Landing a cobia means fighting the fish in gear, keeping its head turned and pulling horizontally instead of straight down, avoiding high-sticking, and scooping it into an oversized rubber net before clearing the deck. In this How 2 Tuesday I finish my three-part series with Austin Hayne of FINAO Sport Fishing, who fishes the Chesapeake Bay where gaffing cobia is not allowed, so he has had to perfect a net-and-boat-handling routine to get these wild fish in the boat.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
You land it with boat control and a big net. In Virginia gaffing cobia is not allowed, so Austin fights every fish in gear, slides the angler to a back corner, and makes slow circles to keep the fish's head turned and the pull horizontal. When the fish tires he drives it up, slips into neutral so it floats forward, and scoops it into an oversized knotless rubber net. Then he clears the whole back deck before the fish comes over the rail, because cobia go wild once they are aboard.
Because boat control wins the fight. Austin never goes neutral during the fight; he keeps the boat in gear so he can keep the line tight, steer the fish into a back corner, and make controlled circles. If he sees slack he can tighten it up with the boat. With clients of every skill level, being able to drive and manage the fish from the helm lets him fight the fish even when the angler is inexperienced.
High-sticking is when you pull the rod way back into a deep bend so it acts like a fulcrum, putting all the strain on you and almost none on the fish, and it can snap a rod. You think you are gaining that last inch to get the net under the fish, but you are not really pulling on the fish at all. It is better to drop the rod tip toward the water, almost down to the leader knot, and lift from there so you actually move the fish.
Because cobia thrash violently boatside and tend to make a hard run straight down. Austin says they pull off a lot of fish, and roughly seventy-five percent of his losses come on that vertical, straight-down run right at the boat. That is exactly why he keeps the pull horizontal, never lets the fish go past the center console, and keeps control of the head all the way to the net.
An oversized knotless rubber net. Austin buys the biggest net he can find because cobia will turn their tail and hop right back out of a net that is too small. He uses a knotless rubber net so the exposed treble or circle hook does not tangle in the mesh while the fish rolls, which is how he used to lose fish. He grabs the base of the mesh and the metal bar together, slides the fish in, and opens the bottom so it drops all the way in.
Unhook it in the net and revive it boatside. Austin removes the hook while the fish is still in the net, ideally within about thirty seconds, watching the dorsal spines since cobia have no teeth. For a release he either lets the fish settle in the net before it swims off or holds it off the side of the boat until it kicks out of his hand. The goal is a quick, low-stress release that gets the fish back swimming strong.
This is the third and final episode in my run with Austin Hayne of FINAO Sport Fishing. We covered hooking the fish and choosing gear, and now we finish the job: actually getting a big, wild cobia into the boat, measuring it, and either boxing it or releasing it. Virginia has an interesting rule that you cannot gaff these fish, so Austin has had to figure out a landing routine that works without one.
The thing that stuck with me is how much of landing a cobia is boat work. Austin fights every fish in gear, slides the angler to a low-gunwale back corner, and makes slow circles, never letting the fish pull past the center console or run straight down. He believes that vertical, straight-down run at the boat is where most fish are lost. Hear how he talks his mate through forward and neutral to float the fish up at the end.
His net setup is full of hard-won detail. The biggest knotless rubber net he can find, grabbed by the mesh and bar at once so he is not chasing the fish, and a deck cleared of people before the cobia comes over the rail, because they go berserk just like a mahi. For releases he unhooks in the net and revives the fish boatside. Austin is going to be on as a full-length guest soon, so listen to all three of these and get ready for that.
Watch or listen above to get the full breakdown in my own words.
How 2 Tuesday is my weekly series where I break down one fishing skill at a time, from knots and casting to gear, tactics, and the habits that make you a better angler. Watch and listen to every How 2 Tuesday episode from Tom Rowland.
I'm Tom Rowland, a lifelong fishing guide, tournament angler, and the host of the Tom Rowland Podcast. I spent decades guiding in the Florida Keys and competing at the highest levels of saltwater fishing, and I've fished everywhere from the Seychelles to Louisiana. How 2 Tuesday is my weekly tutorial series where I pass along the skills, gear choices, and small refinements that have made the biggest difference in my own fishing.
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