It’s no secret that cobia grow to immense proportions along Florida’s Panhandle. Reports of fish weighing 50 pounds or more become commonplace here by mid- April, during the height of cobia season. But, land a fish topping 100 pounds, like first-time cobia angler Karen Reznick, and you become fishing news.

Dock talk around the Harbor Walk Marina dock where Reznick weighed in her monster 118.9-pounder says she hooked the big one by patiently waiting her turn to cast. While fishing aboard Big Red with local skipper Nick Pratzig, the crew spotted a pod of five cobes swimming on the surface. After two guys hooked up, they instructed Reznick to cast out her bait.

She did and hooked the biggest fish in the bunch. The rest is history.

FS