Canaveral Wreck Cobia and Snapper

[SWS Regional Reports]

Made plans to explore the wrecks off of Canaveral Coast with Captain Glyn Austin of Goin' Coastal Charters over the weekend. We hit wrecks from 6 to 18 miles off, greeted by a southeasterly 10 knot breeze and 2 to 3 foot seas. Dropping down Williamson Raku jigs and live pogies on 7/0 VMC Circle Hooks, we managed to start hooking sea bass and small jacks, with some flounder bites, and constant action from 5 foot sharpnosed sharks that kept cutting us off. On one sweet drift, my rod buckled and a 15 minute battle with an 18-pound red snapper had me sweating. Soon after, Glyn was doubled over fighting with a 30-pound cobia. We marked plenty of cobia over the wreck, and eventually had one come up to check out Glyn's new Shoalwater boat. That cobe leisurely swam around the boat, and we pitched live pogies to it, whereupon it inhaled, then spit them out about 25 times before he finally committed to one and the game was on again, as Glyn decked the 40 pounder. The wrecks can be prolific honey holes if you target them correctly.


Nick Honachefsky