Cobia (Ling)

Rachycentron canadum

Offshore TABLE: Excellent DIFFICULTY

Long, brown, shark-like fish with a broad flat head and white lateral stripe; often mistaken for a shark or remora at the surface. Galveston fish commonly 20-50 lb, with 60-80+ lb possible.

⚖ Texas & federal limits
Bag, size and season rules apply — several offshore species run on federal seasons that open and close by the year. Check the current TPWD Outdoor Annual →. Live season status: Cobia season page →.

On the water

WhenSpring through fall as water warms; a classic sight-fishing target on calm, clear days. Best midday with good light to spot them cruising the surface near rigs and floating objects.WhereNearshore and offshore rigs, buoys, wrecks, weedlines, and around large surface objects and rays/turtles; also platforms and anchor lines from ~5-40 nm. They cruise near the surface around structure.HowSight-cast to fish spotted at rigs/buoys and surface objects with jigs or live bait, or drop/freeline live bait around structure. Keep a rigged pitch rod ready at every rig - cobia often rise to inspect the boat.BehaviorCurious, structure- and object-oriented predators that follow rays, turtles, and boats and hang around rigs/buoys hunting crabs, baitfish, and eels; they'll come to a chum slick.The fightPowerful, stubborn, and unpredictable; strong runs and dogged head-shaking, with a wild rodeo once boatside.

Baits that work

Live eels, pinfish, hardtails, croakers, and crabs (top live baits)
Large bucktail jigs (chartreuse/white)
Soft-plastic eels and swimbaits
Cut bait around rigs

Tackle

Rod & reelMedium-heavy 7-7.5 ft spinning or conventional with strong dragLine30-50 lb braidLeader40-80 lb fluoroTerminalCircle or J hook 5/0-8/0; heavy bucktails and jigs for sight-castingRigWeighted bucktail/eel jig for pitching, or a live-bait knocker/freeline rig

The bait clock

☀ DawnLive hardtail or croaker near rigs/buoys

Early calm makes spotting surface cruisers around structure easiest.

☼ MiddayBucktail jig w/ eel-tail or live bait sight-cast

Cobia (ling) is a daytime sight fishery around rigs, buoys, and weed lines under high sun.

☾ DuskLive bait or large jig near structure

Fish still hold on shade lines of structure but spotting them gets hard.

[{'months': [6, 7, 8, 9], 'note': 'Summer around nearshore platforms, anchored ships, and buoys off Galveston.'}]

Finding a fish to throw at is the whole game; high-sun visibility beats dawn for this species.

Don’t confuse it with

Bull Shark

A cobia swimming at the surface reads as a small shark: dark brown, flat head, pectorals held out. Look for the long first dorsal of short separate spines and a forked, not lunate, tail.

Not sure? Point the Fish ID camera at it →

Keep or release

Handling & releasePelagic/near-surface - no barotrauma. Caution: cobia go berserk in the boat and are strong - gaff or net decisively and control before bringing aboard; don't put a green fish in the box. For release, revive alongside the boat.On the tableFirm, white, mild - one of the best-eating Gulf fish.As baitNo - top-tier table fish.

The bar to beat

Texas state record	108.44 lb · 71.0″ — Michael Albanese	Gulf of Mexico, TX, 1998
World record	135.56 lb — Peter William Goulding	Shark Bay, Australia, 1985

Records as compiled in the IronJetty guide (Aug 2026) — verify current marks with TPWD records / IGFA. World record 135 lb 9 oz. Locally called 'ling'.

Fish for them with a verified captain Are they biting right now? →