Kite Fishing for… Cobia?

Yes, cobia! While few people employ the kite fishing technique when they’re targeting this species, kite fishing is actually a great way to catch ’em.

Kite fishing, it should be said, can be a major pain in the keister. You need a kite rod and kites, have to constantly monitor its position as you fish and work the lines to keep the baits at the surface, and as wind speeds change you have to constantly adjust your rig. So, why bother, when there are so many other ways to fish for cobia? Simple: if you fish for cobia long enough, you’ll encounter the situation where lots of fish can be sighted but few or none will actually attack a bait. Cobia can be surprisingly temperamental fish, and although some days they’ll attack just about anything, on others it can be incredibly frustrating to watch fish after fish swim up to and then turn away from your offering. This is the time to break out the kite.

Kite fishing allows you to present a bait with little or even no visible leader. Dangling down from the kite, you can adjust your line so the bait is right at the surface with the line going straight up. Anglers who are really good with the tactic can even keep a bait half in and half out of the water, raising out of it then dipping back down, which creates a ton of splashing, struggling, and disturbance that draws the predators in.

So: should you run right out, get a kite, and give it a shot? Not so fast… like we said, kite fishing can be a pain in the keister – you really need to know what you’re doing to make it work effectively. And truth be told, you aren’t going to learn how to make it work by reading about kite fishing on the great and awesome internets, you need on-the-water experience. Before even thinking about getting your own rig, the smart move is to buddy up with someone who knows what they’re doing or go out with a guide who employs the tactic, to learn the ropes. Do so, and the next time those cobia turn their noses up at your baits you’ll know exactly how to get ’em on the line.