Large Cobia

[Bluefin]

Last weekend, a crewmember lost a cobia when the fish threw the hook. Yesterday I got payback by catching a personal best cobia.

Since I am still learning the offshore fishing around here, I was out on Sunday scouting for new spots. I have an older single engine boat and stay within VHF range, so running way offshore for the opening of red snapper fishing was not an option.

I found some good looking bottom in 65’ and started to drift through the area. While I was re-rigging one of the spinning rods with a fresh, live pin fish on a circle hook jig head, I saw a cobia near the surface, within 20’ of the boat. I pitched the pin fish in front of the cobia, and watched the fish follow the bait down. Within seconds, I felt the cobia take the bait, and the battle was on.

This was a large fish, and it threw everything at me in the cobia fighting playbook. Strong runs, a few leaps at the surface and going deep were all part of the tactics. Since I was by myself and didn’t have a gaff, I had to figure out how to boat the fish – only a smallish net and fish grips were onboard. On the first landing attempt, I brought the fish alongside and tried to insert grips into mouth. Nothing doing. The fish started thrashing, almost tore the grips out of one hand and the rod out of the other, and took off to start the fight all over again. By the time I managed to bring the fish alongside the second time, the green was off, and I was able to snag it with the grips and drag it into the boat.

Getting the fish into the cooler under the center console seat was another matter. I didn’t want to release the cobia onto the deck where it could bash around, so I put the fish, head first into the cooler – except the tail was sticking out. I slammed down the cooler top, tail still sticking out, and sat my 200 lbs. on top of the cooler. With a couple swipes of the tail, the cobia was able to send the cooler top flying. Of course, I went along for the ride. I slammed the top down again, and the cobia settled down.

Now I had to figure out how to ice the fish. I notched the tail, bent it back and sort of managed to make the fish fit into the cooler. With a couple of bags of ice dumped on top and some saltwater added to the mix, the fish was well cooled, I was well fought out, and headed back to port.

[motoelf]

Nice Cobia!

[RMD]

Great fish and great story!

[fieroman]

i still remember the first cobia i ever saw caught. the person i was with had never caught one. we got the thing in the boat and it went crazy. it wrecked the inside of the boat. Two poles were broke. the guys tackle box was missing, the gps was gone. and the center console was cracked.

[Garbo]

Good Eats right there.

Congrats.


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[GatorInPISound]

Great story, I really enjoyed you relating the experience.....

[Bluefin]

i still remember the first cobia i ever saw caught. the person i was with had never caught one. we got the thing in the boat and it went crazy. it wrecked the inside of the boat. Two poles were broke. the guys tackle box was missing, the gps was gone. and the center console was cracked.

That's a great story and I know first hand that it can happen. A number of years ago when I was living in South Florida, I caught a very large bull dolphin off Miami. After the fish was gaffed, and dropped on deck, the fish went wild, and did a pretty good job of tearing up my fairly new boat. I remember my buddies were running around the boat trying to stay clear of the fish. I learned my lesson, and any large pelagic such as wahoo, dolphin and cobia find their way right into the cooler.

[HappyBob]

Nice story! Nice Fish!!

[fishingkid315]

Nice fish!

[natecert]

Nice!! My best friend, years ago got a Cobia an when I gaffed it and put it on the deck, I beat it GOOD-till dead w/ a billy. To this day he still tells the story of THE FISH BEATER.