Today my fishing buddies were a group of fun loving gals from Texas who are vacationing in Cocoa Beach and wanted to put together enough fish for a meal before they return home and take a little fish back to Texas. Fishing with me today was Earla Ahrens, Patrricia Snow, Tammy Kister, and Terri Scott. I also had my good friend Donny Poston go along as my mate today to help out and be the designated driver for me should we decide to run up to Hetzel shoal to do a little sight fishing for Cobia.
    This charter was a little unusual in that today the ladies requested an afternoon start at 1:00 PM in lieu of the usual morning departure. We departed a 1:00 PM and stopped by Bluepoints Marina for a little fuel and then opted to run down the beach for bait rather than trying to net the pogies in the port. The pogies weren't really balled up very well but we were able to acquire enough of them down near the Cocoa Beach pier.
    We then took off to 8A reef and began to do the usual slow-trolling of pogies that I love so well and produces quality fish so consistently. First up within minutes of our arrival we got a really good strike with a long run and unfortunately pulled the hooks after about a ten minute battle. We continued to get a hits here and there and picked away at the Kingfish and got the job done with a 22 pound fish for Terri being the largest Kingfish of the day. When it was Patricia's turn she was lucky to get a strike from what turned out to be a keeper Cobia to add to the menu. Not bad for her first fish ever on a deep sea fishing trip.
    We finished our fun afternoon with a 32 knot cruise back to the port on a nearly flat calm sea with plenty of fish for dinner, lots of fun, and a great way to spend the afternoon with a great bunch of fun loving gals.

Final tally for the day:
6 Kingfish.
1 Cobia at about 37"
1 Remora released