FALSE ALARM ON COBIA: Tournaments abound as waters start to warm up (CATCH-OF-THE-DAY PHOTOS)

The call went out, and The Log answered.

But it wasn’t exactly what was anticipated.

It was a cobia all right, but it wasn’t caught off the beach. And according to the rules of the local cobia tournaments it has to be caught off the beach using site-fishing methods to officially be named the first cobia of the season.

When the call came in last Friday that a cobia was coming in at HarborWalk Marina, I was doubtful because the water temperature was still a bit cold for cobia.

“It’s too cold to even be out their burning fuel right now,” said Capt. Chris Wagner Monday morning.

Wagner, one of the captains of the Full Pull, was at the helm last year when they landed the first cobia on March.

And landing the first is nothing new for the crew aboard the Full Pull. Wagner said he knows of at least nine times where someone on the boat has landed the first of the season.

Wagner said they like for the Gulf waters to be at least 62 degrees and 63 is even better before they start cruising for cobia. The water temperature was about 65 to 66 degrees when they landed the 42-pounder last year.

“Cobia don’t have calenders, they just go,” Wagner said. “The boat’s ready, we’re ready … we’ve just got to get everything else ready.”

On Monday, the water temperature was 56 and Tuesday it was up to 57.

But March is here and captains are thinking about cobia. And rightly so, because there are a number of cobia tournaments in the area.

First on the list is the Destin Cobia Tournament at HarborWalk Marina, which starts this Friday with a kickoff party at 7 p.m., at the Emerald Grande Ballroom. However, if the first cobia, caught off the beach, is brought in before then — the tournament is on. Entry cost before Friday is $425 per boat and $450 thereafter. There will be a $100, $250, $500 and $1,000 optional cash award for the biggest fish caught during the tournament that wraps up April 30.

Weigh-ins are daily from 10 am. until 8 p.m. at HarborWalk Marina. Official weight will be based on whole fish weight.

The HarborWalk tournament is not the only cobia event in town.

The captain’s meeting for the Cobia World Championships at Harbor Docks is at 6 p.m. March 18 and fishing begins the next day and goes through May 9. Weigh-ins are daily from 4-8 p.m. at Harbor Docks. Cost of entry is $500.

The Hog’s Breath Cobia Shoot Out, meanwhile, is scheduled for April 1-3 with a captains’ meeting on April 1 at 6:30 p.m. and fish days on April 2-3. Entry fee is $600.

The Ling-A-Palooza cobia tournament at Fishing Fleet Marina is scheduled for April 9-10 with weighins from 4-8 p.m. Cost to enter is $300. Another short-term tournaments are the Frank Helton Crab Cruncher held out of Harbor Docks with a captain’s meeting on April 8 at 6 p.m. and fish days April 9-11. Cost of entry is $500

The Wild Weekender at HarborWalk Marina is slated for April 24-25 with a kickoff party set fro 6:30 p.m. on April 23, at The Shed at HarborWalkVillage.

Now as for the false alarm call last Friday about a cobia, it was a 50-pound cobia caught on the Just-B-Cause with Capt. Ken Bolden. Capt. Bolden said they were fishing about 20 miles out when they hooked the ling.

In addition to the cobia, which drew a crowd, they had about eight amberjack, and several mingo and amberine.

You just never know what’s going to come in at the docks, so you have to check out all calls.

See you at the docks.