# Other Ways to Catch Cobia



## PorknBeans (Nov 21, 2007)

Hello Everybody,

I fish out of a boat without a tower, and with cobia season coming soon, I was wondering about some other ways of fishing for them other than sight fishing. I was thinking about parking the boat over some near shore structure, and maybe starting a chum slick and drifting back some live baits. Has anyone tried this something like this with any results?

Thanks


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## redfish99999 (Feb 11, 2008)

PorknBeans said:


> Hello Everybody,
> 
> I fish out of a boat without a tower, and with cobia season coming soon, I was wondering about some other ways of fishing for them other than sight fishing. I was thinking about parking the boat over some near shore structure, and maybe starting a chum slick and drifting back some live baits. Has anyone tried this something like this with any results?
> 
> Thanks


 

That sounds like a good plan....I tried it a few years back....Didn't work....Probably due to my impatience.....

My grand plan this year is to slow troll - just bumping along - an area with a concentration of structures, trolling a deep rig and a surface rig with a cobia jig ready to cast.... I might get eaten up by macs but I will be catching something.....

Good luck with your plan


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## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

*Strap an eight foot ladder in your boat, I saw a pic of someone doing that in the surf. I even saw a sailboat with a guy sitting ontop the mast once.*


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

Anchor and chum on structure. Has always been my most productive way without a tower. We used to sit on the t top but that's uncomfortable.


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## IWANNAGOFAST (Feb 15, 2013)

I agree with the above posts. If you get on any sort of structure with a onion bag full of chum and throw a few baits out the back you will catch fish. Last year I was doing this in P'cola pass and got into a school of blackfin. We could have filled the boat with them. It was awesome. You are guaranteed to catch something whether it is kings, big spanich, tuna, mahi, or a cobia. Good luck and opst a report if you do anygood.


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## Baker8425 (Jul 2, 2012)

Wirelessly posted

I used that method a lot in Gulfport/Biloxi area with good success near buoys and or structure. The water is too dirty to sight fish for cobia over there.


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## Gotta Gaff 'Em (Jan 4, 2013)

Back in virginia, when the water gets too cloudy to sight fish, whihc happens often we anchor up and chum. Run baits on the bottom, mid water and surface via balloons and kites. Baits vary from fresh blue crab, mullet, spot, croaker, menhaden live if you can get it dead otherwise, bluefish live and dead and eels.


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## KingCrab (Apr 29, 2012)

Back in the day before Cobia boat Phobia. Some just trolled streches as in 2. 1 deep & 1 midways up in say in depths of 30 feet to deeper. Like we do for redfish , etc. Change speeds as needed . Seen alot caught that way when there was Ling. Now, Good luck.


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## grey ghost (Jul 24, 2011)

yes sir that method will work, it will also bring grey suits which can be aggravating, but u will catch fish that way! I also do that for wahoo out in blue water , works for me! GG


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## KingCrab (Apr 29, 2012)

Another good average done way is keep everybody on speed dial that fishes every day. If they like u , Etc. They will call u when there ready to move on & theve caught the big one , etc..:whistling:


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## Contender (Apr 4, 2012)

There is guide over towards the big bend claims to catch them all year anchored over structure, chumming with three baits out, bottom middle and top.


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## BlaineAtk (Jun 8, 2010)

Wirelessly posted

That chum churn I have should pay off then.


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## PorknBeans (Nov 21, 2007)

Are the menhaden thick in the bayous in the spring? If so, I might have a trade someone a case of beer for a few throws of a net as I am still unable to do it on my own.


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## jim t (Sep 30, 2007)

My plan... on flat days that I can go out and fish on a flats boat, is to build a small floating "FAD" with a pvc frame and a tarp in the middle. I plan to put small floats on the corners and let it out 50' or so behind my anchored flats boat. 

A live surface bait or two and a couple on the bottom. Another rod ready to pitch...

Sit back and wait...

"Drinkin' beer, cuttin' cheese, and catchin' some squirrels..."






Sorta what Bonita Dan does during the Redfish Regatta when his motor blows up...

Jim


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## SaltAddict (Jan 6, 2010)

Always...ALWAYS have a pitch rod ready. The second you don't have a rod with a jig or a live bait swimming in the well, the biggest cobe you ever saw will swim up and kiss your motor. 

Maybe not "the biggest" lol, but it happened to us twice last season. We spearfish, usually always have a rod with a cobe jig ready. Twice, one of the rod guys switched it to a bottom setup and up swims a ling. dammit man lol.


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## jim t (Sep 30, 2007)

SaltAddict said:


> Always...ALWAYS have a pitch rod ready. The second you don't have a rod with a jig or a live bait swimming in the well, the biggest cobe you ever saw will swim up and kiss your motor.
> 
> Maybe not "the biggest" lol, but it happened to us twice last season. We spearfish, usually always have a rod with a cobe jig ready. Twice, one of the rod guys switched it to a bottom setup and up swims a ling. dammit man lol.


THIS!!!

Even offshore while bottom fishing, have a Cobia jig on a rod ready to pitch, sometimes just a few feet behind the boat. They will come up like a lost puppy looking for a meal.

ALWAYS have a cobia jig ready to pitch.

Jim


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## KingCrab (Apr 29, 2012)

Thats thier demise, The lost puppy look & feed me. Problem is they are tasty. Once upon a time like AJ's they were trash fish. They seem to ask for a hook or spear.


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## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

over here is Mississippi, we dont have the visibility yall have in Alabama and Florida, our sight fishing consist of running the rigs, ships, shrimp boats, since our barrier islands are close to 10 miles offshore to begin with, it can make for ALOT of running and little fishing.

What i like to do is anchor on the edges of the bars in 8-10' of water and set out 3-4 live baits and chum, when I say chum, I mean CHUM alot ! usually put out 2 bags and work a chum churn, ideally i like to have at least a 48 qt cooler full of pogies to put throught the chum churn. i'll set out 1 rod with a live catfish, mullet, croaker on a balloon, another rod with the same bait freelining, and another on the bottom with a carolina rig, and always have a pitch rod ready with another live bait.

By the time the cobia get over here after being bombed by jigs from Panama city to Gulf shores , they can be a little jig shy and will only touch a live bait.


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## TURTLE (May 22, 2008)

*I gave up wasting gas and hunting them years ago. I go fishing like I would any other time. I set a chum block out at my favorite hole, and while fishing for everything else I almost always see 3-4 big cobia swim under the boat. They never want to eat most of the time so I remove that from the equation and just pop em with my bow and tie them off to a cleat till they wear themselves out and then bring em into the box. Come home with at least one every time I go out.:thumbup:*


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## PorknBeans (Nov 21, 2007)

Well I do have a Hoyt compound and a few bowfishing arrows... What's your set up for shooting cobia? I am going to be entertaining a friend from Chicago, and he would freak out if I put an arrow through a fat cobia...

Could anyone on here help me fill up a cooler with menhaden sometime around March 5th? I am still trying to figure out how to throw a net, and I have a very short fishing window this spring... Thanks in advance!


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## flukedaddy (Apr 11, 2009)

PorknBeans said:


> Well I do have a Hoyt compound and a few bowfishing arrows... What's your set up for shooting cobia? I am going to be entertaining a friend from Chicago, and he would freak out if I put an arrow through a fat cobia...
> 
> Could anyone on here help me fill up a cooler with menhaden sometime around March 5th? I am still trying to figure out how to throw a net, and I have a very short fishing window this spring... Thanks in advance!


*Might still be a lil early Pork*


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## PorknBeans (Nov 21, 2007)

For menhaden? I know that they run thick in the fall, and I remember a guy in Bayou Chico hauling them in during the early part of June... Are they gone during the winter/spring?


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## flukedaddy (Apr 11, 2009)

Yea man they have left right now.


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## flukedaddy (Apr 11, 2009)

usually pretty soon just not sure how thick they will be this year. Last year they were thick in bayou grande all summer. Was kinda wierd for the big ones to stay in there all summer atleast for me, I had not seen it befor.


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## PorknBeans (Nov 21, 2007)

If the menhaden are not around, what does everybody use for chum?


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## flukedaddy (Apr 11, 2009)

I catch mine for the upcoming year when they are here. And freeze and what I dont use I donate to the bird reserve.


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## PorknBeans (Nov 21, 2007)

What is the lightest that any of you would go for leader material when targeting cobia? Is fluoro a necessity?


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## SaltAddict (Jan 6, 2010)

The lightest I have used is 40 flouro. I use 50 flouro typically. I'm no pro, but it works for me.


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## eddiem84 (Nov 3, 2010)

PorknBeans said:


> What is the lightest that any of you would go for leader material when targeting cobia? Is fluoro a necessity?


Cobia are stupid, we use 80 pound flourocarbon and never have a problem.


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