Cobia fishing guide, Captain Ed Walker

Cobia charter fishing in Tampa Florida area

One of our favorite inshore fishing species is the cobia. Florida flats fishing for cobia has been a specialty of Captian Ed Walkers for years and no one does it better. Captin Ed Walker was even contracted by the editors of Sport Fishing Magazine to write about this exciting “new” fishery for a cover story on the  ultra-shallow water sight-casting cobia fishing opportunities that exist in the Tarpon Springs-Clearwater area. (April 2004 issue).

For the most part, cobia are usually considered an “offshore fish”. These large, shark-looking creatures spend much of their time out in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. They frequent wreck and reefs and are also common around channel markers and other buoys. Cobia are considered by many to be a delicacy on the table by sashimi and cooked fish lovers alike. They are highly migratory and have been known to swim great distances in short periods of time.

The West Central Florida run actually comes here from the Florida Keys on its way to the Florida Panhandle. During the colder winter months, such as December, January, and February, nearly the entire Gulf of Mexico cobia population is in the waters of the Florida Keys. At the first hint of warmer weather cobia begin to migrate north up the Florida’s West Coast. By late February to mid-March cobia begin to appear on the shallow florida grassflats here in the Tampa Bay-Clearwater-Tarpon Springs area. They are usually spotted cruising behind large stingrays. Cobia essentially “ride” these rays, waiting for the rays to stop and dig into the bottom which exposes shrimp, small fish, and small crabs which the cobia then devour.  To target these cobia we idle across the certain flats at certain times, scanning the clear shallow water for signs of rays. When a ray with a cobia, or ling as some people call them, is sighted we idle into position and cast the cobia's way. If the bait lands in the right spot, everyone on board can usually see the exciting charge and strike. For cobia in this open water situation we fish with light tackle, typically 8 to 14 pound test. By mid –April the cobia run is in full swing and they become one of our primary inshore targets. When the conditions are right we catch lots of cobia. These shallow water cobia run anywhere from 10 to 60 pounds and we see a few larger than that each season. The average size cobia we catch while sight casting is 16 to 25 pounds with lots of cobia in the 25 to 40 pound class. By the end of April most of the cobia have departed the Tampa Bay area and moved toward their summer spawning grounds in the northern Gulf of Mexico but straggler cobia are always a possibility.

The beauty of the cobia fishing here is that they are very aggressive feeders and will strike just about anything. Cobia can be sight fished in our clear waters with light spinning or fly-fishing tackle. Cobia will strike both live baits and artificial lures equally well. Watching a 40 pound cobia explode on a topwater plug  in 3 feet of water is truly an awesome light tackle experience. In 2006 we even landed one cobia on a Twizzler licorice stick. While the days angler was hooked up to a 20 pounder cobia, I noticed another cobia moving in our direction. The depth was about 2.5 feet and the bottom was patchy sand and grass. Since the jig rod that is keep in the tower had lost its soft plastic body, Captain Ed took a piece of the candy and slid it on the hook like a plastic worm. As soon as this improvised “lure” landed in front of the cobia, the cobia grabbed the candy and was subsequently landed. It can be that easy.

We catch some cobia both inshore and offshore all year but the big push of cobia in the Tampa Bay-Clearwater-Tarpon Springs area runs March thru April with some cobia  appearing before that if the winter is mild and the spring warms up early.

This time period is also excellent for shallow water grouper fishing, snook fishing, redfish fishing, and speckled trout fishing. Kingfish, Spanish mackerel, bonito and jacks  also migrate thru the area then as well providing numerous options and opportunities for the light tackle angler. 

If you would like to join us on a Cobia fishing experience please drop us an email or give us a Call at (727) 944-FISH (3474) today to book your guided fishing trip for Cobia.