Cobia

Chasing cobia around Ocean Springs, Mississippi, is a game of understanding the local forage. These fish move into the Mississippi Sound and surrounding brackish waters with the warming temperatures of spring and stick around through the summer. Focus your efforts around structure like buoys, pilings, and the nearshore islands – these are cobia magnets. Pay close attention to water clarity; cobia are sight feeders. Live eels or crabs are hard to beat, but bucktail jigs tipped with soft plastics also produce. A key local tip: the grass flats on the north side of the barrier islands can hold surprising numbers of cobia early in the morning as they hunt for baitfish. Adjust your depth based on the current; these fish will often hold deep to conserve energy. Remember that the cobia here are migratory, so their presence is tied directly to water temperature and bait availability.