Warbler, I’m just curious. How many cobia have you ever caught in PRS? Or if you’ve ever been in PRS?
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
In the early 1970’s I could catch 10 cobia per day between the Broad River bridge and Laurel Bay from a 16’ boat and never, ever chummed. I had a big net and released most of the fish. Last year I caught no cobia in the Broad River. The BR cobia fishery is broken. I am assuming the DNR is correct that the near offshore and BR cobia populations are distinct groups.
Stop selling cobia. If you can’t sell an offshore fish legally, you will stop, or reduce, the illegal sale of inshore fish. Reduce the limit to 1 fish per person per day. Mandate dip nets, at least for the undersize fish.
Don’t shut down the cobia fishery. Keep responsible fishermen out fishing and spending money to improve the herd. Give it some time to see if small fixes will have a positive effect.
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commercial guys on the other side who would catch the last fish in the ocean without a second thought if he thought he'd make a buck off it.
Warbler, do you personally know any commercial cobia fishermen or their practices?
Ya wanna know something, even stupid commercial fishermen know that if they catch every fish in the ocean without thought today, then they won’t have any fish to catch tomorrow. You know not what you speak of.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
Al Segars of the Waddell Center and I talked at length about this tonight. Yes, the offshore catch has been proven to be a distinctly different class of fish. Migratory, not endemic/native to PR Sound.
The latest survey stats show 80% of the Broad River fish surveyed were released from Waddell Center. 80 percent…yes I said 80 percent. Need I say it again? We can’t sustain a fishery with the limited hatchery resources of Waddell alone…not with the kind of escalating pressure we are seeing in Port Royal Sound. There has to be a naturally occurring, reproducing population in addition to hatchery efforts. What the surveys are revealing is this fishery is teetering on the edge…the edge of collapse.
Plain and simple, we need tighter, stricter regulations. Unfortunately, DNR has no regulatory authority. Zero. Even if data indicates imminent total collapse. South Carolina remains of of only 2 states in the nation whereby game and fish laws are set by the legislature. And it will take a grass roots effort of great magnitude to convince those in the State House to give up this portion of precious political power. It is up to each of us to demand action…before this tremendously important fishery is gone.
I always thought they were a genetically different fish, but 80% of the catch being hatchery fish is unsustainable. That’s scary!
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It is up to each of us to demand action...before this tremendously important fishery is gone.
It’s at least up to each of us to take a personal action and quit taking so many fish. We can self police. Just like a lot of us did when we saw the trout were in trouble a few years ago. I knew they were in trouble and didn’t keep a trout for 3 years. I’ll do the same with cobia.
I’ll make a pledge right now, I won’t keep any cobia this year, not even one. Who will join me?
I want them to be here for my grand kids to enjoy, just like my son has. It doesn’t matter if I never eat another one.
Notice lip grip and big net. No gaff holes in this fish.
I taught my son a long time ago how to safely release a cobia and we’ve turned loose a many of them.
If we all taught one person, we could make a difference.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
Should do what should have been done with duck hunting in the '80’s. Close it for two years. Or almost as good release only, no possession. I haven’t seen a wild mallard or pintail in many years. Sadly, that is likely the fate of cobia.
22 ft Glassmaster CC
225 Yamaha
“TAKE A KID FISHING”
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Originally posted by gail winshard to stay out of this!!!
X 2 Phin; some folks heads are diamond hard and wearing mule blinders!!!
Never heard the two together… I like it!
If the season is closed it will be for a 5 year period. It will take that long for them to know if the closure is working or not. Very good possibility a 1 fish per boat per day limit or a season closure is in the near future. No rule changes will be made for atleast 2 years. So it is up to us as anglers for the next 2 years to do our part in protecting the fishery until rule changes can be made. The new rules should apply only to state waters and not federal waters. They’re in the process of getting signs up and articles out asking anglers to release Cobia the same as we did with trout a few years back. They are also needing spawners for the Waddell Mariculture Center. I am pretty sure you can call Karl Brenkert if you have a fish you want to release and they will come pick it up and take it to the center. Just some food for thought.
07 Scout Winyah Bay 221 Yamaha F150
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Originally posted by Cracker Larry [brI want them to be here for my grand kids to enjoy, just like my son has. It doesn’t matter if I never eat another one.
Notice lip grip and big net. No gaff holes in this fish.
Larry I agree with your sentiment and I am for conservation. What will be hard is to teach the “fleet”. Also I would never hug a live releasable cobia like your son did. Them things can hurt you! I learned after jumping on one they can cause black and blue areas from calf to crotch. When we release We put a heavy wet beach towel over them and try to keep them in the net until released or put in the cooler.
On gaffing vs netting, I’ve only been with one person that uses a gaff on cobia and I had to stop him from gaffing a very questionable slot. The big ones can be netted, and I personally think it is easier. Once gaffed there is no live release.
Thanks for posting that info Wildlifesc, I never would have believed the 80% numbers.
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Also I would never hug a live releasable cobia like your son did. Them things can hurt you! I learned after jumping on one they can cause black and blue areas from calf to crotch
I agree, a cobia can beat the crap out of you, but my son was still in the learning phase and that one bruised his crotch real good [:0] Part of that learning process. I don’t think he’ll repeat that style of release ever again 
He laid in the bottom of the boat for a while:face_with_head_bandage:
A wet towel over the eyes will calm down almost any fish. Probably better to try to get the hook out with them in the water, but cobia are very feisty at the boat.
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What will be hard is to teach the "fleet".
But if each of us could teach one or 2, and each of them could teach 1 or 2, we could make a difference.
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So it is up to us as anglers for the next 2 years to do our part in protecting the fishery until rule changes can be made.
We did a very good voluntary job with the trout without any rule changes. Most people will do the right thing if they have the right information. Voluntary release signs at all the boat ramps would help a lot. I’ll pay for a sign. Every big female has thousands of eggs, every one we release will make it better.
Let’s do it.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
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They are also needing spawners for the Waddell Mariculture Center. I am pretty sure you can call Karl Brenkert if you have a fish you want to release and they will come pick it up and take it to the center. Just some food for thought.
Very cool, but how in the world would you keep it alive and healthy long enough to get it to them, or them to come get it from you? Need a BIG live well for that. Or just leave it hooked in the water. Hmmm, not sure about that.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
He said that he would be in the river with a boat with a big tank on it. Not sure of any ins and outs other than that. Feel free to contact him to find out the details.
Karl Brenkert
Marine Biologist
Office: 843/953-9838
Cell: 843/297-2528
Email: brenkertk@dnr.sc.gov
07 Scout Winyah Bay 221 Yamaha F150
XXmadfirexx ; who is this they that’s putting up signs and how do they read ? any enforcement behind/supporting signs?
I fully support C&R ,increasing min size,1 per boat per person for the ones that want one to eat, and especially no gaff, my strongest support would be stiff penalties to buyers and sellers of cobia from anywhere. I trailer for 200 miles , so I want to catch them for fun not eat and hope my grands will still have them to catch when I’m gone. We need to at least try some of this for a
few years and then look again at the situation.
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SCDNR would be putting up the signs. I have no idea how, when, where they will go up. It was discussed in the meeting as an option they are working on until new laws can be discussed/decided upon and put into effect.
07 Scout Winyah Bay 221 Yamaha F150
Thanks Adam. Appreciate the phone call and meeting info too. I would like to read the notes/minutes from that meeting on their data.
Some things about this don’t add up. I’ve been catching cobia in PRS since the 1950’s with my Dad. A lot of people fished for them even back then, and there were a lot of fish, and no Wadell Center releasing hatchlings. There has been a natural migration into PRS from somewhere, for a long dang time before we had a fish hatchery.
And how can they say with any accuracy that 80% of the catch are fish from their center? Never in my life and hundreds of fish caught, has one of my cobia been DNA tested to see where it came from, probably most fishermen have not either. Their sampling rate has to be very small, compared to the fish actually caught. I don’t know. Glad there are people smarter than me, but for the last 50 years there have been good years and bad periods. It might just be a cycle. A bad year or 2 doesn’t make a crisis. Something smells like politics.
But since we all know it’s hurting some, for whatever reason, lets take it easy on them this year. We don’t need any new laws to do that.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
I wish I could have remembered more Larry it was a lot of information crammed into an hour. On top of that being a mechanic all that science/biology goes over my head anyway.
07 Scout Winyah Bay 221 Yamaha F150
Early 1970’s follow up: I remember just as many boats fishing the Broad River for cobia as now, with no size or bag limit. Lots of fish were killed and the population sustained. Even with the huge numbers of fish being taken, the reproduction kept pace so that demand and supply were in balance. My favorite bait was the plentiful, nuisance hard head catfish which has disappeared. I also bought big frozen squid and caught shrimp and mullet for bait. Never, ever used a poagie or a greenie or a whiting for bait. I could set 1 crab trap on my way out and pickup it up at end of trip and have 4+ dozen big crabs, a trap filled to capacity. One species which is thriving now, are the endangered, protected sharks. Back then I caught an occasional shark, now I catch more little sharks than I used to catch hard head catfish.
Now no catfish, hordes of small sharks, and crabs so scarce I don’t bother setting traps. What else has changed?? Could it be something else like less forage that has caused the cobia population to decline. Everyone is concentrating on fixing ther demand side, bag and size limits, when the problem is really on the supply side, reproduction, or the evident lack thereof. Maybe the cobia are still spawning, but the cobia fry are not surviving due to predators or lack of forage.
I net cobia. They are much less agitated and dangerous than after they have been hurt with a gaff. Pinch them at back of head above the gill slits and they will remain motionless while you unhook them for release or while you tie a small rope through a small slit made in the lower jaw. Tie one end of rope to a cleat and keep the fish alive in the water on 10’ to 20’ of rope. I have done it hundreds of times, just not much recently.
Do whatever it takes to restore the cobia in Broad River. Stop selling cobia, reduce the bag limit, and maybe increase the minimum size limit of inshore fish. Try to keep the feds out of regulating SC fisheries. Treat the offshore cobia fishery differently. If it is not broke, don’t fi
Very cool, but how in the world would you keep it alive and healthy long enough to get it to them, or them to come get it from you? Need a BIG live well for that. Or just leave it hooked in the water. Hmmm, not sure about that.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
Easy process, just call the number when you get the fish close to the boat, see how it is hooked, if solid just hold in the water, if a risky hook set net the Cobia and leave in the water until the boat gets to you. If they are too far from you they will let you know. They need brood stock badly, this is one of the best things we can do to help the Cobia fishery in the Broad.
Several years ago I helped with the satellite tagging of Cobia and we held a fish in the water near the 170 bridge for over 15 minutes waiting on the tagging boat, not a problem. When the data came in we found out it took the Cobia about 2 days to surface out near the Eagles Nest reef, Cobia can travel.
Mine too. I just know what I see.
One of my best friends is the director of aquaculture at the University of Florida and he has set up cobia farms all over the world. I’m going to call and ask him what he thinks about this. He’s a scientist and a fisherman, not a politician or a paid voice.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
I only fish for Cobia offshore and there were a bazillion of them last year. I can’t speak to the river population. Makes sense to me to mangage the offshore fish differently
“mr keys”