Cobia are big, hard-pulling speedsters that turn up around northern and eastern Australian waters. They are loved by anglers because they smash baits, fight dirty all the way to the boat, and make top-notch table fish as well.
In Australia, cobia are mostly found from northern WA across the Top End and down the Queensland coast, with the odd fish showing farther south in warm water. They hang around reefs, wrecks, headlands, pressure points, channel markers and bait-rich coastal areas, usually from inshore grounds out to the wider shelf. You will often find them mid-water or cruising high in the column rather than glued to the bottom.
Cobia eat baitfish, squid, crabs and just about anything meaty they can run down. They are curious hunters and will patrol structure, follow rays or large sharks, and pick off easy meals around schools of bait. When they switch on, they are not shy and will belt live baits, big plastics and flashy jigs.
Tide matters a lot, with the better bite usually around periods of run when bait is pushed past reefs, wrecks and headlands, especially around the turn into a building flow. Low light can help, but cobia will still feed well through the middle of the day if the water is clean and bait is present, so FishCast's light score is useful without being everything. Moderate wind is often fine if it creates a bit of current and boat drift without making things too messy, while strong wind can make it harder to hold position and present baits properly. Smaller to moderate swell is generally easier to fish and better around offshore structure, but a touch of movement can fire up bait and get cobia cruising.
A 15 to 24 kg outfit with solid drag is a good starting point, plus heavy leader because these fish are brutal near the boat and around structure. Live yakkas, fusiliers, slimies and squid are prime baits, fished on strong circles or live-bait rigs, and large soft plastics, stickbaits and jigs all work when fish are moving. If you mark them deep, keep a pitch bait ready because cobia often follow hooked fish or float up under the boat.
Cobia have a habit of suddenly appearing beside the boat out of nowhere, even after you have seen nothing on the sounder all day.