Full Dress Rehearse for Cobia Fishing (May 26, 2018, Buckroe Beach, VA)

[ComeOnFish]

As I promised to some kayakers, I went and made a cobia fishing video to show how I do it.
A 36 inch cobia showed up in an hour after the launch. So I didn't have to fish for a long time.

The VA cobia season opens on June 1st. I am ready. I will be fishing next weekend.

Video Fishing Log:

Thank you
Joe

[Goody]

Nicely done!

As I promised to some kayakers, I went and made a cobia fishing video to show how I do it.
A 36 inch cobia showed up in an hour after the launch. So I didn't have to fish for a long time.

The VA cobia season opens on June 1st. I am ready. I will be fishing next weekend.

Video Fishing Log:

Thank you
Joe

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

[bluefishnc]

Awesome work Joe. I'm a big fan of your videos. Glad to see you already on them. I'm hoping to give this a go myself in a few weeks and copy your style of fishing but I'm having a hard time understanding how you are rigging the weights. Can you explain your rig a bit better? i.e. 50 lb main line to swivel to snap on float, to 4 foot leader to #8 J hook etc...

Any advice is appreciated and good luck this week. I'm sure you'll be on them again soon. Would love to see you hook into a really big one this year.

[ComeOnFish]

Awesome work Joe. I'm a big fan of your videos. Glad to see you already on them. I'm hoping to give this a go myself in a few weeks and copy your style of fishing but I'm having a hard time understanding how you are rigging the weights. Can you explain your rig a bit better? i.e. 50 lb main line to swivel to snap on float, to 4 foot leader to #8 J hook etc...

Any advice is appreciated and good luck this week. I'm sure you'll be on them again soon. Would love to see you hook into a really big one this year.

Let me answer tonight.

Thanks
Joe

[ComeOnFish]

Let me answer tonight.

Thanks
Joe

Sorry tomorrow night. I have to work tonight. Something came up at work. I am preparing a video to answer everyone with questions.

Thanks
Joe

[bluefishnc]

Sorry tomorrow night. I have to work tonight. Something came up at work. I am preparing a video to answer everyone with questions.

Thanks
Joe

Great. Thank you Joe. Much appreciated.

[ComeOnFish]

BlueFishNC,
Here is the second part of the Video. My way is not the only or the best way for all. But to me, it is the best way in VA water.
I think, by using the video, I can explain or answer better in the future regarding kayak-cobia-fishing. I hope more kayakers participate cobia fishing before the mid July.

Joe's tackle, tacktics, and rigging system:

Thank you.
Joe

[bluefishnc]

Perfect! Thank you Joe. Really really appreciate this. I've been fishing for 30+ years (mostly from shore/piers) and never landed a cobia so they are at the top of my list of fish I'd like to catch. I feel much better about my chances this season with your tips in hand. Thanks again. I'll report back on how it goes.

[yakscientist]

Joe, thank you for providing not 1 but 2 videos (in this thread alone) that are highly detailed, on how to a pursue a highly coveted fish. This information is invaluable, and I hope one day to come down and visit you to target either these or something else.

[Slobber Bob]

Very nice of you to share all the info for everybody, Joe. And way to break the ice already! I'm hoping to get out soon myself, but forces are conspiring against me right now, haha!

I fish for them slightly different than you do, but both methods seem to work. I've had trouble catching live bait consistently where I'm cobia fishing so I rely on bringing cut bait with me. Primarily bunker, but I've hooked up a cobia on a croaker head too. And I'm fishing on the bottom with fishfinder rigs and circle hooks (9/0). Cut or live bait, circles hooks have worked very well for me in both instances. I keep my chum bag on the surface too. I'm afraid sharks will get at it too quick if I put it to the bottom. The sharks don't tear up your chum bag on the bottom?

When (if) I get the chance to go this year, I'm probably going to try a bobber too on one of my rods. But probably a slip bobber for ease of casting. I agree with you that it should cut down the number of sting rays that can get to the bait. I know sharks will find the bait no matter what, but I tend to catch fewer of them than rays where I cobia fish. And sharks are so much easier, and quicker, to handle than those car hood sized southern rays!

Good luck of there Joe!

[Absolut]

Great video, thanks for sharing!

[bluefishnc]

Quick question for you Joe or anyone else that fishes for Cobia. Joe, you've said that you have to wait quite a while before setting the hook on your cobia hooksets and also that you fish a single 8 or 9 J hook on a suspended live bait. Have you ever tried to use a mackerel or musky rig (i.e. 2 large trebles and a single J) for your suspended baits? Google Joe Bucher musky rig to see what I'm talking about.

It would seem to me a rig like this would dramatically increase your hookup percentage and lower your wait time on hook sets. The only downside I can think of is that that your release procedure could get messy with the multiple trebles and it would be a royal PITA to release any sharks. Could get expensive too if having to cut off rigs with lots of sharks around. Just wondering since that is the style rig I am familiar with using on live bait. Back in the day (late 80s) a two treble/J hook rig type rig is pretty much all you would see guys using from the pier for cobia/kings.

[Vakayaker]

Another va kayaker

Nice work 👍🏻 Think ima head out to buckroe beach one day this week and give it a go. I've never caught a cobia let alone in a kayak. But should be fun as long as we get some nice weather for once



QUOTE=ComeOnFish;154778]As I promised to some kayakers, I went and made a cobia fishing video to show how I do it.
A 36 inch cobia showed up in an hour after the launch. So I didn't have to fish for a long time.

The VA cobia season opens on June 1st. I am ready. I will be fishing next weekend.

Video Fishing Log:

Thank you
Joe[/QUOTE]

[bluefishnc]

I did get out once last week to try this. No love for me but I did see plenty of rays and caught a fair number of croaker and sea mullet. Lessons learned.... make sure the chum bag is tied on really well. Lost it after a few hours to the current. Don't bother with anything more than a single hook setup. I ran a musky rig on one rod with a croaker. The croaker would be chopped up in minutes by the blues. I couldn't keep a live croaker out for longer than it took to float it out. Eels stayed alive and well for hours. Biting flies.... Arghh.... they are TERRIBLE when the wind drops. I primarily fish the Potomac and never have an issue with them once off shore but off Buckroe they will get after you a mile offshore or more. Even biting through a rash guard and t-shirt. My back was ravaged. A week later and I'm still torn up. That said it was fun and I'd do it again (but bring the black fly spray).