Buckroe Cobia - It was sooo close. 06/14/2015

[ComeOnFish]

I am still heart broaken.
I had two chances. But I blew both away. My unlucky pattern started from Wise Point weeks back this year. Somehow I couldn't land many fish this year. I had good game plans and good executions. But I couldn't land many fish.

On Sunday, I bought a 4 gallon frozen chum and 7 eels from Grafton (in York Town) at 6 AM. I put each eel on a sandwich bag, and place the bags under a bottled ice. Initially I headed for Dandy Point. The plan was that I troll for specks in Back River and head for York Split or shallow water along the beach in the Chesapeake Bay for Cobia. While driving to Dandy Point, I remembered the mosquitos bites in Back River in June. I would be eaten alive especially there was no wind. So I went to Buckroe Park.

I launched the kayak at 7:40 AM. I was planning to catch some spot first in the shallow water in non-swimming area. I found that my Planno trolling bucket was badly cracked. So I decided catch croaker while chumming (I haven't caught any spot while I caught may croaker and southern king fish in 12-15' of water here). The water was flat. And I saw a log floating about 200' away from me. Then I recognized the log was a large cobia. It was my first encounter with a cobia. My spinning rod was prepared for a live eel. By the time I was ready to cast a live eel, the cobia was gone. I should have thrown an orange buck tail immediately, but my brain wasn't functioning properly when I got so excited.

I anchored the kayak and started chumming. I placed two rods, a rod with trolling reel and a spinning rod. I used a bobber on each rig. I caught enough croaker at 9-10" for baits while waiting for strikes. I had an eel on the trolling rod and a croaker on the spinning rod. Bluefish were there. Bluefish kept eating my croaker and eel.

At around 9:30AM, I saw a boater landed a cobia. That time, as soon as I tossed a new croaker, the croaker was running. Because of the bobber, the croaker was on the surface when it swam very hard. And there came a torpedo on the surface. A cobia ate the croaker. The bail on the reel was open, and the cobia went to the left, right , then to left again. The cobia didn't dive at all. It kept running on the surface on the calm water. I thought I gave it enough time. So I put my finger on the spool to put some pressure. As soon as I put pressure, the croaker came out.

In 5 minutes, another one ate a new croaker. The very similar thing happened again. Two cobia didn't look long enough to keep. Though one of them could be my first cobia.

After that, absolutely nothing happened.

Lesson Learned:

• Perhaps croaker were too big (9"-10") for 8/0 circle hook. Next time, catch spot first (Buy a new trolling bucket). I haven't caught any spot where I was chumming.
• Use J hook (8/0 - 10/0). I don't think I know proper way to use circle hooks on cobia even though I caught many stripers on circle hooks. I feel I could hook the cobia if I used a 10/0 J hook.
• Always prepare the spinning rod with a bucktail for possible sight casting.

Joe

[Shady]

You'll get then next time!

Sure fire way to almost never miss fish while live lining is using a treble hook.

[rwh]

I think you will get one next time! I fished Saturday just up from Buckroe off Grandview and didn't get anything except one small shark. We did see a feeding frenzy of something (possibly a school of big bluefish off in the distance but didn't paddle out to cast out bucktails. I learned last summer to always keep a bucktail handy because I saw a cobia swimming on top in what I thought was an unlikely area at the mouth of Back Creek in Seaford. I think you can run across them almost anywhere in the bay during the summer. I think a 6" croaker is a good size with a 9/0 J hook. Good luck next time!

[Romo]

wow man so close! You'll get one

[hookmeup]

For cruising cobia, another option is pre-rigged dead eels or a sluggo. Cast in front of the fish's track and time your retrieve so it's crosses close to the cobia's nose. When you feel the pressure on the line set the hook hard and then repeat a few times. You'll get them.

[Slobber Bob]

This experience will just make it that much sweeter when you did hook into one!

I personally would go to a bigger hook if live lining. 10/0 minimum. Where are you hooking them too? You could always put two circles in it for insurance. Snell one hook and leave a 12" tag end, then snell a second circle to the tag. Hook one in the nose and one in the back.

[tufnik]

Whoa, you're getting closer. I better get the champagne ready.

[JohnE]

I think you will end up gettting a monster cobia when you least expect it. Planning to fish cbbt this weekend. Think it is worth chumming over there or just keep a jig ready to throw just in case?

[Hemingway]

I have caught one live lining. That was 51"er from a boat last fall. I used a #8 live bait octopus hook pinned and bridled. Like JohnE said...when you least expect it, I was fishing for bulls and got it as a by catch. The 36.5" er this past Tuesday on the Hobie was on a #9 blood octopus...still hooked it pretty deep. I also may be transitioning to J hooks. It will happen Joe, and once it does, you will experience one of the most exciting battles around from this great tasting fish!