Choosing a Rod for Sight Fishing for Cobia

Few methods of angling are as exciting as sight fishing, and when cobia are the target, if you don’t have the right gear those fish will make a fool out of you. You’re trying to decide which outfit will serve you best? Consider:

Long Casts are a must, so you’ll want a seven-foot or longer rod. Eight-footers can get unweildy on a center console but in this case it may be worth trimming crew size and gear selection while going long, to make sure you can hit the mark.

Fast Tips are another must, since you need to make a quick hook-set before the fish spits your lure.

Lots of Power is the only way to best these fish. Try for them under-gunned and you’ll end up with busted tackle and an empty fishbox. 30-pound class gear should be considered absolute minimum and 40-pound gear makes a lot more sense.

Reels in the 4500 size range are small but useable (assuming all the other parameters we’re discussing are fulfilled), and 5500 size reels are even better.

Braid Mainlines will boost your casting distance while increasing the hook-setting punch and overall power. Mono is great for some stuff, but not for this.

Fluorocarbon Leader will reduce the number of times the cobia turn away from your offering. It’ll still happen – hey, these are fish we’re talking about – but using the least visible leader possible will help. An absolute minimum is 40-pound test and most sharpies go with 50 or 60.

Lures that Swim as they fall are top picks, because cobia will sometimes turn their nose up at a lure being retrieved but for whatever reason, chase one that’s in free-fall – if it swims as it falls. Paddle-tails and screw-tails are both good picks.

One final word: if a cobia comes up to the boat green, tap it on the tail with another rod to get it running so you can tire it out. Bringing a hot cobia into the boat is another time they’ll make an utter fool out of you, bouncing around from gunwale to gunwale while they break stuff.