There is no getting around it, cobia are a tasty fish. A 30-pound fish contains enough thick, pork chop-sized fillets to feed a small crowd, and the flesh is hardy enough to go straight on the grill without added reinforcement. A hot grill, salt, pepper, lemon juice and a good sear on each side is the perfect recipe for a fish that needs little else to garner rave reviews.
Unfortunately, because of their reputation as a swimming pork chop, many anglers do not practicing catch and release. However, restraint and protection of the fishery is gaining popularity, especially among professionals who depend on the species to generate future business and conservation-minded sportsmen.
State regulations allow fishermen to keep two fish per day, with a 33-inch size minimum (fork-length measure). Between late April and early June on the Broad River, a boat with three anglers can keep up to six cobia a day, an average of 150 pounds of fish. With the vast number of anglers on the water each day, the amount of fish removed from the population each year could be staggering.
Oldfield Plantation in Okatie, where guide Jason DuBose is headquartered, has created self-imposed regulations to help reduce the number of cobia removed each year.
“We limit cobia to two per boat in inshore waters and to one per angler in offshore trips,” he said.
Nutting takes things a step farther. “I am 100-percent catch-and-release on my charters,” he said.
Many fishermen believe the two-fish daily limit may no longer be restrictive enough considering the huge increase in fishing pressure over the past several years.
Releasing a cobia is not always an easy task. Inexperienced anglers who assume a cobia is whipped at the end of a fight often throw them to the floor of the boat and are rewarded with chaos and broken gear as a big fish with plenty of juice left proceeds to tear their boat apart from the inside out.
“Use a boga-grip to gain control of the fish while it is still in the water, but be careful you do not twist your wrist, especially if it was a quick fight,” Nutting said.
Many of Nutting’s fights are quick ones, because his goal is to release a healthy fish, and the gear he uses is stout enough to get the job done quickly.
“I use the same set up I do for tarpon, which is a 50-pound fluorocarbon leader and 12-weight fly rods,” he said. “Too many anglers use gear that is light and exhaust the fish to the point that reviving is very difficult after the fight is over.”
No matter the decision, hook-and-cook or catch-and-release, the key to insuring years of great fishing lies in restraint. Go ahead and keep a few for the grill, but also release more than required.
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