BigBendFishing.Net

Does anyone use eels for bait for cobia around these parts. Does anyone know if they are sold at any of the bait shops.

They are use more in the panhandle area ( Panama City beach and west),don't think you will find them locally here.

As in live eels? Definitely not avail to purchase anywhere near here. Better off throwing shrimp and cut mullet on the bottom in panacea at night and catching them yourself. As for actually hooking and rigging to send out for a Chobia to eat? you can enjoy those slimey bastahds

As for artificials? Look up the following:

Al Gag's Whip-It Eels (some are huge fans of them here! *cough cough* @silverking)
Bomber's Jig-N-Eel
Storm Jig'N Eel

I know they use them a bunch more to the West of us but I'm not sure if they are actively sold there. Not saying they aren't and not saying they are. I just know I fished with a guide in Destin a few years back for Cobia. He ordered his and kept them at the house. I feel certain he wouldn't want those bastards at his house if he could buy them at the bait shop. In the unlikely event you go looking for them call ahead.

I picked up some Gulp 8" eels for about $3/pack at the Strike Zone(Jacksonville) tent sale yesterday... and they look slimy too. Never used them before but thought it might be worth the price to try them.

Echoing what other folks have said- not available around here.
Maybe I should bring some back next time we go to Destin and resell them

I've never found live eels to use for cobia here but most certainly have used artificial eel jigs (see Galantnole's list).

Just my .02 but for our area I would put live pins a bit above the artificial eel jigs followed by eel jigs in a tie with (or maybe even slightly beat by) 1 to 2 oz Spro jigs tailed with 6" or 8" white and / or pink Got-cha curl tail grubs. You can absolutely catch cobia by pitching big jigs out to structure spots but it gets tiring after a while. I keep one super handy for casting to cobes that swim up with a hooked fish, ones randomly cruising by within sight, and to cast close to rays and turtles in the hopes a cobe is tagging along with them. If the live bait fishing is super slow, I'll sometimes pitch for a while just to beat the boredom and occasionally get hook-ups that way, but the majority of hits come when pitching at sighted fish, and with the spro heads tailed with white or pink grub tails just a bit more flashy I like them as much as the artificial eels I've used.

Thanks for the info. We used them in South Carolina exclusively. we caught some big one with those slimy things

We caught four on a rig off Venice, LA using 3oz white jig heads with a six inch green curly tail. Same rig, same trip 10 or more ARS, plus humongous 50+ lb redfish, too.

I think the Mashes Sands BP used to carry eels, haven't checked lately. Have caught cobia on dead LY, live pins, live thread herring, and even a stretch 30.

Live big pin my favorite.

EJ

Yeah. Pins are what I usually use also. I was just wondering.

Ditto on EddieJoe's comment. I remember seeing them at the Mashes Sand's BP, but that was back in the early or mid 90's. Can't remember ever noticing any more since, there or anywhere else.

We strive to put the biggest pins we can get out there for them.