Cobia Fishing Single-Handed

Cobia are tough fish to catch and they’re extremely tough to land, especially when you’re fishing single-handed. Even relatively small ones like the fish pictured here can dodge nets and gaffs, or surge and snap off at boat-side. So, how will you land ’em when fishing alone? These three tips will help.

1. Don’t rush the fight. Cobia have a habit of sometimes allowing themselves to be reeled in close to the boat fairly quickly, then going ballistic at the end-game. This is when a lot of fish end up getting lost. Rather than trying for a quick finish, play the fish out and make sure it’s relatively tired before you attempt to land it.
2. Get and use a “real” cobia net. Most landing nets on the market simply are not cobia-capable. These fish will swim right through standard-issue mesh, and bend standard-issue tubular aluminum handles. It takes a seriously high-end net to handle a 40-plus-inch cobia and only the very best can deal with 50-plus-inchers. What about gaffing? This may work best for large fish when you have another angler aboard, but it’s extremely difficult to gaff single-handed. Unless you’re built like Rambo it’s also nearly impossible to strike the gaff and swing a large cobia into the boat with one hand, in one motion. And cobia are notorious for rolling off of gaff hooks if you hesitate for even a second to set down the rod and get both hands on the gaff handle.
3. When the fish gets within about 10 yards of the boat, loosen up your drag. This may seem counter-intuitive, but the problem it addresses is the one we referenced earlier – that cobia often go crazy in the final moments of a fight and/or as you try to land them. When you’re all alone there will be a moment when you’ll need to more or less pause working the fish to grab your net and get into position. If the fish hits the afterburners at this moment, you may not be be in a position to swing the rod towards the fish and give it it’s head – and a break-off can result. Having the drag loosened up a bit in these final moments can prevent that heart-breaking SNAP!

Just for the record, anyone who manages to hook, fight, and land a cobia over 50 inches single-handed deserves some serious angling respect. This is no easy task – but apply these tips, and you might just make it happen.