Here is a little run down on what is happening right now in Cocodrie. Friday and Saturday was the Mustad Norwegian fishing team and we were supposed to fish bottom fish. They fished Venice during the week in all of the bad weather but didn't get there fill of tuna so we opted for a tuna trip to fill there coolers. Off we went looking for tuna but on the way we caught a couple of snapper and a cobia while making bait. Next stop was for a try at grouper with jigs and it paid off big with a 50 pound Warsaw coming on a 10oz jig and a small scamp on a live croaker. Now it was tuna time and just as we wanted the first herring went in and got hit and thus started the tone for the night. Next two baits out and one gets hit and we get it to the boat only to loose it in the props. Again and again this scenario played its self out with missed fish for various reasons. When we left the first spot we were 2 for about 10 or 12 bites. Again one hook up after another and again we left for another spot at 4 for about 25 bites. None of the misses we fault of anyone just bad luck. The next spot proved the one with the fish that would stay hooked, except for one long winded fish that came unhooked after about an hour and a half. It was one after another until we quit at 14 yellow fins and a couple of blacks that didn't make it to the pit for eats. We did however grill one whole tuna and there was nothing left after we fed. I told Mustad Jeff that the fish over on this end didn't know how to act being caught on such expensive equipment and that may have been the problem. Anyway it was one hell of a night with that many bites and most on top water. Next it was Kenny Toups and gang looking for lots of action so off we went after the mangroves and red snapper. It was one after the other for most of the morning until we decided to try for an AJ and a grouper but only found many red snapper. There were so many snapper that we couldn't catch but one small scamp and a couple of small AJ's because the red snapper wouldn't leave us alone. Still 40 mangroves (with the largest 10 weighting 100 pounds) and a limit of reds along with a couple of cobia Kenny and gang had a lot of fish. Yesterday my good friend Daniel Scott came with some friends for a try at the STAR winning mangrove. We loaded with all types of bait, live herring, croakers, pogies and green backs. These all did there job of catching big mangroves, but in the process of catching mangroves the red snapper kept coming to the bait and we had to leave 4 out of 7 stops because we were catching too many red snapper. After catching 70 mangroves (I held true to my word of not catching my limit, which would have been very easy) and a limit of reds we had many fish over the 10 pound mark and some over the 11 pound mark but all of the ones we had on that we thought would be big enough to win found there way to the rig legs. We did see some real monster mangroves but couldn't get them out with 80 pound braid and 60 to 100 pound mono leader. I consider them the meanest and toughest fish in the gulf when it comes to trying to catch the bigger ones. If you think you are tough enough to catch the big ones give Custom Charters a call and come try your luck. 985-851-3304.
