Anyone ever fish for cobia nearshore around the bouys past the jetties?
I was out there last summer looking for spanish and was stopped for a safety check by DNR- they asked if we had any cobia on board- I wish!
As many years as I’ve been on this forum, I’ve not seen a lot of posts on nearshore Cobia. I’ve got a friend moving here from Jax and he says they go after them a certain time of year nearshore.
What time of year do they have a presence nearshore around the shipping channel bouys (is that where they would hang out?).
The forum doesn’t have a “nearshore” section. That would be great because we can address nearshore reefs (lowcountry anglers, charleston nearshore, 60, jetties etc). Maybe at some point we can add that in for those of us that are not “offshore” doing 50+ mile offshore trips for pelagics…
Meant to post in “discussions” section. Pardon the rookie mistake.
Coosawkane- are you saying that cobia are in the harbor, stono, wando, cooper, ashley rivers or ICW? Not hearing them reported in any of these areas but I would love to hear posts about cobia in these areas. I know they come up in the beaufort area/broad river.
Stretch and Fish, isn’t the idea behind this website to share information with each other? Everyone wants to learn how to catch more fish or learn where fish are or are not located so that they may attempt to catch them. Just because they are fishing doesn’t mean they are keeping them.
2007 Pioneer 17’5 Baysport
2012 Malibu Stealth 12 Kayak
“If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there would be a shortage of fishing poles”
Stretch and Fish, isn’t the idea behind this website to share information with each other? Everyone wants to learn how to catch more fish or learn where fish are or are not located so that they may attempt to catch them. Just because they are fishing doesn’t mean they are keeping them.
2007 Pioneer 17’5 Baysport
2012 Malibu Stealth 12 Kayak
“If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there would be a shortage of fishing poles”
I agree with you. Most people on here are very helpful and others just talk to be heard…
I’ll answer the questions, I don’t fish up in Charleston much anyway
quote: Anyone ever fish for cobia nearshore around the bouys past the jetties?
Yes
quote:
What time of year do they have a presence nearshore around the shipping channel bouys (is that where they would hang out?).
Warm weather, about April/May through September/October, give or take. They will hang around buoys, channel marks, floating junk, artificial reefs, natural reefs and generally any structure from shore out to the gulf stream all summer.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
Small craft surveying and repair
Ok thanks Cracker- that’s sort of what I’ve been hearing - buoys in summer. I have a buddy from Jax who was asking who is moving up this way and wanted to know if they hang around much in the shipping channel buoy areas. As much as I’ve been on the forum over the years I’ve not seen a lot of posts regarding cobia fishing nearshore.
Definitely a lot more anglers fishing than posters on this forum, but that’s the idea of the forum- to share information. Just because someone says ‘yes there can be cobia around the buoys’ doesn’t mean that there will be a ton of people out there fishing for them all of the sudden. Heck, I have a hard time trapping mud minnows much less getting out to the shipping channel in mid summer armed with eels for cobia. Just asking if many people have tried it and how much luck they’ve had.
I know they come inshore in beaufort to spawn, but has anyone ever got one inside of Ft Sumter?
This past summer if my memory serves me correct, was in August/September? My buddy and I had never fished for them but got some gear and headed out to the cans outside the jetties. We found several good size schools of them but we couldn’t get them to bite. We had fake eels, bucktails, and Pogy plastic baits. Planning on hitting it again this summer though. Good luck to you!
2007 Pioneer 17’5 Baysport
2012 Malibu Stealth 12 Kayak
“If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there would be a shortage of fishing poles”
I’ll answer the questions, I don’t fish up in Charleston much anyway
quote: Anyone ever fish for cobia nearshore around the bouys past the jetties?
Yes
quote:
What time of year do they have a presence nearshore around the shipping channel bouys (is that where they would hang out?).
Warm weather, about April/May through September/October, give or take. They will hang around buoys, channel marks, floating junk, artificial reefs, natural reefs and generally any structure from shore out to the gulf stream all summer.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
Small craft surveying and repair
Good of you Cracker! General info no problem, but I’m not giving away my favorite spots! Come to think of it, it seems the majority of my favorite spots seem to be known anyway.
Haddrell’s has a seminar at there Mt. P store next week. Will probably answer every question on this feed. “How to Cobia fish the Charleston and Beaufort Waters” with Capt. Owen Plair. March 28, 2013, 6pm at Haddrell’s Point (Mount Pleasant).
I am going to check it out. Finally got my gear/life together enough to try and find a few around Charleston.
Throw an 8 inch live mullet out to swim around and watch what happens. Cobia have been caught within site of the Yorktown in the harbor before. Fishing around the Castle you might luck into one. We were shark fishing when we caught ours. Legal size also
FWIW eels are just plain aggravating to fish with or deal with in the boat. That being said they do work but not any better than any other baits you can use for cobia. I don’t waste my time with eels. I fish with live menhaden, mullet, greenies, whiting anything thay can swim around with a hook in its mouth. The biggest mistake I see folks make when cobia fishing is not keeping their baits fresh. Change them often. That being said I have also seen a 50# cobia caught on a frozen Walmart cigar minnow. Bottom line get out there and have fun. Catch as much live bait as you can and switch them out often.
I don’t want to highjack this thread but I have always wondered- how do you rig an eel for cobia ? I ask this because I heard most use live eels.
First get a big clump of Spanish Moss to hold them with, Slap em on the head a couple of times to stun, make sure your using a swivel on your leader, circle hook through the lips and a trailer with a treble putting one barb close to the tail. If they are very lively they will do nothing but twist in a ball and tangle the whole rig up. They are aggravating but produce. Over the last 15 years or so they have not been so popular. IMO Used to be the bait of choice some would go as far as the “only” bait for Cobia. I’ve seen em eat chicken bones behind the boat. When they are hungry and you happen to have your bait in the right spot they’ll eat almost anything.
Hard to say what they will bite as sometimes anything and sometimes nothing. Had one next to the boat last year at Kiawah reef,tried live mullet, menhaden,grunt and blackfish no interest. He swam over to the boat next to us and a guy caught him on a whole shrimp that was frozen from the last shrimp season. But if you do use eels,cool with ice and hook em in the lips,the ice slows em down alot till you get em on da hook
