Of course, the cobia that I needed to catch ate William’s bait. After a
chaotic battle, I had to assist him in landing his trophy cobia. The fish measured over 55 inches and weighed more than 60 pounds. If I had caught it, my quest would have been over. But my buddy caught it, so I had to be happy for another reason. Still, watching him celebrate was like catching a bowling ball with my gut. I made a few more trips for cobia, but never saw another fish. As
summer turned to fall the list of possible targets dwindled. Before long, tautog was the only viable species left and each sunset brought a little more panic. On my seventh tog trip to the CBBT that fall, I was joined by two
kayak anglers I’ve admired since I started kayak fishing: My respect for Kevin Whitley and Lee Williams is so deep, I wouldn’t even have minded if one of them caught my trophy. I had fished alone for too long; I needed some company to take my mind off the stress of my mission. We got to the target area along the CBBT and started catching tog right
away. Kevin and Lee were joking and goofing around and before long I was kidding with them. For a moment, I was just fishing with my friends, like I used to. I missed the feeling, and was anxious to catch my last citation and get on with my life. That’s when a nibble on my bait brought me back to reality. The bite
didn’t feel remarkable, but when I set the hook the fish went straight towards the piling. The line rubbed the structure, and I held my breath. The fish came back around the piling and put a deep bend in my rod that got everyone’s attention. Kevin and Lee came in to watch as I repeated over and over, “Please let this be the one!” The fight was a blur, but I remember scooping the huge tog into my
kayak. When I saw my salvation lying on the deck, my whole body started to shake. I knew it was close to the 23-inch minimum. I had to calm my nerves
before attempting to handle the fish. Kevin reminded me to breathe and told me to keep the hook in the fish in case it jumped out of my hands and flopped overboard. Before I measured the fat tog, I closed my eyes for a moment, hoping and praying. The adrenaline pumped and my hands shook as I laid it on the measuring board. The tail stretched just past the minimum length. It was right on the
money and I could hardly believe it. I lowered my head and a flood of emotions took over. I screamed. I felt my eyes well up. Each exhale released pressure that had built up over the last three years. The moment was even more special with my mentor Kevin present—
the only other kayak angler to achieve Expert Angler status. He welcomed me to the exclusive club and congratulated me on my catch, the one person who could truly appreciate the accomplishment. I was grinning ear to ear the rest of the day. The first person I called
was my wife. For over a year, she answered each phone call with, “Did you get it?” This time I was able to say, “Yes!” Then I called my friends, “Hey, we can go fishing again!” Now that it’s done, and the plaque hangs on my wall, I hope to inspire
everyday anglers to reach their goal—no matter how frustrating, stressful, time-consuming and life altering it may be. Follow Rob Choi’s adventures at
www.angling-addict.com. True to his promise to his wife, he will not chase the Expert Angler award this year.
70…KAYAK ANGLER
The thought of missing an opportunity to
cross another trophy off my list wouldn’t allow me to enjoy fishing for anything else.
Rob Choi's year-long run for Expert Angler came down to the wire. PHOTO: KEVIN WHITLEY
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