Cobia

[homboyfsu]

I know this may sound crazy but, what is the best way to get a VERY large Cobia into your boat?

[Steve Stinson]

Use a gaff. They still go wild and bleed everywhere, but it's the only way I know to do it without loosing them.

[big bend gyrene]

30 pounds and under I prefer a large landing net as I tag any I don't keep and the net helps control the fish once in the boat... 30 pounds and over I've increasingly moved to gaffing them as netting them gets exponentially more challenging the bigger they are.

Don't know if you have a coffin box or will be putting them in a cooler, but when I gaff them I have everything in the boat cleared in advance and aim to pull them over and in straight to the box to prevent them from doing too much damage.

Netted a few keepers this past weekend. Aiming to put a report up today or tomorrow.

[homboyfsu]

Thanks for the advice. The only thing I don't have is a cooler. The Cobia I caught was at lease 6 feet long and took at lease 1 hr to get it to the boat. Thanks Dave for a good rod and reel. It held up more that I did.

[silverking]

Congrats on a great catch. Glad the tackle was up to the challenge. Do you have any photos?

When the fish get that large, a soft, rollable fish bag is probably the best option. Stuff it with a couple bags of ice and the meat will stay fresh.

http://www.basspro.com/Reliable-Fishing ... t/2259241/

[big bend gyrene]

6 feet long?!!! Ok, you should have made the "VERY" look more like VERY

Even if you lost the fish at the boat, love to hear the whole story! Fish that size, getting it to the boat is worth the tale regardless of whether it got put on ice or not.

[homboyfsu]

Again I say if it was not for that Rod and Reel I got from Dave the horse would have Never can in. It had almost straightened the treble hooks on the lure I was using. I know how long it was because I had it by my 17 ft boat. The only problem it would not fit into my net and yes I got a large net. At one time I though about cutting the line. But in the end there will be another day and I will be better equip to drag it in the boat.

[woopty]

You can land a big cobia in a net...
You just can't do it head first like normal.
You have to get the net completely under the fish and come straight up.
They will bend in half just enough to scoop them onboard.
We've netted some big kings like this too.

...didn't say it was easy

6ft cobia!...probably need to just drag that bad boy to the hill.
...or put a bridle on it and ride it home.

woop

[wishin2bfishin]

We used to keep a piece of 1" diameter stainless rod about a foot long to tame them. Nothing worse than a green cobia in the boat. He will tear up everything! A little persuasion between the eyes will save many dollars in damaged tackle by a flailing cobe.


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[homboyfsu]

good advice

[EddieJoe]

good advice

1) don't bring them in green. After an hour or less, they should be ready.
2) clear the decks of all rods, tackle and gear
3) prepare the fish box for a big fish.
4) have a billy club ready
5) have two guys and two gaffs and gaffers

Gaff the fish, once or twice. Bring it in. One guy smacks the fish on top of the head. Put them in the box.

We brought a 75 pounder in like this. I made the first stick, but wasn't strong enough to lift the fish over the gun wale. Young lad helped me and we brought it on deck. Two wacks. In the box. Pretty smooth, really.

EJ



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[MudDucker]

Six foot cobe ... you sure you weren't wrastlin' with a shark?

[homboyfsu]

No I got him to my boat.