# cobia sight casting setup



## fish123 (Aug 26, 2008)

I want to buy a sight casting setup for cobia from piers. I was thinking a baitrunner 6500 with 50 pound braid, what rod do you guys recommend? I am only going to use it a couple times a year, so I don't want to spend to much.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Go with uglystick,medium heavy,8'er..... Good rod to sightcast off the pier,not only durable for the beatings a rod can take on the pier,but cast a 3oz jig just fine,and has the backbone to handle a big cobe...

Go with a penn slammer for the reel.. Cost a little more,but has an excellent drag that is money well spent,and holds up well... Also,put ya some braid on there,at least 300yrds of 30 or 40lb test.. Use a good length of 50 mono to keep them out of the pilings if necessary..


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## chris storrs (Aug 25, 2005)

2nd vote for ugly stick...thats what i shoulda done..instead got a broken rainshadow and 250 bucks down the drain for a sightcasting rod..

i went with a bg 30 50 pound braid and carbontex washers..plastic ones come stock..and plastic just dont seem right to me...any quality reel will work like dd said the slammer or new conquer would be great...my sellin point on the bg was the 89$ pricetag


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

chris storrs said:


> 2nd vote for ugly stick...thats what i shoulda done..instead got a broken rainshadow and 250 bucks down the drain for a sightcasting rod..
> 
> i went with a bg 30 50 pound braid and carbontex washers..plastic ones come stock..and plastic just dont seem right to me...any quality reel will work like dd said the slammer or new conquer would be great...my sellin point on the bg was the 89$ pricetag


Forgot about BG,Chris,great reel.... Yeap you got it right.... Rainshadow on the boat,uglystick on the planks,holds up better.....


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## osiya47 (Jul 4, 2009)

7ft medium tiger lite rod and a cj55s cedros with 55lbs daiwa boat braid and a top of 60 mono and ur set to go cost bout 170.00 for the rod n reel and bout 44.00 more for the daiwa boat braid but dont matter what braid you use but my sellin point for this was the very nice and smoth round handle 6.1.1 ratio and you can adjust how the line lays onto the reel with just a slip of some shims that come with the reel. the rod itself will handle just bout anything you can throw at it and this can also double over as a king stick or tossin jigs to strippers or drum got 3 of these setups but got the cj80s and a 50-100 tiger for vertical jiggin and wow what a rod....
http://www.tackledirect.com/okuma-cedros-spinning-reels.html (reel)
http://www.tackledirect.com/ugstiktigrod.html (rod)


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## Kingfshr (Jan 31, 2009)

Basspro 8 or 9ft Cobia Special rods work really good.


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## osiya47 (Jul 4, 2009)

i almost bought that one seems like a great pitch rod how does it handlea fish


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## Charlie2 (May 2, 2007)

*Sight Fishing for Cobia*

Sight fishing for cobia is one of the times that I go to a spinner; the other is UL but that's another story.

I use a modidied Mitchell 402. It has a manual bail, updated drags and a modified handle. I use 17 lb BG mono line on it with a 50 lb test bite leader..

I use it on a 9 foot home built fiberglass rod that I made so many years ago that I really can't remember what it was when I first built it. I have refurbed it many times. 

I use either a Big Ben Cobia Jig with a strip of squid or pork rind or 'Cobia Candy"; a small fiddler catfish with spines clipped (for my well being); the Cobia doesn't care. JMHO C2


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## seajay (Dec 18, 2005)

Hard to beat an old 402.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Mitchell-Garcia...665?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19bef37901
Put this on an old Ugly.:fishing::beer:


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Charlie2 said:


> Sight fishing for cobia is one of the times that I go to a spinner; the other is UL but that's another story.
> 
> I use a modidied Mitchell 402. It has a manual bail, updated drags and a modified handle. I use 17 lb BG mono line on it with a 50 lb test bite leader..
> 
> ...


 Cobia do have those times when they just WILL NOT EAT... Up here there are many times they will swim away from a jig when casted their way.. Often we can take an eel and cast that to them to get their attention,although sometimes that doesn't even work...

Would like to try a bluecrab about 3" across the horn,sightcasted at a cobe in the same way you would sightcast to a permit where you fish.. Here we cannot have a crab that small in our possesion,unless we were to substitute a calico,and they can be very difficult to find..... Would like to try it sometime,just a pain to find calicos and keep them alive to fish with..

Have you ever had any success using a crab that small down there where it is legal to use them??


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## fish123 (Aug 26, 2008)

How about an old Penn 704Z? Do 402s and 704s handle braid?


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## seajay (Dec 18, 2005)

Yes and Yes:fishing::beer:


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## toejam (Jan 28, 2005)

Drumdum,,,,,, have you ever tried a whole ghost crab?... I have had good luck using them whole for big drum. Down here you can get a bucket full in short order at night on the beach with a good lite and crab net. I don't do any kobe combat fishing.


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## Charlie2 (May 2, 2007)

*Sight fishing for Cobia*

Cobia, Ling are often called Crab Eaters by many because of their appetite for crabs.

I don't use crabs but fiddler catfish because of all the cobia that I have butchered had stomachs(maws) that were literally festooned with broken off catfish spines. Maybe some were broken off crab points(I didn't ask).

You're correct in saying that they can get 'lockjaw ' at times. By the time they get up here in the Panhandle of Florida, they've possibly seen every iteration of every lure/bait.

The Upperman Big Ben Jig is a flat topped jig which makes it easier to keep it in the fish's sight range. You want to keep the bait/lure right on it's nose. I think that they're near sighted anyhow.

I don't know how the oil spill is going to affect the Fall run. I'm waiting with baited breath. C2


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## johnfl (Dec 16, 2009)

Shimano Teramar TMS80XXH and a Spheros 8000FB with 200 yards of #50 braid and mono backing.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Charlie2 said:


> Cobia, Ling are often called Crab Eaters by many because of their appetite for crabs.
> 
> I don't use crabs but fiddler catfish because of all the cobia that I have butchered had stomachs(maws) that were literally festooned with broken off catfish spines. Maybe some were broken off crab points(I didn't ask).
> 
> ...


 Have cleaned bunches upon bunches of cobes here in Hatteras,can't remember one that I have cleaned that didn't have at least a bluecrab in it's belly... Most are slam packed with calicos.. Fildler may work,and can get a few of those,but a whole calico or bluecrab would probably cast better... When fishing in Va Beach many of the fish had no crabs,just squid.. They're wierd critters,so ain't no telling what they might have in their bellys,have found rays,small butterfish,shrimp,bluefish,lingcod,a regular seafood deli.. 



As far as jigs,I use what is called a Mahat jig,it's a version of the 3oz arrowhead jig... Yeah it does sink a shade faster,but has such a wide profile from the side that a cobe will flat out turn on it and suck it down.. Haven't really had a problem with it sinking too fast.. Very few refusals on that jig,unless it is really late in the season and fish have seen everything out there.. Best jig for fishing wrecks,aside from maybe the butterfly jig that I have found.. jmo.. We also have what is called a squid jig up here that many use with great sucess,but haven't had the need to switch...

Wish you luck on the oilspill,as well as us.. Our fish come from that way,so whatever ya'll got directly affects our fishing in the long haul..


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## johnfl (Dec 16, 2009)

A 6500 Baitrunner is a beast if your going Baitrunner check the 3500B try to keep the reel around 18-20oz if your casting a 8' heavy action rod.


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## NCFishing (Dec 26, 2012)

I personally have a 700 battle on a star stellar boat 15 to 40lb class 7'. Its a nice stiff setup and you dont need a long rod to cast a 3 oz jig a mile... especially with braid. I use 50lb pp albrighted to a bit of 50 lb topshot


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

NCFishing said:


> I personally have a 700 battle on a star stellar boat 15 to 40lb class 7'. Its a nice stiff setup and you dont need a long rod to cast a 3 oz jig a mile... especially with braid. I use 50lb pp albrighted to a bit of 50 lb topshot



At the time this thread was posted,did not know as much about the battle. My son uses the 6000 battle on the planks,holds plenty of 30lb fireline which will pull trucks,with 80lb mono leader attached with bimini to "braid style" no-name. Now I know it is a cheaper lighter reel with and EXCELLENT DRAG! It handles braid well also.. Still sticking with the 8' ugly stick rod for durability on the planks.. Very affordable setup that does well..


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## surf rat (Jun 30, 2004)

Just noticed date.


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## NCFishing (Dec 26, 2012)

Yup it has a great drag, especially since it has 25 lbs of drag. It stops big rays in their tracks


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