Cobia Woes!

[siddhi]

Hello all,
Long time reader first time poster here. I was wondering if any of the cobia catchin pros is able to give me a hand in where my buddy and I might have went wrong with our fishing techniques? 2 weekends in a row we have went out to this structure that we know and have seen large cobia cruising around it and have not been able to boat any of them. Last weekend we only had one, but this past weekend they were stacked up. We counted 6 that we know of and one of them was a monster. By far the largest Cobia I have ever seen in person. Here is what we tried:

First we anchored above current to the structure far enough out that we could cast just past it. Then we started with live pin fish. Free lining one out and then putting one on a sinker and putting him on the bottom. Then after we figured they were not interested in the pin fish we started casting different colored bucktail jig (White, Chartreuse and white, black and orange, and just Chartreuse). While leaving a pin fish free lined. We tried adding Berkley eels and different colored Berkley shrimp to the bucktail jigs as well. We tried multiple different line sizes and retrieve methods. We tried pitching away from the fish and away from the structure. We also tried timing it so we could drop the bait in front of them (far enough away to not scare them! However they were not scared of anything it seemed) and then pulling it away from the fish. We put live pin fish under a cork and let it float back to the fish. We kept switch out the pin fish to make sure they were plenty lively enough for them to attack. The only thing we did not was live eels (which we did not have). This went on for about 2 to 2.5 hours. We finally got tired of throwing stuff at them we just left and went in to shore to catch some trout and Spanish. Pretty aggravating!

We did get the Cobia to respond by chasing and checking the different things out but they never bit. So any helpful tips would be wonderful. I have read everything I can about catching Cobia and I it seems like we did most of the things I have read for the most part. We have only caught a couple of Cobia ever. However they are great fish to eat and a whole lot of fun to catch (except for the past 2 weekends). We decided to learn and target them more this year. So any help or tips would greatly be appreciated.
-B

[Good Times]

Next time try a 3 inch New Penny Gulp under a Cajun Thunder. Sure fire Cobia catcher.

Sounds like you guys did a fine job fishing for cobia that just weren't hungry.

[Tom Keels]

Sounds like you are doing everything correctly. I would add a chumblock or chum churn to your mix. That usually helps get them in a feeding mood.

If you can catch a few hardhead catfish and use those for bait, that might do something.

Other than that, welcome to cobia fishing.

[RC]

chumblock

that will get them hungry.

If you are talking about the K tower. those fish have seen everything in the tackle box.

Got to get there first in the morning. That is your best chance.

[siddhi]

Thanks for the replies!

We had a Chum Churn last weekend. And that is how we have caught them in the past( over a rock bottom). However, one of the guys on the boat last weekend let it slip out of their hand. I had planned to put a lanyard on it to hook it to the boat but never did. I did not get the new one built in time to fish this last weekend. We wondered if that would help. I will be sure to have it on the boat next time.

We will also give th catfish a try.

I guess they are just picky sometimes and that is why they call it fishin and not catchin!
-B

[siddhi]

Thanks RC!

Nope it was not on the K tower. But I am guessing it has been fished alot! Definitely chumming might have helped!

[siddhi]

We did not use any type of leader on any of the lines. I figured since they do not have much in the way of teeth then we should not use leader.

I will give cutting the tail off of the pin fish a try.

Thanks for the reply!
-B

[Jumptrout51]

The chum suggestion works best when they are not in a feeding mood.
The chum gets the other fishies feeding and the cobes fall in line.

[Will_Fish_4_Food]

If it makes you feel any better we tried for 30 minutes to get 2 to bite last Friday with no success. We tried about everything above plus live shrimp and a top water lure with no success.

[MudDucker]

I would love to help, but first I would have to survey the site and see how the fish were acting first hand. So, if you will give me the numbers or let me know when to meet you at the dock, I'm sure that we could figure this problem out

j/k, these guys are giving you the skinny. Only suggestion, if you catch some sand trout, they are like cobia cocaine

[siddhi]

Thanks everyone for all the replies! Well it sounds like we did not do to much wrong. We were starting to get a complex about it! heh heh!

MudDucker,
If you look up. Do you see that cloud that looks like a poodle, we have been fishing just under it! heh heh!! Check it out and let me know!
Really thanks for the help! funny things is we did catch two sand trout while pinfishing that morning. We did not get a bite on either one of them. I plan to definitely hit them with a chum block or chum churn this weekend. If I do land any of them I will post some pics!

[MudDucker]

Thanks everyone for all the replies! Well it sounds like we did not do to much wrong. We were starting to get a complex about it! heh heh!

MudDucker,
If you look up. Do you see that cloud that looks like a poodle, we have been fishing just under it! heh heh!! Check it out and let me know!
Really thanks for the help! funny things is we did catch two sand trout while pinfishing that morning. We did not get a bite on either one of them. I plan to definitely hit them with a chum block or chum churn this weekend. If I do land any of them I will post some pics!

Yea, yea, I saw that cloud...it was right above the place that I tied off on the willow tree out by the K tower

No hits on the sand trout I'm telling you, I've never had that fail when I know there were cobia around the boat. You pull on the line with a sharp tug and those critter go to croaking and its bang time.

[EddieJoe]

Lots of good advice here. I would add this: live eels and/or frisky blue runners are both killer baits. Eels are available at Mashes Sands BP, in season, call first. Runners hit sabikis at the buoys.

BTW, I have had them turn down lively threadfin herring. They would swim up hard, look at them, and go back to swimming around in a circle. I think when this happens they are usually doing the reproduction thing, with a string of smaller ones (the males) following one real large one (the female). Sex, before food, I think. I have been tempted to either snag them or free gaff one when this happens, but so far I have been a good boy and just watched. It does make a bunch of little ones for several years down the road.

EJ

[MudDucker]

so far I have been a good boy and just watched. It does make a bunch of little ones for several years down the road.

EJ

Oh no, a fish voyeur...you ever fished with Jt?