Cobia: A Delicious Fish That's Fun to Catch

Big fish with a firm texture and delicious flesh, the Cobia commands a high price in the aquaculture market today. Due to the solitary nature of this fish, however, there is no directed fishery dedicated to the Cobia. Generally, they are a by-catch of commercial fishers trolling for king mackerel or live menhaden.

The cobia can get to a maximum of 2 meters in length, and weigh up to 150 pounds (however, on average, they weigh between 20 and 40 pounds). Their bodies are shaped somewhat like elongated spindles, with a broad, flat head, and a long, tapering body. The pectoral and pelvic fins stick out horizontally from the body, which enables the fish to keep itself upright in the bottom of the boat and thrash, making it much more dangerous to handle than many other fish. They have small eyes, and the lower jaw protrudes slightly over the upper jaw.

The Cobia is a powerful fish and a thrilling catch. It is one of the most sought after game fish to catch. Once the fish is hooked the thrill usually begins by lots of line coming off a screaming reel and the inability of the angler to do anything but hang on! On top of being a fun fish to catch, the cobia is also rated among the very best in texture as food. As a bonus, this fish lives only in tropical waters between 68 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit, all around the world.

Strolling out to sea on your own may not be the perfect way to start catching cobia, but an experienced charter captain should be able to help and teach you.

There are four basic ways to catch Cobia:

Spinning
Plug Casting
Bottom Fishing
Trolling

Spinning and plug casting will require a medium to medium heavy rod and reel with a 12 to 20 pound line. You'll need to cast your lure in front of a moving fish so that it crosses in front of his nose. This will attract the fish and entice him to bite. It is best to site cast this fish - they can be spotted as they swim around pilings, wrecks, reefs and other protrusions in shallow water. They are often in the company of other large fish and rays.

It is recommended to use a brightly colored bucktail jig in white, lime green or yellow, or a noisy sinking or diving plug to attract this fish.

Trolling or bottom fishing for the cobia should be done from a boat, bridge or pier with a medium heavy rod and a 20 to 30 pound line. You'll want three feet of a 30 to 40 pound shock leader and a 2 to 4 ounce egg sinker. You'll want live eel, grunts or crab as bait.

Practice caution when you get the cobia into the boat - these are powerful fish and have been known to break equipment, cause injuries and damage your boat. These fish fight hard every inch of the way - it's best to get them out of the water and into the box in one swift motion.

Other Facts About the Cobia

The cobia is a fast growing species, becoming sexually mature in just two years and growing at a rate nearly triple that of the pacific salmon. This makes it an ideal aquaculture fish, and has been popular in fisheries around Taiwan and India for decades, but it is just starting to take hold in the United States.

• Rachycentron Canadum is the scientific name of the cobia. The cobia is the only living species in its family.
• Cobia can live 10 to 15 years and grow as much 13 pounds a year.
• Cobia often travel for long distances in a short amount of time. A Mississippi study tagged and released over 10,000 cobia, and later recaptured as many as they could. The furthest one traveled 1300 nautical miles in less than a month.
• Cobia will eat just about anything from the water's surface to the floor.
• Cobia tend to hang around nearly any floating object, such as buoys, pilings, markers, sea turtles, manatees and more!
• The largest Cobia ever recorded was caught in Australia and weighed 135lbs!