Fun to hunt and sight cast to, great fighters, excellent table fare and pretty obliging when presented with bait, cobia rank as one of the favorite fish to many local anglers. With a thick, dense, white meet and a diet consisting primarily of crabs and shrimp, cobia is prime table fare and perfect for grilling, chowder and even sashimi.
Sight casting jigs to cruising fish, which average 25 to 65 pounds with a state record of 130 lbs. while they free swim on the surface just off the beach, or behind and huge manta rays is one of the most exciting methods of catching these highly prized fish.
Cobias migrate up and down the Florida Coast year round with the peek months being from Jan to July. Manta Rays, big sharks and leather back sea turtles are often followed by cobia because when they go down to the bottom they kick up crabs and shrimp, the cobias primary food source, this is also a reason why cobia are so good to eat. Cobia can also be targeted while anchored up, or drifting too. Shallow water reefs and wrecks are great places to soak live bait; a crab or blind cast a jig.
