SORD Story: Crabeaters
by SORD Fishing Products 28 Feb 13:19 UTC
SORD Story: Crabeaters © SORD Fishing Products
SORD Ambassador Chase Norwood (@chasenfish888) runs one of the most respected charter operations on Florida's Gulf Coast. After multiple hurricanes devastated Steinhatchee and forced a complete rebuild, the Chase-N-Fish fleet stands strong out of Sea Hag Marina — just south of Florida's Forgotten Coast, Chase's outfit is a testament to grit, family, and the kind of community that refuses to disappear.
In this SORD Story, the SORD team joins Capt. Chase and Capt. Cooper Nemcovic in search of giant winter hogfish — the species that has quite literally kept Steinhatchee on the map. Winter is prime time for hogfish on Florida's Big Bend, but finding a true giant takes patience.
We sort through white snapper, grunts, smaller hogfish, and strawberry groupers — grinding for that one bite that changes the day.
With time running out, Chase says four words every fisherman loves to hear:
"I know a spot."
What happens next turns a dedicated hogfish trip into an unexpected winter cobia frenzy in shallow water.
If you're into:
Winter fishing in Florida, Florida Big Bend fishing, Cobia fishing in the Gulf, hidden Sea Hag Marina, and epic offshore winter fishing action
You're in the right place.
This is more than just a fishing trip.
It's a look at one of Florida's last quiet coastal towns — where hunting, fishing, scalloping, and real Gulf Coast culture still exist the way they used to.