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 Wilmington, NC Area
Cobia move into the waters around Wilmington, North Carolina once water temperatures warm into the 70s. Anglers find them roaming the coastline not too far out from the beaches in the spring, but as water temperatures warm up into summer, the better bite will be around the nearshore reefs and wrecks. Cobia stay in this area through the fall then migrate down south as water temperatures start to cool back down.
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.
