Bite should be consistent through late October, guide says
Cobia fishing is in full swing as they migrate along the coast this month.
Sportsman publisher Tony Taylor and his wife, fish queen Ann, were fortunate to find some at the Grand Isle Sulphur Mine Reef a few weeks ago.
Watch the video below or click here for all the action.
Although cobia can be caught on artificial jigs, they were eager to take live croaker on this trip. Cobia are pretty unpredictable, and in this video mangrove snapper were the target species.
Because of that, the terminal gear consisted of a very small 3/0 hook, a 4-foot, 30-pound fluorocarbon leader and a very lively croaker.
The fish were suspended about 15 feet deep, and since there was no tide, no weight was needed.
According to Capt. Tommy Pellegrin with Custom Charters in Houma, the cobia showed up there several weeks ago, and good numbers should remain at the rigs and reefs located 5 to10 miles offshore through the end of October. Rigs and reefs off of Cocodrie, Fourchon, Grand Isle and West Venice are prime locations to find cobia now through early fall.
“The cobia are migrating from Texas and follow closely along the Louisiana coastline until they reach the Mississippi River,” Pellegrin said. “When they reach the river, they shoot out into deeper Gulf waters on their way to South Florida for the winter.”
During the spring migration, the opposite happens. The cobia track close to the coast all the way to the Mississippi River and then move offshore to cross the Gulf to the Texas coast.
“That’s why Destin anglers only catch cobia in the spring and we only catch cobia in late the summer/fall months,” he said.
