Feeling Lucky
Cobia fever spreads through northwest Florida each spring. It's a serious condition, with symptoms including chronic excuse-making with spouses, bosses and most figures who irrationally expect the angler-fanatic in their lives to think about anything but sight-fishing for these brown bruisers in emerald clear water during the run. Resistance is futile, and for the sixteenth year, the Destin Cobia Tournament will celebrate one of fishing's craziest forms of March madness.
If you've never fished for cobia, here's what to expect: These fish migrate and hunt in packs–they behave something like marine wolves. The most common way of targeting them in this region and others is to run along the beaches during the high-sun hours in "tower boats."
These vessels have a tall platform from which the captain operates the vessel and looks down through the water for their cryptic brown shapes. One the fish are spotted, anglers toss jigs, eels, streamer flies or crabs in the direction that the captain points. Cobia also like buoys, channel markers and stingrays, and are often caught near them. Either way, you're in for a real tussle, or should I say "reel" fight, and later, for one of the most exquisite fish dinners imaginable. Not many fish fight harder or taste better than cobia.
As if targeting this majestic species weren't reason enough to go fishing, the two-month-long Destin Cobia Tournament offers more than $35,000 in cash and other prizes. It runs from March 1st to April 30th. All proceeds go towards the Miss Destin Scholarship fun, which helps support young women in their pursuit of higher education.
Fill out the registration for the 16th Annual Destin Cobia Tournament on the tournament's website, or call (850_ 837-2343. They can also assist you in finding places to stay ranging rom Bed & Breakfasts to hotel rooms to condos.
Check out the cobia fishing and tournament excitement on the Emerald Coast. They don't call Destin "The World's Luckiest Fishing Village" for nothing.