BigBendFishing.Net

Hello all. I am new to the forum as well as fishing in the Gulf. I took a couple trout fishing trips with a coworker last winter and got bit with the bug bad. By June I pulled the trigger and bought a used Key West 190 Sportsman with a 140 Johnson on the back. After some overheating issues, I got to put in a few trips to Keaton and hit the trout pretty good. On a couple of these trips, we hooked into a few cobia. These fish are strong and the girls sure enjoyed the way they pulled. I made a couple of trips to Lanark looking for tripletail and once again, we found some cobia on the channel and crab trap markers. We never did get any of keeper size, so this year its my mission to find some over that 33 inch mark.
I have been doing as much research as possible on the cobia but can't seem to get to much information. I am wondering when the fish usually start showing up in the big bend area. I know with the way the weather has been, the water is heating up quick. Will this bring the cobia early or do they just migrate when its time. Also, do they show up off shore first or do they run near shore early and then pull off on the reefs once they water gets hot. I am not opposed to make a run 15 miles out if that's where they will show up first. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have two young ladies that have been asking "Are they here yet" for the past month and I if I don't get them on a cobia soon, I'm afraid I will have a mutiny on my hands. Thanks for any info and I truly enjoy all of the great advice and stories on these forums. A wealth of knowledge for sure

Search this forum on the keyword Cobia. there are some serious cobia hunters on here (not me) and they have posted a ton of info over the last few years.

And you are right, they pull good! They are also delicious.

PS I am not sure how it is titled, but there is a famous post on here about the battle with the green cobia that is hysterical. Someone resurrects it every year or so.

here it is:

http://www.bigbendfishing.net/phpBB3/vi ... f=4&t=4174

They normally start arriving around March sometime, but get thicker in April and May. They do remain all summer to some extent on the reefs in deeper water. As far as targeting them, sounds like you are doing what you should be doing. Only other thing you might try is chumming for them around some markers or nearshore reefs. This advice is coming from someone who wants to also target them to catch his first keeper cobia also.

onefishtwofish wrote:here it is:

http://www.bigbendfishing.net/phpBB3/vi ... f=4&t=4174

The cobia story that will live in infamy, lol... probably one of the greatest fishung stories I've ever read.

My experience with cobia is somewhat limited, but I can say that the best luck I've had with them was in the May/June months. The research I've done seems to agree. Some of the more experienced fishermen I know will start flat lining live pin fish everywhere they go, or put one under a cork or balloon during the late spring early summer months.

That's as much as I can offer. There are a lot of folks on here with better advice than mine.

Whip-It Eel. No slime, no squirm and proven results.

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Also available at local retailers like Kevin's and Shields Marina.

justcoastn wrote:I am wondering when the fish usually start showing up in the big bend area. I know with the way the weather has been, the water is heating up quick. Will this bring the cobia early or do they just migrate when its time. Also, do they show up off shore first or do they run near shore early and then pull off on the reefs once they water gets hot. I am not opposed to make a run 15 miles out if that's where they will show up first. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have two young ladies that have been asking "Are they here yet" for the past month and I if I don't get them on a cobia soon, I'm afraid I will have a mutiny on my hands. Thanks for any info and I truly enjoy all of the great advice and stories on these forums. A wealth of knowledge for sure

Justcoastn, when we have warm winters / early springs in the Big Bend it isn't unusual for someone to post a report with a cobia caught as early as February or March but it still tends to be the exception and not the norm.

If we stay warm, mid-April will likely be decent and early May should be about as close to a guaranteed bite as you'll find.

Regarding the question of migration, I tag cobes and follow the research study results as much as time allows... data points to at least two unique travel paths with one being the longer migrations that see fish sweeping along the gulf coast and even sometimes around the keys and up and down the Atlantic coast, with a second travel path being more inshore / offshore with winter finding fish far offshore and in warmer weather coming inshore / nearshore. Having spoken with the scientists doing research, they said that they suspect that the nearshore fish in the big bend area follow the offshore / inshore pattern, though we also have some fish migrate through making the late April / early May time frame especially productive.

I love targeting cobia but also have a heavy enough work schedule that I do my best to take trips when I think I've got good odds. I fish hard from May through September. The entire summer provides good results both offshore AND inshore if you're patient and don't mind anchoring up for hours on bouy markers, bird racks, artificial reefs, and over especially rocky bottom (lots out of Aucilla area). We DEFINITELY have a resident summer population inside the big bend upside-down bowl that will eat all summer long. Depth doesn't matter that much in the hot months -- anywhere from 5' or so out to the deep water towers you'll find them if you're near structure.

Here's a few old links that detail exact tactics, though sounds like you're already hooking up with them... may just want to beef up your hardware if you're losing them too often.

http://www.bigbendfishing.net/phpBB3/vi ... =1&t=39458

http://www.bigbendfishing.net/phpBB3/vi ... =1&t=37697

http://www.bigbendfishing.net/phpBB3/vi ... =4&t=34097

http://www.bigbendfishing.net/phpBB3/vi ... =4&t=34097

Last thing to add, cruising cobes CAN be caught all summer long in the flats by floating a big pin well behind the boat if drift fishing the flats for trout. Will catch more sharks than cobes, but cobes will hit the pins when they cruise by them.

Thanks to all that posted. It sure clears things up quite a bit. I figured it would just be a waiting game. I have been stocking up on lures, working on rods and just put three coats of gelcoat on the bottom of the boat today. I finally got a day off and spent the day on my back working on the boat. Go figure. I may take a trip to St Marks Sunday and try for some trout and bass for the table. Thanks again for all the helpful information.