# Catching Cobia without a Tower



## Choctaw Mike (Sep 24, 2009)

I know people's blood pressure is already rising just by reading my title! Ok, I understand that you have to sightfish for Cobia. They run in packs of 1-3, swim around the surface at a pretty slow pace and get spooked easily. With that being said, I dont have a tower on my boat, nor will I be getting one. But im a pretty easy going fisherman and figured I would cobia a shot. I planned on just throwing out a spread of some jigs with eel tailsand eels and hoping to get lucky. Obviously fishing blind for Cobia is going to be all luck. 

Is there anything I can look for to help me out? Or things I can do to help my fishing.


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

Anchor up just offshore of the sandbars and they will come to you. You can throw out a few baits and have a jig ready to toss if you see one swim by.


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## Breeze Fabricators (Oct 2, 2007)

Bring the largest plastic tarp you can handle. Use pvc pipe on the edges to float it and spread it out. Got to approx. 25 to 30 ft. water depth and drift with your FAD tied to boat. If they swim anywhere near you they will come to check out your FAD!!!


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## atlantacapt (Oct 2, 2007)

> *lobsterman (3/15/2010)*Anchor up just offshore of the sandbars and they will come to you. You can throw out a few baits and have a jig ready to toss if you see one swim by.


With the weather the way it is, I'd wait until mid April before trying it without a tower...there will be much better numbers of fish then. You can also try chumming and chunking to draw them in.


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## Marine Scout (Nov 18, 2007)

> *Breeze Fabricators (3/15/2010)*Bring the largest plastic tarp you can handle. Use pvc pipe on the edges to float it and spread it out. Got to approx. 25 to 30 ft. water depth and drift with your FAD tied to boat. If they swim anywhere near you they will come to check out your FAD!!!


Please excuse my ignorance, but what is a FAD?? Is it an Acronym??


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

Yes it is , it stands for *f*ish *a*ttracting *d*evice.


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## fisheye48 (Sep 28, 2007)

Can you catch ling without a tower sure..is it harder oh yes...has it been done...yes....a tower will help you in a few other instances other than ling fishing...if you troll you can get up there and look for rips, weedlines, debris, etc....


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

Or you can use a ******* tower. A ladder strapped to the T-top, just don't try it if it is real rough or you could launch yourself straight into the drink.


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## Landlubber (Oct 5, 2007)

Good question! Thanks for all the tips.... now maybe I can finally catch one on purpose!

It appears I was staying way too far off the beach when trying to locate cobes.


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## wshaw (Aug 19, 2008)




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## mdrobe2 (Oct 12, 2007)

You can always hear those ladder fishermen before you see them- that sound is their brass balls clanking together!


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## Greno (Mar 11, 2010)

I am planning on using a ladder on the little seacraft. Whatever it takes IF we ever get any decent warmer water. Can't spot a brown fish in brown water.


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## JoeZ (Sep 30, 2007)

Sure, you're limited without a tower but you're far from out of it.



If there's a decent swell, especially from the SE, you can see a few waves ahead of you and that's when the cobia are likely riding on top. 



If I can spot a pod of fish from a 17 footer while driving in 3-4 foot slop, you can find them too.


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## AaronBarnes (Sep 7, 2009)

chum them to the boat......


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## Jighead (Feb 11, 2009)

I would suggest one of these but it takes a little practice. Plus, you can use it for more than just Cobia fishing.


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