I'd suggest chartering a reef fishing charter for lots of action. Cobia will be in the area but if your 10-person party manages to catch one in a day, you will be doing pretty well. Offshore on the reefs, you will have lots of action, get some good eating fish and have a chance at some nice cobia and kings too. You may also hit some nice amberjack that out-tug the cobia.

Forgot to say that these guys are out of Orange Beach which is six miles east of Gulf Shores---there is no outlet to the gulf from Gulf Shores except for a little, shallow pass into the lagoon that is not really navigable. All the Gulf fishing is done out of Orange Beach, and you can Google "Orange Beach Fishing Charters" to do your own research if you want to, but the ones I recommended are at the top of the profession.

You may want to get a copy of "Golf Coast Fisherman" magazine--one of the best publications for the coast. In past issues there have been articles on how to book head boat charters, gear to take, techniques, etc.

Redfishunter---One thing you might want to consider is the State Fishing Pier at Gulf Shores. One of those big boats is going to be expensive, and the chance of more than two or three of you catching a cobia isn't great. Mid-April is also prime time for king mackerel off the pier and there are days when the kings try to chew the barnacles off the piling, 75-100 fish days do happen. Along with the kings, there are bull reds and for light tackle, the Spanish macks should be there. If you have your own tackle, that might be a much less expensive option---that's where I'll be. They do catch cobia off the pier, too. Search gulfshoresfishingpier, with the appropriate dot-kom. If you get to the pier, look for the pier cart with the "Haywire" flag, and I won't be far away. It's a friendly pier with folks glad to help out a newcomer.

Country knows the best boat captains along the gulf coast, so his advice is golden. I know Bobby Walker and he is one of the very best. Ling are definitely one of my favorite fish to eat, but king are not bad either. Reef fishing also is a lot of fun, but red snapper controls have put a little damper on it. Yet you can still catch Greater Amberjack, Scamp, Vermillion, Grouper, and Triggerfish and if a regular charter does not work out well for you, there are head boats that work just reefs. There are also inland charter captains that cater to specks, flounder, and redfish if you want to lean in that direction. By the way Country, did you hear that Terry Walker's wife Mary just passed away?