# Cobia tactics from the yak



## keperry1182 (Oct 6, 2010)

I've never fished for them but I'm thinking about trolling one live bait, maybe an eel or something similar and trolling one lure at the same time and then having a casting rig set up in case I see the bugger off to the side of me. I saw a TON of them last year just didn't know how to catch them. I found a spot they seemed to always be at during peak season just curious if this would be effective. What other kinds of baits do they hit on, what kinds of lures do they like and any good tactics you might know.


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## bbarton13 (May 4, 2009)

i think your best best would be to anchor up about a half mile off the beach and free line a eel, croaker, pin fish, or blue crab. and maybe have one on a float. and then you could also have a bag of some blue crab chum! atleast thats what im gonna do.


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## keperry1182 (Oct 6, 2010)

Damn, I don't know why I never think about chumming. That's a good idea, where do you get eels I never see them in the bait shops, of course I never really looked hard either.


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## Caddy Yakker (May 21, 2011)

Pretty much all the bait shops will have eels when the cobia are running. 
I will be slow trolling and site fishing for them. They are easy to spot from the yak on the second sand bar if the conditions are right. Keep a good jig and a live bait handy at all times.

I can't freakin wait! I don't even care about inshore fishing anymore lol. If I'm not in the gulf in the kayak I will be surf fishing on the beach for the pompano tournament!

Good Luck!


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## FishGolfDrink (Apr 19, 2011)

keperry1182 said:


> I've never fished for them but I'm thinking about trolling one live bait, maybe an eel or something similar and trolling one lure at the same time and then having a casting rig set up in case I see the bugger off to the side of me. I saw a TON of them last year just didn't know how to catch them. I found a spot they seemed to always be at during peak season just curious if this would be effective. What other kinds of baits do they hit on, what kinds of lures do they like and any good tactics you might know.


I have an unlimited supply of blue crabs.... can't wait.


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## Caddy Yakker (May 21, 2011)

FishGolfDrink said:


> I have an unlimited supply of blue crabs.... can't wait.


Man you could just about spot them from your balcony!
Only problem is if they made past the pier chances are they have probably been bombed by everything and everyone.


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

Drifting and chumming has always been my productive means of taking them from the yak. I just put out a bag of sardine or menhaden chum and drift 2 baits, live or dead. To be honest though, I catch more of them after they work their way up the slick and to my yak where I usually take them on a jig or popper.

Cobia are usually very careless around the yak. Its not like a boat or something noisy, they just approach without caution and are usually hooked at handfeeding distance.

The biggest one I've caught from a kayak followed a small, hooked king all the way to me.


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## SaltJunkie0226 (Jun 26, 2011)

buying a center console soon. Thanks for all the wisdom. im soaking it all up. I will definitely be landing a few of them this season!


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## keperry1182 (Oct 6, 2010)

Looking forward to it too, FGD lookin good for Saturday morning. And thanks to all for the advice can't wait to catch my first one


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## Breeze Fabricators (Oct 2, 2007)

*Cobia tactics*

Get the largest plastic blue tarp you can find. Get 4 long pieces of pvc pipe and glue caps on the ends. attach one on each opposing side. Float it behind the yak and tow it out. Unroll it on the surface in 25 to 30 ft. water. Slide the extra 2 pipes into sleeves made from duct tape and the tarp. You have a large FAD. Float live baits around the out side and wait. Fish will see the shade on the bottom and come and stay.Makes for easier catchin, At the end of the day remove 2 of the pvc from sleeves and roll up for the next days fishin'!!!


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## Caddy Yakker (May 21, 2011)

Breeze Fabricators said:


> Get the largest plastic blue tarp you can find. Get 4 long pieces of pvc pipe and glue caps on the ends. attach one on each opposing side. Float it behind the yak and tow it out. Unroll it on the surface in 25 to 30 ft. water. Slide the extra 2 pipes into sleeves made from duct tape and the tarp. You have a large FAD. Float live baits around the out side and wait. Fish will see the shade on the bottom and come and stay.Makes for easier catchin, At the end of the day remove 2 of the pvc from sleeves and roll up for the next days fishin'!!!


That's a great idea Tim!


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## keperry1182 (Oct 6, 2010)

Aren't artificial FADs illegal? Not getting on the high horse but I don't wanna pay Florida a couple hundred dollars either


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## Caddy Yakker (May 21, 2011)

keperry1182 said:


> Aren't artificial FADs illegal? Not getting on the high horse but I don't wanna pay Florida a couple hundred dollars either


Leaving them unattended is illegal. As long as you stay with it and take it with you when you leave its legal.


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## bbarton13 (May 4, 2009)

Wirelessly posted (Iphone )



Caddy Yakker said:


> keperry1182 said:
> 
> 
> > Aren't artificial FADs illegal? Not getting on the high horse but I don't wanna pay Florida a couple hundred dollars either
> ...


Yes sir, will work great for mahi 2!


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## keperry1182 (Oct 6, 2010)

Thinking about taking a bunch of deflated kiddy floats and pool mattress things blow um up out there and tie them together then. Reduce the footprint i have to carry a bit


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## jross31455 (Aug 11, 2011)

how in the hell do you get the cobia in the kayak without kicking your ass, because i know how they react in a boat haha


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## Breeze Fabricators (Oct 2, 2007)

*Cobia dispatch Swamp People style?*

"CHOOT'EM ELIZABETH" Spoken with a Cajun drawl:whistling::whistling:


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## keperry1182 (Oct 6, 2010)

I have found that you can get a fish boatside in a larger boat so fast they still have a little fight in um. So if I let um pull the kayak around a little while most fish come yakside belly. I don't have any experience with cobia yet but they gotta run outta juice sooner or later. If it's big enough to keep for sure, I'll give it a thump on the noggin with my fish bat and that'll be that.


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## bbarton13 (May 4, 2009)

Wirelessly posted (Iphone )

Spear gaff! Or a good beatin in the head, i wonder if u tail roped them and drag then backwards would it kill them like it would a shark?


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

Just wear them down and gaff them. 

I will back the drag off 3 or 4 times and let him exhaust himself before gaffing and even then he'll tussle a little but I just pin it next to the yak. My prowler big game looks like someone took a rake to the side from their spines. 

Tarps and PVC work great from a small boat but it sounds like a lot in the way on a yak.


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## keperry1182 (Oct 6, 2010)

inventing stuff is kinda my thing, I'll figure out a way to make it lightweight and inflatable. I'm thinking large inflateable ring that I can cover with a tarp so it's small to transport and easy to deploy. I'll figure it out and post it up. may take some time, trial and error and all


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## Caddy Yakker (May 21, 2011)

I usually carry an aluminum Tball bat with me when they are running. I've caught smaller ones with no problem. I have a flying gaff I rigged up. If its a BIG fish I'll drag his ass to the beach like I have done sharks in the past!


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## FishGolfDrink (Apr 19, 2011)

Caddy Yakker said:


> Man you could just about spot them from your balcony!
> Only problem is if they made past the pier chances are they have probably been bombed by everything and everyone.


I can spot them from my balcony.. I run down there with a net, scoop um up, then when they are tangled pop their claws off. I use um for redfish all the time. I've got a few traps too, but the ones I get in there are huge.. I like the small ones for redfish.

How big of a crab is optimal for a cobia?


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## PBTH (Oct 1, 2007)

I'd say a larger silver dollar size crab, ~3inch carapace. Same size as a good tarpon crab.


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## Caddy Yakker (May 21, 2011)

FishGolfDrink said:


> I can spot them from my balcony.. I run down there with a net, scoop um up, then when they are tangled pop their claws off. I use um for redfish all the time. I've got a few traps too, but the ones I get in there are huge.. I like the small ones for redfish.
> 
> How big of a crab is optimal for a cobia?


I was talking about spotting cobes from your balcony.


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## oxbeast1210 (Jun 21, 2010)

Haha I was so confused when he said the popped off the claws and that he used them for redfish . I don't much much about cobia thaught I had been researching the wrong fish!! 
Makes sense now that I know he's talking bout crabs.. lol


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## FishGolfDrink (Apr 19, 2011)

Caddy Yakker said:


> I was talking about spotting cobes from your balcony.


LOL .. haven't done that yet.. but same thing applies about getting a crab, launching the yak, then site casting to cobia!


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