Lets talk Cobia

I'm with goindeep. I still have never hooked a cobe and also never hooked a tarpon. Only fished for tarpon once and never fished for cobe. I have seen both on the surface at the skyway and the funny thing is, everytime I see them I am tryin to get bait with the sabiki.

That is a great point. Didn't think of it like that.

That is a good point Havetofish. I find myself leaning over the rail and looking down underneath the span and around the pilings quite a bit throughout the day while I fish the SSP in hopes of spotting some cobes by chance. I saw a couple a week or so ago but all my lines were out for grouper

And thats a humdinger of a fish David. Wow. Any chance you remember what size gear you got him on?

A couple of weeks ago I saw a huge eagle ray off the pier, and right about that time is when I heard a few different people say they saw some cobia roaming around and saw a guy get a 35 incher right at the end of the pier while snapper fishing with a cut greenie on the bottom (some guys have all the luck!). Havent seen that big ray since. You can bet if I see one again Ill be casting a cobia jig near him.

So if anyone sees a cobia that has "Steve" tattooed on his forehead -- that one's mine -- feel free to let me know so I can go get him.

Goiningdeep. Caught a few Cobia in the area. But I never target them. I always carry a spare rod rigged with a arti eel. Just have to keep scanning the area.

Had more success near the Anclote power plant area in three to five foot of water. lOOK FOR THE Rays and cast in front of them.

Now don't laugh. When I moved to the area @ 10 yrs ago this old time fishing guy lived across the street. He used to see me leave and come home with my rod. He ask if I would join him. He wanted to fish for cobia and likes to fish with a patner when fishing for cobia.

So the next morning I see him loading this 10 foot ladder on his truck. You know the a-frame ladder type painters use. ?

On the bottom on the ladder he had these two by sixes screwed to the bottom on each leg. He drives to Fred howard park and he tells me to grab the ladder.

I said" you are joking right".

He says do you want to learn to fish the flats?

Being young I grab this ladder. Thing weight a ton.

Well to make a long story short, he had me drag this thing around the flats. Open the ladder, hold it while he claimed up the ladder scanning for fish. I thought I was on candid camera ( for those young ones candid camera is like PUNKED).

I pulled that thing around for three hours opening, closing and watching this old timer climb a ladder.

WE CAUGHT NOTHING. ( but his friends were probable on shore laughing at me).

you know what if you dont have a boat and got the idea then use it! personally i am not gonna walk around with a ladder when i am fishing but if it works then it works for that person, i just never heard of it before.

Thats a funny story monty.

Question - are Cobia around the power plant all year, or mostly in winter because of the warm discharge?? Ive heard Anclote and Apollo power plants are both good spots in winter but Im not sure about this time of year.

oh shoot...


I meant Apolla Beach, not Anclote... Brain rain.

Hey Kevin,

Renting a yak from the pier and chacing the reds in the area i suggested may be fun we should try one day this way we get one we cant stop jump in the yak and let the fish pull us around then paddle back to where we were sounds fun ill let ya know next time i can get out and we should try that one day...

You know the dunedin causeway has a yak rental place with yaks all set up for fishing. Open at 8:00 am and close at 5:00 pm. Fifty bucks for the day. Aslo have yaks for two. One can paddle the back while the person up front fishes. My 13 yr old daughter and me go out together @ 6-8 times a year.

It is a quick paddle to caladesi island. Skinny water and you can see the reds tailing on the east side. Many drops off @ 100 yrd fro island and the trout hide in the cool water.

Paddle over to the guld side and look for the bid shadows. Nice snook on the beach now. Since the only way to the nisland is by boat,,,, not alot of pressure on fish.

Nothing better than catching a trout and cooking on a camp fire on the island. Good stuff

Oh yeah, saw an eagle ray last Sunday at the SSP...he wasnt very big though, and I dont know if he had a cobia in tow or not....tossed out the only rod I had that wasnt in the water at the time with a fry bait attached....the cast was late at best, and wasnt really near the ray...next time I gotta be quicker on the draw.

I just cant leave a rod dedicated to cobes...theres too many other fish to catch. That, or I need more rods....lol

I have a good cobe story for yall. Well maybe at least a fair story.

When i worked at the 60 over time i became the resident expert fish netter with the drop net. When i was working or fishing i always got the call when the net was needed.

A regular of the pier had hook into a cobia and i happen to be working that night so went out with net and of course it had a big hole in it cause the management would never replace the nets. I get the net in the water and the was not ready and went under the pier and out the other side. Some how the angler was able to get back to the side of the pier he was fishing on so i dropped the net ( with the hole ) the cobia went right through the hole and gave us another 10 mins of fight. When i finally got him in the net securely the net was flipped upside down but the cobe had the so messed up from swimming around it so many times i was able to bring up. It was a nice keeper cobe not huge but something i will remember in my fishing archives for a long time.

i bring sometimes up to 7 rods at a time 1 sabiki 1 big spinner for tarpon/cobe 2 freelins diff wt class and 3 bottom rigs for grouper and set them all spread out on the rail if the right baits are present then ill free line one on the large spinner in hopes of a poon or cobe and i put two bottom rigs out and fish for bait with the sabiki the rest of the rods are in case of a break off i get another bait right back in the water instead of having to wait til i re-tie then bait back in water bait in water first then re-tie

we bring 7-8 usaully, 2-3 light for snapper or sabiki, 2 for grouper, macks, snook ect., 1 for tarpon, shark or something big, 2-3 backups incase of rod or reel failure.

Yall may not like it.. but i take up a comfortable space.. ill set a few rods out to mark my spot....

i got here before ya.. its not too crowded so im claiming my space.. i fish usually 2 one out deep big bait.. and one in hand usually snapper fishing.

I hate when some dumbcraps try to mosey in my spot.. i been there all night .. you want to fish where i am... get your ass here before me.

Now i dont take up 20 feet.. but ill set about a 10 ft perimeter.. I dont care who ya are.. i paid.. ima fish my spot.. Now if your friendly and arent a dumbcrap.. ill gladly move up tight and make room for ya.. But there are alot of stupid tourons.. they cast right and the line lands left.. Over and over..

But thats just me .