Sight Fishing for Hilton Head, South Carolina Cobia
Of all of the ways to catch a cobia here in the Hilton Head area I really enjoy sight fishing for them. You generally need calm conditions to see the cobia cruising on the surface, but when things come together it is a real blast! Cobia a pretty bold creatures and will come right to the surface and cruise along as if they own the sea. When we find them there are a lot of tactics to get them to eat, but my favorite is to break out the fly rod and strip one right by their nose… if done properly it almost always results in a hard strike and a down and dirty battle. Spinning rods work well too and there are many different lures and natural baits that work well with a cruising cobia, but the key is a good presentation. Donking the fish up side of the head generally does not get it done. If you like an exciting style of fishing this may be the thing for you. Outside of sight fishing for the cobia we will also be doing a lot of cobia fishing in the rivers and out on the offshore wrecks. Some of my best cobia days have been out on the wrecks, but as we get further into the season they can become crowded with a lot of other boats. Just remember that if you plan to go out cobia fishing that these fish are here to spawn. A little restraint goes a long way. On my boat we only keep two cobia per day and if possible release the large females. Until next time, Catch em up! Capt. Charlie