# Chumming for cobia



## sandman770

What do y'all think about chumming vs. looking for cobia during the spring run? We tried the "look" method last year with no success, thinking about just anchoring up about 1/2 mile off the beach and sending out a pogie/shrimp/crab chum slick.


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## Chris V

It can work well as long as you will dedicate time to do it. A lot of folks will chum for an hour and give up. You need to put in some time. It has worked well for me in the past from my kayak.


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## sandman770

Chris V--That makes sense to me. After puttsing along for hours not seeing a fish, I'd rather chum (and save $100 in gas) and feel like the fish that we might see are hungry because they followed the scent, and have a shot at other species as well.


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## B-4 Reel

*chumming*

The best time to do this is when the season gets going good and the wind is out of the SW. The fish are swimming east to west and the wind will push your slick right into their faces. Its also good to set your baits at different depths in the water. Say you are sitting in 60ft of water, put one or two on corks, one down about 20-25ft, one around 40ft, and one right off the bottom. When the wind is blowing out of the SW, it pushs the fish down in the water a bit. I hope this helps.


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## 1pescadoloco

Don't forget to put some glitter in that chum


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## marmidor

1pescadoloco said:


> Don't forget to put some glitter in that chum


I use glitter in my chum also! It is insane when you throw a scoop over and the sun lights it up!!!


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## 1pescadoloco

marmidor said:


> I use glitter in my chum also! It is insane when you throw a scoop over and the sun lights it up!!!


I started doing the glitter thing in 2001. Not to many used it back then. I could pull up to a wreck with several boats allready on it, anchor up current away from the other boats, get my chum slick going for about 30 min & if no one else was using the magic recipe I'ld be the only one catchin fish.


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## Pinksnappertrapper

sandman770 said:


> What do y'all think about chumming vs. looking for cobia during the spring run? We tried the "look" method last year with no success, thinking about just anchoring up about 1/2 mile off the beach and sending out a pogie/shrimp/crab chum slick.


 
What kinda boat do your have, does it have a tower, controls in tower?


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## sandman770

Pinksnappertrapper said:


> What kinda boat do your have, does it have a tower, controls in tower?


 
I've just got a 19' Cape Horn w/a cobia tower on the t-top, no controls.

Thanks for all the feedback from everyone, I would have never thought of the glitter idea :thumbsup:


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## tyler0421

I'd get a couple miles off the beach and chum and put a fad out behind your boat!!


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## sandman770

tyler0421 said:


> I'd get a couple miles off the beach and chum and put a fad out behind your boat!!


 
I've heard of permanent fads, what kind of fad are you refering to? Thanks!


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## sniperpeeps

I plan on chumming this year as well. I actually saw more cobia on near shore (within 5 miles or so) wrecks than anywhere near the sandbar last year.


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## tyler0421

Just stretch a tarp out behind your boat and down 5 or 10ft..


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## Pinksnappertrapper

You have a 19' horn with cobia tower and ring, it looks like to me you just need someone with a good rod/reel and eyes. Keep in contact between now and April and ill go with you and we will put some fish in the boat.


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## bigrick

I'm going to be looking for some spotters this year that can go during the week and will help with gas. I plan on fishing at least 3 days a week this year


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## sandman770

I'd kind of written off trying for them this spring, but it sounds like I just need to use better tactics than last year. Thanks for the input :thumbsup:


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## saltwater redneck

I too plan on trying the anchor / chum method this year also .


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## tyler0421

sandman770 said:


> I'd kind of written off trying for them this spring, but it sounds like I just need to use better tactics than last year. Thanks for the input :thumbsup:


Thats a good Idea.. Theres to many other kinds of fish to fishing for anyway!!! :thumbup: and the beaches will be to crowded with cobia fishermen!! :thumbsup:


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## bigrick

Never understood why so many people fish rite on the sandbar, I guess they are easier to see but a majority of the fish are in deeper water.....


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## grey ghost

A1 on chumming for cobia


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## GruBZ

Yur best thing to do is go down south bx there IS NO lingcods in these waters


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## sandman770

GruBZ said:


> Yur best thing to do is go down south bx there IS NO lingcods in these waters


 
Huh?


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## Trophyhusband

How far off the beach would one anchor to chum? I don't have a tower and can't see very far from my boat, so sight fishing isn't going to work that well for me. I would like to anchor and chum without getting in the way of the guys sight fishing. Would I want to be as close to shore as possible without being in the way, or would I want to anchor up current of structure? Would something like the Army tanks south of OIP be too far out?


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## Ocean Master

Trophyhusband said:


> How far off the beach would one anchor to chum? I don't have a tower and can't see very far from my boat, so sight fishing isn't going to work that well for me. I would like to anchor and chum without getting in the way of the guys sight fishing. Would I want to be as close to shore as possible without being in the way, or would I want to anchor up current of structure? Would something like the Army tanks south of OIP be too far out?


 
The 3 barges or the Oops barge would be a good place to sit, enjoy the day and chum.


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## Ocean Master

Also....There are plenty of FADS already out there.


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## sniperpeeps

Trophyhusband said:


> How far off the beach would one anchor to chum? I don't have a tower and can't see very far from my boat, so sight fishing isn't going to work that well for me. I would like to anchor and chum without getting in the way of the guys sight fishing. Would I want to be as close to shore as possible without being in the way, or would I want to anchor up current of structure? Would something like the Army tanks south of OIP be too far out?



I like to do it over or near structure so you can bottom fish and free line live baits while you wait on the cobes to show


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## Captain Mickey O'Reilly

I had a small but legal cobia swim up to the boat while bottom fishing a couple of days ago, and we were not chumming at all! Chum will make a big difference to be sure, and as Sniperpeeps mentioned, you can have more action bottom fishing while waiting for the crab crunchers to show up!


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## Trophyhusband

Ocean Master said:


> Also....There are plenty of FADS already out there.


I'm out of Destin, so I probably wouldn't run to 3 barges, but there are plenty of near shore reefs over here. What are FADS?


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## Trophyhusband

sniperpeeps said:


> I like to do it over or near structure so you can bottom fish and free line live baits while you wait on the cobes to show


I'll be giving that a shot then. Have you tried adding glitter to your chum? Sounds like a good idea, but ever since my oldest child brought a glitter covered project home from daycare when he was three, I have had a zero tolerance policy when it comes to glitter. (It is the herpes of the craft world, you know.) The scales from a squished up spanish sardine sparkle quite a bit.


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## Trophyhusband

Captain Mickey O'Reilly said:


> I had a small but legal cobia swim up to the boat while bottom fishing a couple of days ago, and we were not chumming at all! Chum will make a big difference to be sure, and as Sniperpeeps mentioned, you can have more action bottom fishing while waiting for the crab crunchers to show up!


I've seen them referred to as "crab crunchers" several times, but I don't recall reading about anyone using crabs for bait. Is there any particular reason? I'm thinking that floating a crab under a ballon would keep it from going to the bottom and burying itself.


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## sniperpeeps

Trophyhusband said:


> I'll be giving that a shot then. Have you tried adding glitter to your chum? Sounds like a good idea, but ever since my oldest child brought a glitter covered project home from daycare when he was three, I have had a zero tolerance policy when it comes to glitter. (It is the herpes of the craft world, you know.) The scales from a squished up spanish sardine sparkle quite a bit.


Na no glitter for me. I send two blocks halfway to the bottom and have two off the back of the boat.


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