Chesapeake Cobia

[Seafarer_Bob]

This is my first season keeping my new to me 228 in the lower Chesapeake. Been doing OK on Flounder, Spades, and Spanish but really limited success targeting Cobia given how much I've tried.

I've seen guys with towers hook up many times but without that height advantage I'm limited to chumming or blind casting to the sea bouy's. On my way in yesterday in desperation I dropped a bucktail next to a bouy outside Hampton and felt a bump and came tight to a decent Cobia. It came in pretty quick and looked small and they're was another smallish one following it so I put that rod in a holder and cast at the other. Briefly hooked the other but it spit the hook and split so finally netted this one which measured 37", unfortunately 3" too small given the new regs so it went back.

 

[RussGW270]

Nice Seafarerer

Looks like a beautiful day on the water. Never caught a Cobia, so looking forward to it.

 

[Fowl Hooked]

Congrats on the Cobia. The couple times I was stationed in HR we only ever chummed or sight cast and I never connected. The last few years up here in the MD portion of the lower bay I've had success trolling with inline planers (usually #2s) and surge tubes with dark red being the most productive. I adjust the length of line out so the planers are running just above bottom, maybe even hitting every now and then. Don't get a lot of hookups but every strike I've had has come tight and they've all been keeper fish.

 

[Seafarer_Bob]

Congrats on the Cobia. The couple times I was stationed in HR we only ever chummed or sight cast and I never connected. The last few years up here in the MD portion of the lower bay I've had success trolling with inline planers (usually #2s) and surge tubes with dark red being the most productive. I adjust the length of line out so the planers are running just above bottom, maybe even hitting every now and then. Don't get a lot of hookups but every strike I've had has come tight and they've all been keeper fish.

Thanks for the info, what speed did you troll? I'll give it a try and let you know if it works out.
A couple weeks ago I was trolling for Spanish Macks just east of the 4th island and watched a guy with a tower land 3 in about 20 minutes. After the third i switched my Clark spoons for Stretch 30's and hooked up trolling through a school of bunker, burned some line and pulled off. Went right through them again and hooked up again but really disappointed to see it was a dreaded 40# cow nose ray, ug...
One time I caught one trolling a big Rapala while sight casting in Destin so I know it works. I think the surgical tube would be much less likely to snag a ray so next time I'll troll a couple at Latimere shoals or middle grounds while sight fishing.

 

[Fowl Hooked]

Thanks for the info, what speed did you troll? I'll give it a try and let you know if it works out.
A couple weeks ago I was trolling for Spanish Macks just east of the 4th island and watched a guy with a tower land 3 in about 20 minutes. After the third i switched my Clark spoons for Stretch 30's and hooked up trolling through a school of bunker, burned some line and pulled off. Went right through them again and hooked up again but really disappointed to see it was a dreaded 40# cow nose ray, ug...
One time I caught one trolling a big Rapala while sight casting in Destin so I know it works. I think the surgical tube would be much less likely to snag a ray so next time I'll troll a couple at Latimere shoals or middle grounds while sight fishing.

The rays are thick and while they can provide some entertainment on a super slow day they are generally, as you say, a dreaded nuisance. I typically run between about 2.5-3.2 kts indicated GPS speed over ground. Good luck!