Cobia...Wire or Mono?

Coming down for 3 days and staying in Edisto for Memorial Day. Planning to take out family to nearshore reef and wanted to flat line for Cobia. Wire or mono best for the leader? Also, best to fish over LB or perfectly fine fishing a wreck?


Mike Martinez

2016 Sea Hunt 25 Gamefish twin Yamaha 150’s

Mono or fluoro. Reefs are fine

You’ll see them on both, but seems like the reef is better. Mono is fine, but they can get big so make sure you have decent enough tackle. Plenty of guys find them on the cans in the shipping channel too. Chum helps.

May all your favorite bands stay together…

Mono or fluoro, Cobia don’t have teeth. I usually use 60 lb.

Capt. Larry Teuton
Swamp Worshiper

Check the regs they have some weird closures this year not sure where exactly but worth checking.

State waters cobia closed til end of May at least , Fed water 3 miles
out closes around 15 June for season , don’t know if state is also
going to close again to match fed rules !!!:question::question::question:

[http://www.militaryappreciationday.org

When you see “Old Glory” waving in the breeze, know that it is the dying breaths of our fallen hero’s that makes it wave.
author unknown

Circle or J or doesn’t matter? I just rigged 4 wire ( 3J 1C) and 3 100lb Mono all Circle Hooks. Circles are 8/0 Owner hooks. I’m always prepared strength of tackle wise 23SF for targeted species atleast. Hoping to find a couple while the family enjoys some bottom fishing. Not really planning on fishing deeper than 60’. Most likely closer to 40-50.


Mike Martinez

2016 Sea Hunt 25 Gamefish twin Yamaha 150’s

Florida,
I’d use circles and a nice sized live bait. Go with Larrys advice , 60 lb fluorocarbon will do great. Ditch the wire for cobia.

Capt. R. Killin
“Day Tripper”
Shamrock 20 cuddy
Ford 351W

Sorry I forgot to add that my friends caught a few Kings last week. If you’re out drifting live bottom you might wanna use the wire for some King rigs. I saw a ton of birds working at the tip of the Northern jetty on Saturday. Looked very fishy over there and might be a good place to use some of your wire rigs.

Capt. R. Killin
“Day Tripper”
Shamrock 20 cuddy
Ford 351W

Thanks for the input. We’ll be in Edisto, my first time going from there with a buddy very well versed there.


Mike Martinez

2016 Sea Hunt 25 Gamefish twin Yamaha 150’s

On a separate note, what do people generally spool on their spinning rods? I put 30lb Momoi Diamond on my Penn 750. I usually put 20lb MoMoi on them. Never been a fan of braid but I’m sure a lot of people use it.


Mike Martinez

2016 Sea Hunt 25 Gamefish twin Yamaha 150’s

I run 25 lb mono and 65 lb braid on my spinning gear. I use my mono rods for livebaiting for kings, dolphin, tuna, wahoo, APs, snapper and everything else. My braid rods are specifically for bottom fishing.

Florida,
There’s all kinds of different braids out there. Once I discovered powerpro that’s mainly the only one I’ll use. On my spinning reels I’ll almost fill the spool with 50lb braid and add a 25 lb mono topshot that is around 100 yards long. Like Rap said my bottom fishing rods are braid all the way to the leader though. I’m partial to momoi mono or trilene big game but to each his own. Hope this helps and good luck.

Capt. R. Killin
“Day Tripper”
Shamrock 20 cuddy
Ford 351W

I felt like I may not have gotten more than 150 of 30 on my 750. I’m pretty partial to any Penn gear. I always feel like if I don’t have 300 yards it’s not enough however with 30lb test I can use a lot more drag. Only thing that really concerns me is flat lines for Cobia or dolphin and being spooled but to date even with the nice BFT we caught still haven’t had any flat lines have more than 50 yards stripped from them at any run. But I haven’t hooked anything too big yet either. I probably need to rethink my bottom set ups but I won’t do that until I feel like I have a better grasp on catching bigger fish. I’m hoping to pay some of the big shots on here who always produce big fish to come on my boat to fish all expenses paid to just show me the ropes.


Mike Martinez

2016 Sea Hunt 25 Gamefish twin Yamaha 150’s

quote:
Originally posted by FLORIDA_BOY2

I felt like I may not have gotten more than 150 of 30 on my 750. I’m pretty partial to any Penn gear. I always feel like if I don’t have 300 yards it’s not enough however with 30lb test I can use a lot more drag. Only thing that really concerns me is flat lines for Cobia or dolphin and being spooled but to date even with the nice BFT we caught still haven’t had any flat lines have more than 50 yards stripped from them at any run. But I haven’t hooked anything too big yet either. I probably need to rethink my bottom set ups but I won’t do that until I feel like I have a better grasp on catching bigger fish. I’m hoping to pay some of the big shots on here who always produce big fish to come on my boat to fish all expenses paid to just show me the ropes.


Mike Martinez

2016 Sea Hunt 25 Gamefish twin Yamaha 150’s


You don’t get long blistering runs with Cobia. Mostly up and down fights and they like to stay close to the structure you hooked them on or near. Sometimes they will swim off but not like a wahoo run. You’ll easily be able to follow them with the boat. Beware of hooking a healthy cobia and having it swim straight to the boat after a 30 second fight. It ain’t ready. Tap it on the nose with a gaff and stick it the second time around.

Do not tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don’t tell them where they know the fish.

  • More Maxims of Mark, Johnson, 1927

31’ Contender
“Touche”
250 HPDIs

Just remember, just because you are “flat lining for cobia” doesn’t mean that the fish know that… Point being, cobia might not be the only think you hook into!

Like Touche said, a Cobia aint ready for the gaff the first time he comes to the boat and maybe not the second. When I gaff em I learned the hard way don’t throw him in the bottom of the boat, but straight to the cooler and get your rig back later. Last time I did that I was in a small center console and wound up with smashed tackle box and it looked like we butchered a cow in the back of the boat, blood all the way up to the gunnels. lol

2005 Sea Hunt 212 Triton
“Head East”

Skinnee I’d love to hook a king as well. I’ve caught cobia before. Learned the hard way around 13-14 years old gaffing my first one. I didn’t have the gaff very long in my hands. Luckily, dad had already prepared on me not being ready and quickly grabbed the gaff as it left my hands.


Mike Martinez

2016 Sea Hunt 25 Gamefish twin Yamaha 150’s