Love is in the air and Cupid is letting arrows fly at everything from cobia to sailfish. February officially kicks off the local manta ray migration and with those massive ecosystems sliding down the coast there are sure to be big schools of cobia close behind. Try casting jigs (Gulfstream Cobia Slayers) just in front of the “Bat” letting them sink under the ray and retrieve with an aggressive jigging motion while you reel (ideal set-up is a 7 ft., 15-25 lb. Blackfin spinning rod 20 lb. mono or 50 lb. braid, with a 50 leader). On occasion, while bringing it back to you, let the jig sink a second or third time. This method can also be used over reefs and wrecks casting blindly. There are still some sails and dolphin around, which are best targeted with trolled ballyhoo or live baits while pulling dredges or strip teasers to attract the fish closer to the boat while you wait. Towards the end of the month, permit will start to show up on a more regular basis. Permit can be found along beaches, inlets, and wrecks. The Boils off the power plant and the Sandpile are popular places to target these awesome gamefish. Sight cast live crabs ahead of the school and hold on tight. Pound for pound, permit are some of the strongest fish we have. Once you hook up, try and keep the boat over top of your fish, otherwise there is a good chance that they will break you off on another fish in the school. It’s also not a bad idea to put a net on the boat while you’re targeting the permit and cobia. While fishing out of Stuart, it is encouraged to release all permit. The cobia minimum length is 33 inches to the fork of the tail. It’s a good idea to net rather than gaff any that are going to be close. That way you can let them swim away if they are on the small side.
Remember, we are available for all of these charters and whatever you decide to target this February I hope your trip is safe, successful and Off The Chain.