Cobia fishing can be a lot of fun, but it’s important to use the right lures when targeting this fish. In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of the best cobia fishing lures on the market and why you should consider using them. We’ll also provide some tips on how to use these lures effectively to help you land more fish. So, if you’re looking to catch a big cobia, read on!
How To Choose Fishing Lures For Cobia
Before we go into how to choose fishing lures for cobia, there’s a few things you need to know.
Cobia are usually found offshore in open waters at depths of 300 feet to 2000 feet, but they also come inshore and can be caught near piers and jetties.
Because cobias feed on schools of menhaden, they are often found near the bottom. They have been known to move up in the water column to feed on krill and squid as those organisms rise to feed at night.
Cobia are solitary hunters but during mating season, they form pairs and hunt together. They feed on schooling fishes like menhaden, herring and mullet. They also eat squid and crustaceans like shrimp, crabs and lobsters.
Fishing Lures For Cobia
One of the best fishing lures for cobia is a topwater plug.
Topwater plugs resemble baitfish and when they are pulled through the water, their movement brings them to life, like it would in the mouths of hungry fish.
Other lures that will work for cobia are spoons, jigging spoons, metal or plastic diving minnows, swimming plugs, soft plastic lures and deep diving hard baits. Cobia are also attracted to the vibration of certain lures like rattling or vibrating plugs. They can be trolled or jigged. Running hollow body frogs just below the surface often bring cobia to strike. Before you choose fishing lures for cobia, it’s important to know that these fish are predators and they will take almost anything you offer them.
They can be caught on a wide variety of lures, but in order to catch cobia, you need to put your lure where the fish live.
Cobia hunting at night, if you want to catch those actively feeding fish, make sure you know where those feeding areas are located at night. Then make sure your lures are visible.
On the other hand, if you would prefer to catch cobia fishing in shallow water during the daytime, then use bright colors that stand out against the light-colored backgrounds of sand and seagrass.
With this much variety when choosing fishing lures for cobia, you just need to experiment to find out what works best.
Because cobia are so strong and aggressive, they will take many different lures, but remember that they are most likely to take lures that resemble their favorite food sources.
Top 6 Best Cobia Fishing Lures In 2022
#1 – Rapala Shallow Shad Rap (Best all-around lure)
The Rapala Shallow Shad Rap is one of the best lures that you can use for catching cobia because it will work in almost any situation. It works well when you’re trolling for cobia with slow speeds, but it can also be used to troll at high speeds. It is very versatile in that sense and offers the best of both worlds.
Another great thing about this lure is that it comes in various colors which you can use to imitate different kinds of prey fish like the peanut bunker, which is a very popular bait among cobia. Apart from that, some of the common colors for this lure are pink and silver shad patterns.
#2 – Mirrolure 17MR-49 Mirrodine Suspend Twitchbait (Best topwater lure)
Since hunting with live baits can be hit or miss when it comes to catching cobia, many anglers prefer to troll instead. This is where trolling lures like the Mirrolure 17MR-49 Mirrodine Suspend Twitchbait come in handy. They are excellent for attracting any bottom-dwelling fish and sometimes even pelagic species like cobia if they are passing by.
The best part about this lure is that you can troll it at 2 to 3 knots. You’ll be surprised by how easy it will be to attract the attention of cobia and make them bite! Because it works best when trolled slowly but actively, this is a great lure for those who like to fish with live baits as well.
#3 – Johnson Silver Minnow Lure
The Johnson Silver Minnow Lure is another good choice for cobia fishing because it works really well when you are trolling for them. You can use it with or without a harness, but the best thing to do would be to attach it to one so that you can have better control over your lure.
You’ll have no problem getting the attention of cobia with this lure because it is known for its rattling abilities. It has a stainless steel lip and will work best when trolled at speeds between 2 to 4 knots. When you feel that your line is running out, reel down just enough so that the Johnson Silver Minnow Lure only touches the surface of the water. This will allow you to troll slowly and consistently.
#4 – SMASHDIT Gobbler Saltwater Popper Lure (Best topwater lure for shallow water)
The SMASHDIT Gobbler Saltwater Popper Lure is one of the best options for cobia fishing in the marlin family because it’s no coincidence that it works so well when trolled. It works similarly to the Mirro-Lure and also has rattling blades, but it’s a lot bulkier than that one.
You’ll need to use this lure with a good amount of weight so that you can get it down near the bottom of the sea where cobia hang out frequently. You can go as low as 30 lbs., but 40 lbs. will work best for bringing cobia to the surface quickly!
#5 – Rapala X-Rap Jerkbait XR10 Fishing Lure (Best jigging lure)
The Rapala X-Rap Jerkbait XR10 Fishing Lure is one of the few lures that you can use with a spinning reel to jig for cobia. You can also troll this lure at any speed if you’re using a spin cast or spinning reel.
What makes this particular lure unique is that it has an internal rattle that produces vibration and noise underwater to attract the attention of other fish including cobia. This will help to ensure that cobia catches your bait and bite it.
The best colors for this lure are blue and white with red in the back.
#6 – Reef Runner 800 Series Deep Diver (Best heavy jigging lure)
The Reef Runner 800 Series Deep Diver is another great choice to use when you are jigging for cobia. It has a durable construction so it can handle being dragged across the seafloor without getting damaged.
This lure comes in various sizes, but the best one for cobia is around 5 inches and weighs 1/4 oz. It works well when paired with a light to medium jigging rod and reel combination and can be cast greater distances than what you’d typically expect from a lure that’s this heavy.
Conclusion
The best cobia fishing lures are the ones that you find work for your region and techniques. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to this type of lure, which makes finding the right one a little more difficult than before. That said, we hope these reviews will help steer you in the right direction and make your decision easier! If there’s anything else we can do to provide assistance please don’t hesitate to ask!