The propwash trick did it. Wilson grabbed a deeply bent rod from its holder and played a speedy gamester. A pair of desperate runs ended with a 20-pound kingfish at boatside. Seconds later, another fish hit one of the freelined live baits and once again, Wilson leaned back into a fish—this one a 40-pound cobia.

Time and again, anglers have reported similar days offshore. I remember when we used to catch a lot of cobia in the St. Marys ship channel, and around the bait pods just off the beaches and inlet. But during the past few fishing seasons, it seems as though the nearshore cold water drove the cobia to offshore fish havens. Maybe change is good: Based on reports and from what I’ve seen, I’d say the summer of 2003 was the best cobia season we had in a long time.

Another neat summer trick for offshore cobia involves netting silver mullet in the tidal estuaries of northeast Florida and then targeting ledges and wrecks 5 to 10 miles offshore. Using a 5-ounce jig, barb a mullet through the open mouth and right out through one of the nostrils. Drop the rig to the bottom, reel up some 10 feet and set the rod in a transom rodholder. Barb two other mullet through the mouth with single 7/0 circle hooks and flatline them 30 to 50 feet off the transom. I prefer to set the drag so that line will feed off the spool freely, without backlashing. When a cobia takes the bait, allow a few seconds, then push the drag up and set the hook.

Once a hooked cobia is brought to the side of your boat, be alert and have a couple of extra rods ready to cast live baits or lures to other fish that might be tagging along. Also be prepared for a quick and clean gaff shot. Things can get messy when you bring a cobia into the boat. A fish that appeared exhausted in the water can suddenly turn into a twisting, thrashing crazy fish. Instruct someone to open the fish box before you sink the gaff—and have them slam and secure the lid the instant the fish lands in the box. Gaff the cobia right behind the head and with an upward motion, swing the fish into the boat and right into the box.

Look for some of the best offshore cobia action on fish havens within 5 to 10 miles of the many inlet mouths of northeast Florida. Included are the Daytona, Matanzas, St. Augustine, St. Johns, Nassau and the St. Marys inlets. Many of these structures are marked with GPS coordinates on local offshore fishing charts. Keep in mind that tidal effects of nearby inlets move good numbers of baitfish over these nearby fish structures.

So, when the effects of a summer thermocline hit the beaches of northeast Florida, look for cobia fishing to improve at nearby offshore reefs. Be sure and ring their “dinner bell” too!