# Where's all the Cobia?



## k-p

Watched Full Pull go back and forth but no turns so where are they? Saw in Florida Sportfishing that this is supposed to be the mecca but haven't seen all those big reports? Are they still advertising Cobia in the restaurants in Destin? Meanwhile, haven't even seen a snapper either...


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## fairpoint

There are not many left to catch....but there are some genius's on this forum
that think that they are all over the place and being caught by everybody....
I have only seen one this year and he didnt bite...


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## MrFish

It's not like they have been in decline over the last 20 years...


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## FleaBag

its over.


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## Bodupp

It's all my fault. Back in the latter years of the last century, I got into a cobia-catching frenzy and couldn't stop myself. Single-handedly wiped out any future breeding stock.

Seriously, everybody gets their panties in a wad early in the season. Relax until they get here in force. Take vacation from the 10th through about the 25th. Fish your ass off then.


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## Walton County

Bodupp said:


> It's all my fault. Back in the latter years of the last century, I got into a cobia-catching frenzy and couldn't stop myself. Single-handedly wiped out any future breeding stock.
> 
> Seriously, everybody gets their panties in a wad early in the season. Relax until they get here in force. Take vacation from the 10th through about the 25th. Fish your ass off then.


True, but it is sad to see such a huge decline in what was an awesome fishery.


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## mudskipper

apparently they are in the same place as all the damn flounder !

the past winter was one of the worst flounder years ......very few were stabbed during the fall run

I didn't see any the few times that I trolled/sight fished from Ft Pickens to Navarre......There weren't as many other boats looking/fishing as prior years either.....I didnt see a single boat hook up on one


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## fairpoint

Bodupp said:


> It's all my fault. Back in the latter years of the last century, I got into a cobia-catching frenzy and couldn't stop myself. Single-handedly wiped out any future breeding stock.
> 
> Seriously, everybody gets their panties in a wad early in the season. Relax until they get here in force. Take vacation from the 10th through about the 25th. Fish your ass off then.


They haven't really shown up since the oil spill...That was the last time I saw
any fish to amount to anything.....


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## tinboater

Let's see...promote annual tournaments that target the largest egg-laying specimens during their migration and put a secondary price tag on their heads for commercial harvest...mission accomplished


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## cody&ryand

Just my boat personally but i caught more cobia the last few years on nearshore wrecks then i ever have. Yes i know yall are talking about sight fishing them on the beach. But we had multiple trips catching multiple cobia


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## Flounderpounder

No snapper...seriously? We tossed back at least 20 on Monday???????????


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## k-p

Flounderpounder said:


> No snapper...seriously? We tossed back at least 20 on Monday???????????


Yes, I was just being cynical. I sling back at least 50 red snapper every day. On Tuesday sent two 20 lbers back and weren't even fishing for them. The jist of the post is to bring awareness of how bad the cobia spring run really is. While bureaucrats are playing a numbers game with overpopulated snapper and triggerfish, Cobia are going unnoticed and it will take a crash like what is happening now for them to wake up. There won't be any "run" towards the end of April either.


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## mudskipper

cody&ryand said:


> Just my boat personally but i caught more cobia the last few years on nearshore wrecks then i ever have. Yes i know yall are talking about sight fishing them on the beach. But we had multiple trips catching multiple cobia


I was talking about close to shore sight fishing from my boat/s.....first and second sandbar areas and slightly beyond......a few years ago there was soooo much boat traffic and people fighting to throw on the same fish.....very few boats making the trip along the beach areas this year......it was always funny to see jon boats and canoes with giant step ladders strapped on them

some years they run a little further offshore.....maybe you found the new travel path ! Did you catch any monsters this year ? Bait choice ?


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## k-p

cody&ryand said:


> Just my boat personally but i caught more cobia the last few years on nearshore wrecks then i ever have. Yes i know yall are talking about sight fishing them on the beach. But we had multiple trips catching multiple cobia


I did last year too but the spring run is a different story. I had more than cobia than big kings last year but the spring run is almost plain non existent anymore.


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## finfever61

k-p said:


> Watched Full Pull go back and forth but no turns so where are they? Saw in Florida Sportfishing that this is supposed to be the mecca but haven't seen all those big reports? Are they still advertising Cobia in the restaurants in Destin? Meanwhile, haven't even seen a snapper either...


I wouldn't go by the hardcore Cobia fisherman like Full Pull since they fish for them for more days than most anyone. Most of the seasoned Cobia anglers I know with limited days take the second two weeks of April off to fish for them and of course the weekends. I wouldn't say all is lost but numbers aren't what they used to be.


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## jspooney

This morning I was surf fishing at chicken bone and saw a dude in a pontoon boat with a ladder strapped to the front. I was impressed.


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## FleaBag

just looked at LA. limits. 2 per person per day. no boat limit? do you how many **** asses they can fit on one of those freemans bouncing around from rig to rig. that's the direction they are headed. i'm sure they crush them, so lets just let them go on by.


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## Fishhead706

Fished today; 0-0, and saw no boats turned up or throwing. We did come across a leatherback with no fish, and plenty of brown turtles.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## John B.

Shit is over with.... I have been once this year. 0-0... honestly I won't go again and doubt I will for years to come.... our new limits are nice, but it is too little too late.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## Captain Jake Adams

fairpoint said:


> They haven't really shown up since the oil spill...That was the last time I saw
> any fish to amount to anything.....


I agree and don't believe in coincidences. The same is true with the blue crab, mullet and southern flounder in our area. Maybe not to the same extent as the cobia but there has been a severe decline in our area on these species since the oil spill and I unfortunately believe we are just now seeing the effects


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## SouthernBell

cody&ryand said:


> Just my boat personally but i caught more cobia the last few years on nearshore wrecks then i ever have. Yes i know yall are talking about sight fishing them on the beach. But we had multiple trips catching multiple cobia


The advance of the artificial reef programs seem to be steering migration further offshore where more of a food source is gathering on the wrecks and reefs...not sure that targeting them through the Cobia and Kingfish tourneys didn't take its toll, too...lots of money offered for lots of fish killin, but I do see many of them further offshore now. Here's one we caught on our favorite endangered snapper hole last summer.


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## kingfish501

SouthernBell said:


> The advance of the artificial reef programs seem to be steering migration further offshore where more of a food source is gathering on the wrecks and reefs...not sure that targeting them through the Cobia and Kingfish tourneys didn't take its toll, too...lots of money offered for lots of fish killin, but I do see many of them further offshore now. Here's one we caught on our favorite endangered snapper hole last summer.


Question is...have you caught any THIS year?


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## cody&ryand

kingfish501 said:


> Question is...have you caught any THIS year?


I know you were not asking me but i went cobia fishing two days for a total of about 8 hours max and i am 0-1. Both days were begining of April one day on a 22 bay boat the other on a 17 bay boat. Both days with a south west wind (not that i blame the wind at all) also to add in the 3 days my boat has bottom fished have not caught any cobia but tons of endangered red snapper limits of trigger every time and a bunch of mingos and white snapper with the occasional lane snapper. All bottom fishing was done last week


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## Ocean Master

They need to close it for 3 years and stop the slaughter in Louisiana.


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## fairpoint

Ocean Master said:


> They need to close it for 3 years and stop the slaughter in Louisiana.


Yep, If its not a TOTAL GULF closure then whats the point...


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## Ocean Master

What I mean is a total closure in all states.


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## VandalRefugee

fairpoint said:


> Yep, If its not a TOTAL GULF closure then whats the point...


Whats the deal with Louisiana? Are the rigs congregating them and making them easier to target?


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## FenderBender

VandalRefugee said:


> Whats the deal with Louisiana? Are the rigs congregating them and making them easier to target?




Yes. Also 2 per person per day there with no boat limit. Florida is one per person per day with a 2 fish per boat max.


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## Dav07c

My two cents:
None to be found riding the top of the water column on the two trips I made in the tower. I also dove two trips this spring and saw cobia both times which is not unusual. Both times the Cobia were with big stingrays. On the second dive trip there were three cobia off two rays all sitting on the bottom not moving. Naturally shot the biggest one ~70#. Two smaller ones unharmed. When we cleaned the fish back home, surprise surprise the girl was full of eggs and i mean FULL. Lots of times in the animal kingdom the females are the larger of the two right?
I wont even get into the commercial vs recreational debate but a problem that i see related to the way the recreational limits are created is simple. As a diver or angler, when our gamefish have super short seasons combined with per person and per boat limits on the amount of fish that I can keep, I’m always going to shoot the biggest one or keep the biggest one. I saw a diagram saying the 7 year old red snapper lays as many eggs as something like 50 two year-old snapper. So basically everytime i go out im doing the fish stocks a disservice. 
Personally i think slot limits fix a lot of problems.


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## cody&ryand

Well 4th trip my boat took this year and they caught a cobia bottom fishing(i wasnt there so i dont know the full details) looked to be a 50# fish


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## Boat-Dude

cody&ryand said:


> Well 4th trip my boat took this year and they caught a cobia bottom fishing(i wasnt there so i dont know the full details) looked to be a 50# fish



dang, nice cobia dude, now put your shirt on you are making us look bad.


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## cody&ryand

Thats my little brother i look nothing like that trust me. Hahaha


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## Boat-Dude

lol, neither do I.


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## SouthernBell

kingfish501 said:


> Question is...have you caught any THIS year?


I don't think the migration patterns/numbers this year vs. last year would really be any different based on what I have read and heard...so I'm not sure why that is "the question" in your reply. But no, I haven't fished yet this spring, so no pictures this year.


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## Dav07c

I have that same rod I think...is it a terez


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## mudskipper

saw three cobia yesterday right out of the pass/ ft pickens......nice fish !
Most i've seen this whole year


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