The groupers, red and gag, are a commonly targeted fish in the Gulf of Mexico, primarily for their food value. Commercial fishing interests are allotted 80% of the allowable catch each year, and all of the citizenry gets the remaining 20%. Calculations as to the fishery stocks, size limits, and months of closure to fishing are done by the government using ouija boards, pyschics, and numbers on a dart board. These results are then ratified by statistitians, agreed to by the commercial fishing lobby, and laws enacted. But seriously, National Marine Fisheries, NMF, has to be better than MMS, right?

Cobia are a highly prized gamefish for their strength and size, as well as their food value. They frequent wrecks and structure, migrating through the area and taking up station on these wrecks. While the wily charter captain can guess as to where they might be, he generally can\'t know that they are there. So one must be an opportunist when fishing wrecks during times of the year when the cobia are around, and present baits that would appeal to them. The cobia have to be at the spot, and be hungry, for success with this fish. The bad news is that sometimes they will circle the boat and refuse to eat anything you offer them. The good news is that if he hits and you lose him, in about twenty minutes he will have forgotten the fight and often hit again. Years ago we Marco Island charter captains used to get cobia in the 80 and 90 pound class, but these are few and far between anymore, and on Enterprise a 50 pounder would nowadays be considered big.

These hard charging little tuna, also known as little tunny, are pound for pound one of the toughest fighters around. Occasionally  mixed in with schools of mackerel, this is one fish that is quite capable of spooling a light reel. Each on the fish pictured here, while seemingly innocuous, delivered a heart thumping battle for the angler. They have absolutely no food value whatsoever, unless you are adrift on a raft at sea for weeks.

Barracuda take up station on wrecks and around structure, and are primarily caught when the water is warmer. Typically from May through November in the Marco Island area. They are supreme predators, the wolves of the sea, and as such prey on weak or wounded fish. The fish that we fish for, snappers, mackerel, etc., once hooked, will exhibit behaviour that triggers a barracuda attack. They can be caught in a variety of ways, and deliver a powerful, if short lived fight as they tire easily. When carefully boated they are quite docile and can be handled gently and released unharmed. Barracuda are eaten by some people but never by Enterprise clients as there is a risk, however small, of cigueterra poisoning by the consumer. This is simply not worth it, anymore than swinging a graphite shafted golf club in a thunderstorm.