South Carolina-based saltwater angler Houston Stewart hits a local bridge in search of cobia in this video posted on the Salt Life YouTube channel. Follow along as Stewart shares his cobia kayak fishing tips, battling sharks and fishing with live and cut bait. Stewart’s efforts are rewarded with a personal-best cobia catch and what he ranks as “probably my favorite day of fishing ever.”
Fishing High and Low for Cobia
Cobia, also known as black kingfish and black salmon, are long, spindle-shaped fish with a broad, flat head. They resemble Remora, to which they are related, but lack the dorsal sucker of those species. Cobia are pelagic, but can be found hunting in estuaries and mangroves, and they are known to congregate near structure. They migrate between the Gulf of Mexico and as far north as Massachusetts.
Angling Under the Bridge
Stewart spots a group of fishing boats around a nearby bridge, signalling the cobia’s arrival in local waters. He pedals out and drops anchor in 46 feet of water, setting out his bait pole to catch Carolina whiting for live bait. Meanwhile, he also drops some cut bait to increase his odds of landing cobia—or an interloping shark. “There is definitely a potential to catch sharks, especially when you’re throwing it on bottom like I’m doing. Just gotta hope we don’t catch one so big it’s gonna pull me around everywhere,” Stewart warns. Sure enough, his first bite is a sharpnose shark.
First a Few Nibbles, Then Cobia Takes the Bait
Landing cobia takes patience, as Stewart feels the fish hit his bait “probably four or five times at least before he really took it.” Once hooked, the hard-fighting fish drags angler and kayak to the other side of the bridge before finally giving in. Stewart proudly holds up his 35-inch catch before releasing it, marking a new personal best. Best of all, “there’s still a month or two left of cobia fishing, so I’ll definitely be going for some more.”
Check out Houston Stewart’s Beaufort SC Fishing for more of his fun fishing highlights.