gary's Tackle Box at L & S Auto Trim.
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