At a glance
15–40 lb.
Surface to 100 ft.
Early morning, and whenever you see birds diving on bait.
23 areas
Know it
Spot it, size it up and learn its habits.
- Identification
Long brown body with a dark stripe from eye to tail, a flat broad head and short separate spines in front of the dorsal fin; looks like a shark from above.
- Typical size
15–40 lb.
- Maximum size
Over 6 ft and 135 lb.
- Diet
Small baitfish — glass minnows, sardines, menhaden, mullet — plus squid and shrimp.
- Behavior
Fast and roaming; follows schools of bait along beaches, inlets, buoys and color changes.
Find it
Where, when and how deep to look.
- Where to find it
Found from South Florida & Keys, Florida Atlantic Coast, Florida Gulf Coast, Northern Gulf (AL–TX), Mexico Gulf Coast, Mexican Caribbean & Belize, Central America, Colombia & Venezuela, Bahamas & Turks and Caicos, Cuba, Jamaica & Cayman, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Lesser Antilles, Aruba, Bonaire & Curaçao, Trinidad & Tobago, Georgia & South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia & Chesapeake Bay, Delaware & New Jersey, New York, Long Island & Connecticut and Rhode Island & Massachusetts. Follows rays, turtles and sharks; around buoys, wrecks, channel markers and nearshore reefs.
- Habitat
Follows rays, turtles and sharks; around buoys, wrecks, channel markers and nearshore reefs.
- Depth
Surface to 100 ft.
- Fishing depth
Near the surface to mid-depth, 5–40 ft.
- Best season
Spring migration along Florida's Atlantic and Panhandle beaches (March–May) is the classic season.
- Best time
Early morning, and whenever you see birds diving on bait.
- Best tides
Outgoing tide at inlets and passes pulls bait out to waiting fish.
- Best weather / conditions
Clean, green water and light to moderate wind.
Bait & gear
What to tie on and what to throw.
- Best bait
Live eels, pinfish, croakers, crabs and menhaden.
- Best artificial lures
Big bucktail jigs (1–3 oz) with a long soft-plastic tail, and large soft eels.
- Tackle setup
7 ft medium spinning rod with a 4000 reel.
- Hook size
1/0–4/0 hooks; long-shank or a short wire bite tippet for toothy fish.
- Line
15–20 lb braid.
- Leader
30–40 lb fluorocarbon (add light wire for mackerel and bluefish).
BigJoe's setup for Cobia
The rod, reel, line and lures BigJoe would use.
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Catch it
Step by step, from first cast to landing.
Step-by-step: how to catch it
- Go where it lives: Follows rays, turtles and sharks; around buoys, wrecks, channel markers and nearshore reefs.
- Rig up: 7 ft medium spinning rod with a 4000 reel. 30–40 lb fluorocarbon (add light wire for mackerel and bluefish).
- Pick your bait: Live eels, pinfish, croakers, crabs and menhaden. Lures: Big bucktail jigs (1–3 oz) with a long soft-plastic tail, and large soft eels.
- Fish it: Sight-cast to fish riding with rays or cruising the surface during the spring run, or bottom-fish wrecks with live bait.
- Time it: Early morning, and whenever you see birds diving on bait. Outgoing tide at inlets and passes pulls bait out to waiting fish.
- Fishing techniques
Sight-cast to fish riding with rays or cruising the surface during the spring run, or bottom-fish wrecks with live bait.
- BigJoe's tip
Don't gaff a "green" cobia — they go wild in the boat. Let it tire out first.
- Catch and release
Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.
Clean & cook
Is it good to eat, and how to prepare it.
- Edibility
Excellent eating — one of the best-tasting fish in its range.
- Cleaning
Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.
- Cooking suggestions
Cook fish to 145°F (63°C) — the flesh turns opaque and flakes easily. Fry, grill, bake or blacken.
Stay safe & legal
Safety, rules and taking care of the fishery.
- Safety warnings
Sharp teeth on some species — use pliers to unhook.
- Regulations
Florida and federal Gulf/Atlantic rules set a size limit and a small daily bag — check FWC/NOAA. A Florida fishing license is required unless you are exempt; Florida rules are set by FWC (myfwc.com). Federal waters fall under NOAA Fisheries. Other states and countries set their own limits — check before you keep fish.
- Conservation
Keep only what you'll eat, release the rest quickly, and follow size and bag limits.
Where it's found
Tap an area to open its fishing map.