Cobia
Pelagic / OffshorePelagic predator of WA's North Coast and Gascoyne, often mistaken for a shark on the first sighting. Holds tight to isolated bommies, FADs, mooring buoys, and any floating structure in blue water. Strong, dirty fighter that tries to bury you in the reef, and one of the better-eating pelagics on the WA coast.
Cobia are a curious, structure-loving pelagic found from Kalbarri north along the entire WA coast, with the best fishing through the Gascoyne, Pilbara, and Kimberley. They have the silhouette of a small shark or remora and often cruise solo or in pairs around isolated bommies, anchored boats, FADs, and mooring buoys. They're not a fast schooling fish like mackerel — they're an investigator, and a slow-presented bait or jig dropped into their world usually gets eaten. Once hooked, they fight hard and dirty, repeatedly trying to wrap the line on whatever structure they were holding on.
Live mullet, live yakkas, whole pilchards, squid, fresh fish strip
Large soft plastics (7–9 inch jerkshads), slow-pitch jigs, vertical jigs, popping lures over shallow bommies
Heavy spin or overhead outfit with 30–50lb braid and a 60–80lb fluorocarbon leader. A running sinker or no-sinker rig with a 7/0–9/0 circle hook for live and dead baits. For jigs and plastics, a heavy assist rig — cobia inhale lures and a single hook through the head holds best.
When you mark a bommie or pass an anchored boat, give it a wide drift first and watch for cobia cruising in the shadow. Drop a live bait or pitch a soft plastic ahead of the fish — they'll usually swim over to investigate. On the strike, lock up immediately and pull them away from structure or you'll lose them. They're notorious for one or two long, low runs before they sound, so don't relax until the leader is in hand.
Cobia bite year-round in northern WA but are more active through the warmer months from October to April. Slack tide and tide changes around isolated structure produce best. Bright, sunny days actually help — easier to spot fish cruising the shadow line of a bommie.
Up to 60kg, commonly 8–25kg
Year-round (north of Kalbarri)
Excellent — firm, white, mild flesh with good thickness off the fillet. Sashimi quality when bled and iced immediately. Skin off, pan-sear or grill thick steaks; smaller fish are good crumbed.
Bag limit: 2 (within WA's large pelagic mixed-species daily limit). Minimum size: 750mm. A Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence (RFBL) is required when fishing from a powered boat. Always check current DPIRD rules — regulations may change.
Always carry a pitch rod ready when working bommies — cobia appear and disappear quickly and you don't want to be re-rigging. A wide-gape gaff is better than a net for fish over 15kg. Bleed and ice immediately; flesh quality drops fast in the heat. Keep an eye on mooring buoys around Coral Bay, Exmouth, and Onslow on the run home — cobia hold on them more often than people realise.