Hilton Head men pull in record-setting cobia

Once Robby Maroudas helped haul in a state-record, 92-pound cobia Tuesday afternoon, he didn't even bother trying to weigh it on board.

Immediately after a two-minute fight to land the fish, Maroudas realized he and his boat mates had a catch that would exceed the 60-pound scale on his vessel, the Tuna Hutt. He didn't want to waste any time getting the fish to the weigh-in for the 24th annual Food & Beverage Fishing Tournament at Palmetto Bay Marina on Hilton Head Island.

"I was like, 'Wow, we actually have something here,'" Maroudas said. "I knew we had a contender."

After packing the fish into an insulated bag of ice at about 2 p.m., Maroudas and fellow fishermen Joe Clear and Ronnie Chewning, all from Hilton Head, took off from an artificial reef about 20 miles east of Hilton Head.

After a nerve-wracking, two-hour wait for the weigh-in, S.C. Department of Natural Resources officials confirmed the trio's record, tournament director Stefan Patrick said. Their fish topped the previous state record, an 87-pound cobia landed in Beaufort in 2005 by an Illinois resident.

Combined with a 46-pound cobia the three had caught earlier in the day, the new record fish propelled the frequent fishing buddies and regular tournament participants to victory, earning a trophy and $1,000.

While celebrating Tuesday evening, Maroudas said he planned to share his portion of the cobia with customers at the island's Red Fish restaurant, where he is a partner.

Maroudas said chef Sean Walsh understands he will be preparing something special today.

"He knows it's coming," Maroudas said.