Lowcountry Cobia Fishing
When one of our good buddies and longtime ambassadors, Capt. Josh Bolyes called us and told us that the Cobia in the Broad River have showed up, it wasn't long before we were packing up the truck and heading South. Sight fishing these large fish on the water’s surface inshore never ceases to amaze me. This is an incredible special fishery that needs to be protected at all cost.
During the spring spawn, Port Royal Sound serves as a major feeding and congregating area for the population of Cobia. As water temps reach the upper 60’s, they begin to push in and can often be found swimming along the edge of tide rips or color changes (areas where two currents meet), following turtles or rays, hanging out under floating debris or navigation buoys.
As cobia move into Port Royal Sound and the Broad River, natural barriers such as sand bars will “bottle neck” both cobia and the bait they feed on into specific areas creating some great fishing opportunities. Juvenile cobia feed primarily on crustaceans such as shrimp and crab. As cobia grow larger, fish such as menhaden, threadfin, and whiting make up a larger portion of their diet.
Although cobia may cruise the surface at almost any time, you are most likely to see them on either side of slack tide. Look for exposed dorsal fins or “Pushes” created as cobia swim just beneath the surface.
The weather gods had blessed us with a glassy day and the fishing was on! We caught fish between 15-30 pounds on both fly and spin gear. It’s hard to beat cruising the Port Royal Sound with good friends and a cold beverage, looking for these waking fish.
