Heads up to Cobia Anglers

Type: Chesapeake
Region: Southern
Location: Chesapeake Bay

Anglers in the lower Bay should be "on the lookout" (Pun intended for Point Lookout) for the first cobia arriving in our waters. Based on real time data from the Point Lookout CBIBS Buoy for June 18, water salinity is still low, but rising at 8.1 PSU and water temperature is 75.9 F. One good sign of the increasing water temperature is that two Spanish mackerel were taken recently in pound nets in Cornfield Harbor, the first of the season. Cobia and redfish are in the mouth of the Bay near Cape Charles, in VA waters, and should be working up the Bay towards Smith Point and the Tangier/Smith Island area. The Target Ships and Middle Grounds have been good locations to target cobia during the last two summers. The best baits have been live eels and other live fish baits (such as spot) deployed while chumming. Fresh chunks will also catch cobia. Reminder that you must use inline circle hooks while chumming, chunking or livelining, with large hooks in the 9/0-10/0 range advised for cobia. Cobia will also hit large bucktails with plastic trailers while sight casting, and will strike trolled surgical hoses and spoons intended for bluefish, Spanish mackerel and red drum. (Fun fact, the cobia in this photo was an upper Bay stray, caught several seasons ago near Love Point while chunking for striped bass.

As a final note, anglers now have a chance to comment on cobia management. There is a webinar being hosted tonight at 6PM (June 18) by ASMFC (to register, go to www.asmfc.org/calendar/06/2019/Webinar-Hearing-on-Atlantic-Cobia-Draft-Amendment-1/1393 ). The draft management plan for cobia is posted at www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/CobiaDraftAmendment1_PublicComment_May2019.pdf . Public comment will be accepted until 5 PM (EST) on July 15, 2019; submit comment to [email protected], Subject line: Cobia Amd 1.