Cobia are found from the Carolinas to Florida and along the entire Gulf Coast. While most anglers run into cobia on accident while fishing for other fish, you can target these fish specifically and have some good results. Most of the cobia that are caught will average 5 to 20 pounds, but some do grow bigger than 100 pounds. These fish are usually caught offshore, however, in some areas cobia will migrate along the beaches and you can often find cobia following very close to manta rays.
Cobia Fishing in the Key West, Florida Area
Cobia are found in the backcountry waters off of Key West over the winter months and into the spring. Anglers love cobia and plenty of charters will go out and target them. Throughout the state of Florida, you usually hear of anglers searching for rays since cobia will often be found underneath and around the rays. Down here, it is common to see cobia doing the same thing with other species of fish including huge bull sharks.
Cobia Fishing Tips
The best baits to catch cobia are live baits such as crabs, shrimp, pinfish, mullet and other small bait fish. Cobia aren’t too picky when it comes to eating, so most bait fish will work for cobia.
Visit our Cobia fishing page to learn more.
