When cobia are around Georgetown
Cobia fishing out of Georgetown is a spring fishery, according to FishingBooker. That covers timing for boats running from the waters around the Georgetown port page.
For biology and migration, read our cobia species guide. For the regional picture up and down the coast, see the Atlantic Southeast cobia guide (see also the Atlantic Southeast offshore fishing guide).
Where boats run from Georgetown
Boats fish Winyah Bay and run to nearshore reefs and wrecks close to the Gulf Stream.
Winyah Bay
Carolina Guide Service species list includes cobia among the Winyah Bay species it fishes. The bay is the inside option for a boat that stays near the entrance.
Nearshore reefs and wrecks
Harvest Moon nearshore charters fish nearshore reefs and wrecks close to the Gulf Stream. The table below lists named grounds and their depths.
Reading conditions at NIWS1
NOAA NDBC station NIWS1 sits at Oyster Landing in the North Inlet-Winyah Bay Reserve, at 33.349 N, 79.189 W. It reports conditions in that sheltered water, which will differ from what you find over a 110 ft reef offshore.
Pair it with the official NWS marine forecast, read wind, wave height and period as numbers, and decide from those.
Named grounds and structure
The named reefs off Georgetown run from 12 ft to 110 ft, listed here from shallow to deep toward the Gulf Stream.
| Reef | Depth (ft) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hector Reef | 12 | |
| Georgetown Nearshore Reef | 30 | |
| Georgetown Reef | 35 | |
| North Inlet Reef | 45 | |
| C J Davidson Jr Reef | 53 | 147 degrees, 6.5 nm from channel buoy 2WB, one buoy marked |
| Cape Romain Reef | 55 | |
| Greenville Reef | 85 | |
| Vermilion Reef | 110 |
The bearing and distance from channel buoy 2WB give you one fixed line to plot from. Chart layers are not for navigation, so plot from official charts.
How cobia are fished here
Local boats free-line live bait when pelagic fish are active and bottom fish the reefs otherwise.
Free-lined live bait
Harvest Moon free-lines live bait when pelagic fish are active. Those same conditions are a cue to watch for other pelagics in the water, which the coastal and offshore gamefish guides cover.
Bottom fishing the reefs
FishingBooker names bottom fishing on reefs as a second approach. The structure in the table above is where that method applies.
Who fishes for cobia out of Georgetown
Two local charters list cobia:
- Carolina Guide Service, Capt. Jordan Pate. Lists cobia among Winyah Bay species.
- Harvest Moon Fishing Charters, Capt. R.C. Ferdon. Fishes nearshore reefs and wrecks and free-lines live bait when pelagics are active.
FAQ about cobia fishing out of Georgetown
When do cobia show up off Georgetown?
Spring, per FishingBooker.
How far is C J Davidson Jr Reef from the channel?
It sits 6.5 nm from channel buoy 2WB on a bearing of 147 degrees, in 53 ft of water. One buoy is marked.
Which buoy do I check?
NOAA NDBC station NIWS1 at Oyster Landing, 33.349 N, 79.189 W. It reports conditions in the reserve water, so pair it with the NWS marine forecast.
What methods do local boats use?
Harvest Moon free-lines live bait when pelagic fish are active. FishingBooker also names bottom fishing on reefs.
Do cobia come into Winyah Bay?
Carolina Guide Service lists cobia among its Winyah Bay species.
