SEPTEMBER 2019 SALTWATERSPORTSMAN.COM 49

Capt. Richard Rutland pulled

back the throttle on the

powerful outboard, and his

bay boat glided slowly to-

ward the buoy marking the

edge of the Mobile Bay ship

channel. Conditions were

ideal, with bright overhead

sunshine, calm seas and

clear, aqua-green water.

“There’s one, right on

top. He circled behind the

buoy. Get ready as he comes

around,” he said as I grabbed

the spinning rod for a cast.

Against the emerald back-

drop, the stout mocha-brown

cobia stood out like a raisin

in a bowl of oatmeal. I fired

the Whip-It Eel to the

2 o’clock position and

twitched the rod. That was all

the encouragement the fish

needed. It inhaled the rubber

eel before zipping off after

realizing it was tethered.

Following a tussle, Rutland

muscled the fish aboard.

“Nice job! That was a text-

book sight-cast fish and the

perfect way to wrap up the

day,” Rutland said. “You’ve

seen the best Alabama has to

offer in terms of the fall cobia

run. These brown bombers

do a flyby every year and

offer great sport.”

SEPTEMBER 2019 SALTWATERSPORTSMAN.COM 49

RUN

MOBILE BAY IS

GROUND ZERO FOR

THE GULF COBIA

MIGRATION.

BY

DAVE LEAR