By Bill Hardman, Times Correspondent
Friday, April 29, 2011
What's hot: The water temperature and the cobia are heating up. The past three years have been great for cobia, inshore and offshore. This year, many of our divers started seeing the occasional cobia about three to four weeks ago. At first they gravitate to wrecks, then they work their way to ledges and rock piles.
Tips: Whether fishing or spearfishing, the same rule is true — strong fish like cobia will find the weakest link in your equipment. When these fish encounter worn gear, they win. Take the time to replace worn line, on rods and spearguns. For spearfishermen, this is also a good time to replace latex speargun bands. Don't wait until you see cracking of the bands. That's way too late. You need strong bands to keep your gun accurate and ensure enough kinetic energy to make a deep, penetrating shot. This is especially important when you get your chance at a big brown bruiser.
Bill Hardman teaches scuba, spearfishing and free diving through Aquatic Obsessions Scuba in St. Petersburg and can be reached at CaptainBillHardman@gmail.com or (727) 344-3483.