Properly fishing a current rip can put some hefty cobia in your boat in the spring months. Photo by Pete Cooper Jr.

In many cases the fish suddenly appears startlingly near the boat. For a moment everyone aboard stares, amazed that something that large could get so close without being spotted sooner. The next reaction -- at least by the neophytes within the crew -- is to think, "Shark!"

Despite the resemblance a cobia may have to a shark, veteran anglers recognize the fish for what it is, and if any of the crew has managed to retain enough sense to make a cast, the fish may be hooked. That scenario is most likely if the cobia is encountered along an offshore current rip.

There are two major variables in targeting cobia -- finding a fish to cast at that has not been subjected to angling pressure and having the subsequent contest end in your favor. Along the northern Gulf coast, there is a factor that can minimize the variables of the first problem. It is created by opposing offshore currents that meet to form "rips." These phenomena attract cobia like magnets.

UNDERSTANDING RIPS
Rips are dynamic, moving away from and toward shore and forming, breaking up and reforming with the changes of the tide. For targeting cobia, those found in roughly 30 to 100 feet of water are of the most interest, though much deeper "blue-water" rips can also hold fish, especially during late spring.

There is a good reason why rips attract cobia. The clashing waters collect flotsam. Cobia love to hang around floating objects. This behavior is based on the fact that various forage species regularly seek protection beneath such debris. Therefore, a flotsam-laden rip is just like a cafeteria line for hungry cobia. You can be assured that any of these predators encountered in such a situation is there for the single purpose of eating. That's why rips make the "hooking" part of the cobia equation relatively certain.

In spite of this rule of thumb, however, some rips need not hold flotsam to attract cobia. Debris-free rips with good current and a sharp color change are definitely worth checking out and even more so if baitfish, shrimp or crabs are present. In fact, cobia are usually more easily spotted along barren rips than trashy ones. The latter tend to be foamy, which can mask the presence of the fish. (Continued)

Still, the best potential is usually around areas of rip-accumulated flotsam. The flotsam can be composed of natural material such as freshwater or saltwater grasses and logs, but may also be manmade objects.

RIP TACTICS
Once a promising rip has been located, you have to then decide how to best "run" it. Actually, you should be going only a little faster than dead slow when fishing the rip and moving in the direction where sub-surface visibility and the sun's glare are most favorable. Though swells or surface chop on your stern or quarters can influence the run too, the ability to see into the water takes priority.

Despite sounding like I'm advocating a departure from the rule just noted, when it is possible I prefer running a rip on its "dirty side." This allows me to spot fish in water that might have masked them had I been working the clear side. Cobia often patrol the edge of the dirtier water, so concentrating your search on the clear side can be a mistake. Besides, fish on that clear side are easy to spot, even from some distance. Ideally, you want to run along the dingier side, manipulating the circumstances as much as possible to see into the dirty water and depending on any fish along the far side to be easily seen.