BigBendFishing.Net

Thinking about taking a week off in Mar/Apr timeframe and renting a condo for a week in Panama City Beach or surrounding area and see if I can't chase down a cobia. Is Mar or Apr better for targeting cobia? Also, are spanish and kings around that early in the year? Thanks in advance.

April is a much better month. The run should be in full swing by then. March can still be iffy.

Spanish and pompano should be thick as well, but might be a tad early for kings inshore. Good trout and redfishing in the back bays.

The spanish arrive in March as do some cobia. Typically the cobia run best in April and into May. Kings come in April through May. For your best chance at all three I would Pick late April as the best time to go. Its dependent on weather (water temperatures) The spanish like it 68 degrees and up as do the cobia and the kings like it over 72 degrees. It has been a warm winter so it is likely to start the migrations early but you have to be careful because if the run starts for two week in early/mid march and then we get a strong cold front it will shut them down again for a week or more. By mid April those fronts are done and you should be good to go.

Ron, can't speak to Panama City but my SINGLE favorite month for reliable cobe catches in the local neck of the woods (Econ, St. Marks, Carrabelle) is May. Well aware that occasional single catches are made in Feb, with pick up some years in March, and things really heating up more in April, but if wanting as certain of thing as you can get with cobes, May's been VERY kind to me! Second favorite month would be September, but at good structure spots they're around ALL summer long. Need to get you out on Marine's Dream this year!

What he said...They wore me out every trip last May.

Spanish are being caught in St. Joe Bay already. We are hoping that the cobia will show up a little sooner this year. The water temp was 63 degrees this weekend and I think 68 is the magic number for the cobia run.

My secret weapons for cobia are the Al Gag's Whip-it Eels. With very realistic action and impregnated with eel scent, I've had cobia spin on their tails to eat these things. I've mainly been using the 6-inch version with 3/4-ounce or 1-oz. heads (also eel-shaped with Mustad Ultra Point hooks) but have also caught fish on the 8-inchers, too. Blood red, lime green and the natural (olive/cream) are my favorite colors.

Shields Marina carries the line and so does Kevin's in Tallahassee now. Not sure about other local tackle shops. If they don't they're missing out on some good sales. The 4-inch eels with 1/8- or 1/4-ounce jig heads work well on redfish and trout also.

Not certain it's legal (and not worried about it since I haven't PERSONALLY used them), but Barry Bevis swears by these as cobia bait...

Hard to get a saddle on those little guys...

As for the potential for an early season start, not doubting that a bit BUT still would put my money on May for our parts.

Again, there are large numbers that visit our waters ALL summer, even during the most brutal portion of summer, so I offer May as it has ALWAYS proven mighty safe for me to have folks visit / try to put them on cobia. Held off until late May last year before giving an invite to Ranaman. Think he would agree we had a good trip out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmchzAIkljk[/video]

YES I DO!!! AGREE that IS and So does the Mrs!! John you need to contact me about that PC trip!! Might be able to help you out with something!

Ranaman, it's Ron looking at a PC trip though one of these days I want to try the cobes over that way too since they do so much more sight hunting (versus sitting patiently for hours on towers / wrecks like I do).

Ron, check your inbox! Been meaning to send you something for a long time and finally got around to it. Sorry for the delay. Semper Fidelis!

Thanks all for the solid info.

BBG. Replied to your PM. Thanks much and welcome opportunity to request permission to board Marine's Dream.

Any recommendations for Cobia in either the Keaton Beach area or Lanark Area. I would like to try and target them a few times this year and not sure best locations. Thought I would at least try the channel markers in Keaton and the channel markers out of the FSU marine lab near Lanark and maybe try out at dog island reef.

Also, anyone recommend a spinning reel for cobia. I had a Penn 704z I used for King mackerel but it broke this year and need to replace. Don't want to spend a lot as I will only use it a little. Maybe in the $100 range give or take.

LR,
I have no business giving any advice on cobia fishing (arguably not qualified to comment on any species), so I'll share what I've received talking to folks around Keaton Beach area. Spoke to some folks who have caught some cobes around markers - one over 40 pounds. I've also heard they may be at the Steinhatchee Reef. We caught one keeper over grass flats in 6' of water last year with a pin fish. All but one cobia I've caught (which totals about 5) has been on light tackle (12 pound test or less) by mistake fishing for trout while floating a pin fish - the one exception was caught east of St. Mark's on a twitch bait on 10-pound test a couple years ago.