UTERCobia fishing in Chesapeake Bay
In Chesapeake Bay, cobia peak June–September and are around May–October, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. June: Sight-casting bucktails and eels to cobia on the surface around Cape Charles, the Bridge-Tunnel and buoys 36A/42; chum on the shoals.
Leaving with the first cool fronts.
Cobia in Chesapeake Bay, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilNot here
- MayArrivingFirst cobia in the lower bay late May — Virginia has opened its season in mid-June in recent years; check VMRC.
- JunePeakSight-casting bucktails and eels to cobia on the surface around Cape Charles, the Bridge-Tunnel and buoys 36A/42; chum on the shoals.
- JulyPeakSpanish, cobia and specks in the grass; stripers at dawn. Troll Clark spoons fast for Spanish on the lower-bay rips; topwater specks at dawn in Mobjack and Tangier; sheepshead on the Bridge-Tunnel pilings.
- AugustPeakCobia on the channel buoys and under the rays on the lower-bay shoals.
- SeptemberPeakBreaking fish return; bull reds and fall croakers. Stripers and blues busting bait under the birds — jig the schools. Jumbo croakers and spot on the channel edges before they leave.
- OctoberLeavingLeaving with the first cool fronts.
- NovemberNot here
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish cobia near Annapolis, Kent Island, Solomons
The biggest estuary in the country: 200 miles of brackish bay fed by the Susquehanna, Potomac, Patuxent, Choptank, Nanticoke, Rappahannock and James, with oyster bars, channel edges and lumps in the main stem, marsh islands down Tangier Sound, and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel's pilings and islands at the mouth. Salinity climbs from fresh at the Flats to ocean at Cape Henry.
Fish Scouter charts 850 wreck, 42 artificial reef spots in the The Chesapeake map area — the kinds cobia hold on.
What to use for cobia
- Live eelsHooked through the lips on a 5/0 to 7/0 circle hook and sight-cast to a cobia or dropped to a cobia on a ray — the eel is the cobia bait.
- PinfishHooked through the back ahead of the dorsal on a 2/0 to 4/0 circle hook; the small ones free-lined, the big ones on a fish-finder rig.
- Blue crabsWhole and small for permit and tarpon; halved or quartered on the bottom for black drum, redfish and cobia.
- Blue runners (hardtails)Nose-hooked and slow-trolled on a wire stinger rig for kings; bridled for sailfish and cobia.
- Finger mulletLip-hooked on a 2/0 to 4/0 circle hook and free-lined, or on a fish-finder rig in the surf. Cut mullet on the bottom for redfish and drum.
- Leader50–60 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook5/0–7/0
- Jig head1–1 1/4 oz
- Braid30–50 lb
Feeds in 66–84°F water, best at 68–78°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch cobia in Chesapeake Bay?
Peak season is June–September. Cobia are in Chesapeake Bay May–October. June: Sight-casting bucktails and eels to cobia on the surface around Cape Charles, the Bridge-Tunnel and buoys 36A/42; chum on the shoals.
Where do cobia hold in Chesapeake Bay?
Look on wreck, artificial reef, marker / buoy — around Annapolis, Kent Island, Solomons, Tilghman Island, Crisfield, Deltaville.
What is the best bait for cobia in Chesapeake Bay?
Live bait: live eels, pinfish, blue crabs, blue runners (hardtails). Live eels: Hooked through the lips on a 5/0 to 7/0 circle hook and sight-cast to a cobia or dropped to a cobia on a ray — the eel is the cobia bait. Tackle: leader 50–60 lb fluorocarbon, hook 5/0–7/0, jig head 1–1 1/4 oz, braid 30–50 lb.
Fish it with the tide in your pocket
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