Cobia are a large and relatively unknown fish, close relatives of remora. Each spring, usually within a week or so of Mother’s Day, they mysteriously appear in the nearshore ocean and inshore waters along North Carolina’s coast. When they arrive, phone lines begin buzzing.
Cobia (Rachycentron canadum) often glide just under the surface and can be seen from above or through waves. At first glance, they appear to be some sort of cross between a shark and a catfish. Many are mistaken for sharks early in a fight and often cut off to free up time for catching more desirable fish — a bad mistake, as most fishermen find the white meat to be excellent. In fact, there’s a growing commercial market for them.
Cobia aren’t just mysterious, they are big, and that adds to the desire to catch them. The minimum size for an outstanding-catch citation is 40 pounds, and hundreds of citations are issued annually by the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries. Many cobia exceed 50 pounds, and 80 pounds is the benchmark for serious bragging rights. Typically, a few cobia approaching or heavier than 100 pounds are caught every year.
The state record is a 116-pound, 8-ounce bruiser caught by Billy Ray Lucas, Jr. of Wilson near Oregon Inlet on June 11, 2006. Of the four fish that held the record before Lucas’, all weighed more than 100 pounds, and three were caught along the Outer Banks.
Cobia are found worldwide in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate waters, except in the eastern Pacific. Abundant from Virginia south through the Gulf of Mexico, they migrate to the south and offshore to warmer waters during the winter and return in the spring in the largest numbers of the year.
In many places, cobia almost disappear during the summer, but that’s not the case off the Outer Banks. The numbers will decline a little after the spring push, but cobia roam the beaches, grass lines and rips throughout the summer and fall.
Cobia are attracted to just about any structure in the water, so nothing should be overlooked. They also follow large rays and turtles and may be alone or in small packs.
Cobia have white meat with a sweet, mild flavor and the demand for them is growing. According to NOAA Fisheries, most of the cobia in seafood markets and restaurants come from aquaculture operations.
Be the first to comment