tight lines: lowcountry fishing
Crazy for cobia
By Rob Carli
Photo by Capt. John Irwin/Fly Right Charters
A frisky cobia is brought to the gaff in the Broad River. Experienced cobia anglers always make sure a fish has tired before bringing it onboard. A "green" cobia can do a remarkable amount of damage to equipment, anglers and even the boat.
May and June mark prime time for these fierce fighting fish
You can usually find Capt. John Irwin prowling the shallows around Charleston. But from late April through June, the 34-year-old charter captain heads south to the Broad River. He leaves the Holy City’s fertile fishing grounds for just one reason: monster cobia.
Irwin, who runs Fly Right Charters, will join a two-month frenzy at this famed Lowcountry cobia hotspot. In certain areas of the river, you’ll find hordes of anglers anchored side by side in everything from johnboats to sportfishers, all working the water in the hope of landing the new state record. The 87-pound incumbent was pulled from there in 2005.
Although these great tasting fish can be caught all along South Carolina’s coast, the Broad River and Port Royal Sound are well-known for consistently producing some of the beefiest specimens of this brown-and-white bruiser.
It’s easy to understand why Irwin makes the annual trip; it’s not unusual to catch a dozen or so fish a day when the bite is hot.
Irwin offered up a number of pro tips during a recent seminar at The Charleston Angler’s Mount Pleasant location, where his enthusiasm and photographic slideshow fired up the crowd.
Ben Kacos, a Lowcountry angler who attended the seminar, was sold on cobia fishing, and planned to make a trip south to the Beaufort County river.
“I’m super jacked about fishing for cobia in the Broad River, because they’re easy to catch and there are big numbers,” Kacos said. “I’m trying to learn to catch them on the surface, since I usually drop my lines down.”
Where to find them
Cobia are what’s known as a coastal pelagic species and can be found year-round at offshore and nearshore reefs.
During spring and early summer months, they gather in large numbers in some South Carolina estuaries, particularly in the Broad River and the Port Royal and St. Helena sounds. Biologists do not yet fully understand why cobia congregate in this way.
Some possible explanations hinge on spawning habits and migration patterns. Irwin thinks cobia might simply take a wrong turn as they move up the coast.
“One of the theories is that Port Royal (Sound) is so big, they just turn into it,” he said. “They get up in there and there’s plenty of food, so they stay.”
Photo by Capt. John Irwin/Fly Right Charters
Whatever the reason, their shark-like dorsal fins usually aren’t seen cutting the surface inshore until water temperatures reach 70 degrees.
By mid-May, the cobia bite is in full swing. A good seaon can last well into into July.
No-frills approach
Though Irwin is a sight-casting and fly-fishing specialist, he generally soaks baits when taking clients out after cobia. It’s the most productive method.
His baits of choice are live threadfin herring (left), which he can usually catch by jigging sabiki rigs around bridge pilings.
Live eels bought from tackle shops also work well, as will squid and cut bait.
“I’ve caught some big ones on squid,” he said.
After anchoring up at a likely spot, Irwin will put a few baits on the bottom with fish-finder rigs, then a couple on top with ballons or floats. Sometimes, Irwin will also deploy a fishfinder rig with a 1-oz. egg sinker. In a good current. this rig will rise up behind an anchored boat, suspending the bait in the water column.
When searching for a spot to fish, Irwin looks for surface boils that signal underwater structures, or he simply pulls up to the spots near the Port Royal bridge or one of the popular sandbars in the Broad River.
“If I’ve caught my bait and been there for 30 minutes and didn’t catch anything, I’ll slide up closer toward the bar,” Irwin said. “The water is about 16 feet toward the bar, and about 30 to 35 feet under the Broad River Bridge.”
Irwin also uses chum to get the cobia fired up.
“I take a mushroom anchor and put a chum bag on the bottom,” he said. “I think it’s absolutely crucial.”
Tackle options
Irwin uses typical medium-action boat rods and reels for a cobia trip.
His terminal tackle is relatively standard fare, usually including 30-pound leader and a 5-ought circle hook.
“A lot of fish you’re catching are relatively small, so the 30-pound is plenty,” Irwin said. “On a good season, I’ll catch maybe 10 fish over 60 pounds.”
Flourocarbon is a must, not just because it’s less visible under water. Irwin likes flouro’s resistance to abrasion.
“I’ll fish flourocarbon if I was fishing in a bowl of chocolate milk,” Irwin said.
The leaders typically run at least 24 inches, though he’ll sometimes go up to 4 feet if he wants the bait to swim more naturally.
But bait presentation isn’t as critical as with other inshore species, he said.
“Cobia aren’t the smartest fish,” he said. “I had a buddy of mine drop an egg sinker over the side and a cobia ate it.”
Go on the hunt
Indeed, cobia are not known as a particularly shy fish. Their natural curiosity and attraction to noise often bring them to the surface.
“They’re really attracted to floating structures, like buoys and sea turtles,” Irwin said.
In the Broad River and Port Royal Sound, these surface-cruising fish present fantastic opportunities to lure-casters or fly fishermen.
Often, if a morning of bait fishing has gone well, Irwin will urge his client to give sight-casting a try, especially if there is a slick surface on the water. “The best time to catch these fish on the surface is when the tide is slack,” he said.
Surface feeding behavior also depends on lunar phases.
“Full moon and new moon is tougher for sight fishing, and you have more water,” Irwin said. “Quarter and half are better.”
But even under perfect conditions, these normally bold fish can grow skittish when pressured.
“When they get waked, they’ll go down and not come up,” Irwin said.
When stalking surface cobia, Irwin typically turns to bucktail jigs. These lures, especially the smaller ones, are easier for most people to use. Half-ounce jigs with long skirts are ideal, especially when tipped with a little squid.
The key, he said, is to keep the jig at a steady speed near the surface, where it will hold a cobia’s attention.
Once the fish falls in behind the lure, let the jig drop.
“He’ll smack it on the way down,” Irwin said. “A falling bucktail is just an awesome way” to entice a bite.
Though bucktails are a great choice, almost any shallow-running lure will work when the bite is hot, Irwin said.
Fish on!
Cobia are known for their endurance and strength. Once hooked up, it’s best to quickly clear the other lines and start fighting the fish. Cobia often swim under and around the boat and can tangle your other lines.
Most experienced cobia anglers are also well aware of the dangers inherent in bringing a “green” fish onboard. A big cobia that’s not tired can do a surprising amount of damage to tackle, as well as to the anglers and even the boat itself.
When is big too big?
It’s hard for any angler to release a “trophy” fish, especially one as great-tasting as cobia. But Irwin urges anglers to remember that with cobia, as with many other species, the size of a fish is often directly related to its importance to the population’s stability.
“Sixty- and 70-pound fish are most likely spawning females, and are not the best to keep,” Irwin said.
To book a trip with Capt. John Irwin, or for more for information about cobia fishing, visit www.flyrightcharters.com.
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