Advice - jigging for Cobia

[James Taylor]

I am stealing a day on a family holiday over Easter to get out on a charter from Yeppoon (Queensland near Rockhampton). Although not a jigging charter, I will get a chance to have a jig in 40m over a couple of wrecks when the others will be bottom bashing for coral trout and red emperor. Where I am told there are a decent population of cobia to target with jigs.

So I would appreciate some advice on jigs and techniques and also tackle. The skipper tells me they regularly get smoked an 50lbs in that depth so I was thinking of a PE 2-4 Valley Hill and a Daiwa z20 with PE4 50lbs and a Ripple fisher 5215 PE 8 and stella 20000 100lbs.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks,
James

[Andrew Susani]

We normally get cobia up here in the warmer months.  They have a preference for big plastics but we have also caught them on metals.  The key seems to be to find the big bait schools and keep the lure down in that zone rather than cranking it back at high speed to the top.  Mind you, I did get a small one on a surface lure near some big structure here in January.

Unfortunately we don't have many wrecks around here, so the cobia are a little hard to find    They do pull pretty hard, not as hard as kings or GTs, but a mate of mine did get a 37kg one here a few years back 

[James Taylor]

Thats great thanks, sounds like the cobia are a bit of a a long shot on a day charter, I might have to keep deep for the reefies.

Cheers

[Graham Scott]

hi James,
Not sure which wrecks or what charter,but smaller knife jigs around 150gm work pretty well on a variety of wreck dwellers like smaller trevally and amberjacks. Cobia are generally a bit random, we see them on the wrecks south of yeppoon mainly in oct nov but a chance anytime.
big blades/vibes are also a lot of fun.
We mainly catch cobia by pitching a big plastic or bait at them when they swim up to the back of the boat.

[Travis Heaps]

Pulled one off a Yeppoon wreck on first drop not long back.  Sitting quite high in the column on a 200g or so knife jig.  That was just a fluke though - for decent advice i'd listen to Graham 

[Aaron Concord]

I have never pulled a cobe on a jig in depths beyond 50m, though in the shallower reefs and around bait schools, the humble 125gm purple Raider Jig has produced fish to just over 30kg for me.

They seem to have a fatal attraction to them......dunno why though they work when even my more refined Japanese jigs fail.

To get an answer, I'd need to speak Cobia-nese I guess.

[James Taylor]

Thanks Gents, much appreciated. I will give it at all a go and see what works on the day.

Graham - I am out with Scott on Capricorn charters if that helps? Half day trolling - no interest in that but plan to drop a jig or chance a cast as people are hooked up and half day "on a wreck in 40m"

Thanks again,
James

[Graham Scott]

Hmmm, don't know much about that charter, a little mono game boat. If its a half day and a wreck in 40m then I think it's salamander or elephant hole or 60c.....which are actually the same spot. Should be a few fish their. I don't think they have a lot of local knowledge and not many locals are willing to share

[Brett Guy]

From what I have seen up off the cairns area they will eat ANYTHING you put in front of them. Have seen a school of them smash a sinker hanging over the side of the boat for several minutes. The key is whether they are there or not. I have also seen them caught on billfish skirts in over 30m of water. So if you see them on the surface(which is not uncommon) don't hesitate to throw a popper at them.

[Darren Cook]

I've caught them on blue 400gram smith nagamassa jigs in 50metres. Its pretty well the only jig I keep on my boat and the amount of species I've landed on that jig is amazing.

And they love a plastic as everyones said.