Cobia fishing

[ecu1984]

Won't be long
I love it and really started getting into it a few years ago.
Great tasting fish and I just planned the 3rd week in May
to try them every day at Cape Lookout
Anyone else here specifically target them?

[willk]

One of my favorites. Haven't caught one in a couple of years. Called a buddy a few days ago talking about them. They're on my radar this year.

[Saltydog235]

Yes but those fish can be a confounding PITA. I’ve caught them on the oldest, driest, nastiest piece of cut bait on the board to free gaffing them as they swam over the gaff after looking at it for 10 minutes. Tomtates are cobia candy. I wore them out on a dedicated grouper setup with an 8/0 hook through the nose of legal B-liners last year. Eels, tomtates, squid, whole filet of a bank bass, slow pitch jigs with a little piece of meat on it. You never know what they’re going to eat.

[murraywader]

I am going to get after them this year, I bought some of those lures you posted last year.

[ecu1984]

My go to Cobia rig is almost just like a Grouper rig
Live menhaden on the bottom, 4 oz sliding egg sinker
I use the trolling motor and bump around a little
Always have a few things tied on a couple large spinners for pitching to em

[reeltight]

For goodness sake don’t put one in the boat green. LOL. Saw some high guys in Beaufort a couple years ago in a 12’ Jon boat sitting on cheap lawn chairs over the bench seat, put one in the boat green. Cobia went to town on that boat. Flipped everything out of the boat…including one of the dudes. It may have been one of the funniest fishing scenes i have ever seen.

[ecu1984]

For goodness sake don’t put one in the boat green. LOL. Saw some high guys in Beaufort a couple years ago in a 12’ Jon boat sitting on cheap lawn chairs over the bench seat, put one in the boat green. Cobia went to town on that boat. Flipped everything out of the boat…including one of the dudes. It may have been one of the funniest fishing scenes i have ever seen.

a couple years ago, we had two come into the boat at the same time
both at or over 50lbs
chaos to say the least

[Saltydog235]

For goodness sake don’t put one in the boat green. LOL. Saw some high guys in Beaufort a couple years ago in a 12’ Jon boat sitting on cheap lawn chairs over the bench seat, put one in the boat green. Cobia went to town on that boat. Flipped everything out of the boat…including one of the dudes. It may have been one of the funniest fishing scenes i have ever seen.

That’s why you keep the Billy club nearby. They get their skulls caved in the second they hit the deck. The last one I freegaffed was about 30#, I was beating his brains in with one hand and holding the gaff with the other.

A good friend of mine, an extremely good fisherman, had never caught one. We were out in my old Pioneer and he hooked what we thought was a sand tiger at first. When he finally got it boat side it was the biggest cobia either of us had ever seen, state record big. This was ‘15/‘16 the year they closed the season early, it was the day after the closure and we had to let it go. I got a pic somewhere of it.

[Highstrung]

They're not very bright at times. I really only cared to go after them around bouys, structure around reefs. They just swim like silly geese all up under you, I'd just throw a long rebel or plastic.. you can dangle the thing right in front of them. I agree on throwing a green one in a boat, and they are good eating.. just don't overcook them.

[ecu1984]

One of my favorite steaks to put on the grill

[reeltight]

Last time I had cobia, it was pressure fried and it was fantastic.