When cobia are around Fourchon
Cobia fishing out of Port Fourchon is mostly rig fishing, with one named CCA reef and some natural hard bottom as the other options. If you run your own boat out of Port Fourchon, the plan is rigs first, then the reef, then bottom you find yourself. It won’t promise fish, but it tells you where to look first.
The pattern here is built around structure, and timing follows the broader migration. For the fish itself, read cobia biology and migration. For the larger picture, see the Gulf-wide pattern (see also the Gulf of Mexico region guide).
Where boats run
Boats out of Fourchon run to oil rigs, and that is the core of cobia fishing here. Most rig fishing starts with a stop at a platform to see what is holding around it. The reef and the natural hard bottom are the other structure on the plan.
| Structure | Role on a Fourchon cobia run |
|---|---|
| Oil rigs | Primary target |
| Jacob Meek Reef II | Named, fixed CCA reef |
| Natural hard bottom | Self-located with electronics |
The captain’s rig preference
The captain says mangroves and cobia both like oil rigs, and local captains fish them that way. The rigs where you already stop for mangrove snapper are places to look for cobia, so a single stop can serve both.
Grounds and structure off Port Fourchon
The structure here is one named reef, many unnamed rigs, and bottom you find yourself.
| Name | Type | Depth | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Meek Reef II (South Timbalier 165) | CCA artificial reef | 91 ft | About 45 miles south of Terrebonne Bay |
| Offshore oil rigs | Rigs | – | Fourchon area |
| Natural hard bottom | Unnamed bottom | – | Found with electronics |
Jacob Meek Reef II (South Timbalier 165)
Jacob Meek Reef II sits in 91 ft, about 45 miles south of Terrebonne Bay. It is a CCA reef in the South Timbalier 165 block that began as Jacob Meek Reef and was expanded and renamed, as reported in January 2025. It is the one fixed, findable target on the plan, and unlike rigs, it won’t drop off your list.
Offshore oil rigs
The rigs in the Fourchon area are unnamed and numerous, and no distance or depth is confirmed for them. Treat a saved waypoint as a starting point and verify each rig on your electronics when you arrive.
Natural hard bottom
Unnamed natural hard bottom is fished from Fourchon and found with electronics rather than from a published list. Run your sonar over likely areas, mark what shows, and save it as waypoints.
Use the Chart Contours layer in Breakpoint alongside your electronics to narrow where you search. Chart layers are not for navigation.
How cobia are fished here
Local methods are jigs and free-lined sardines, per the captain’s approach. Both are fished at the rigs, so have each ready at every stop.
Jigs
Keep a jig rod rigged and ready at every rig stop. Cobia don’t give you long to find the right tackle.
Free-lined sardines
Free-lined means no weight holding the bait down, so the sardine swims on its own. Keep a sardine ready to free-line at each stop.
Cobia on mangrove stops
Keep a cobia rod ready on snapper stops. Mangroves and cobia both like oil rigs, so the same stop can produce either one. For more on other rig and offshore species, see our gamefish guides.
Who fishes cobia out of Fourchon
Private boats running the rigs, the reef, and the hard bottom covered above are the main audience for cobia fishing out of Port Fourchon.
If you would rather fish with a guide, Down The Bayou Charters, with Capt. Joey Maciasz, lists cobia out of Fourchon, La.
FAQ: cobia fishing out of Port Fourchon
Where do cobia hold off Fourchon?
Oil rigs come first. Jacob Meek Reef II and unnamed natural hard bottom, found with electronics, are the other structure on the plan.
How deep is Jacob Meek Reef II?
91 ft, about 45 miles south of Terrebonne Bay. It is the South Timbalier 165 CCA reef, expanded and renamed Jacob Meek Reef II.
What baits work for Fourchon cobia?
Jigs and free-lined sardines, per the captain. Keep a jig rod rigged at each rig stop and a sardine ready to free-line.
Do cobia show up while snapper fishing?
Local captains say mangroves and cobia both like oil rigs. Keep a cobia rod ready on snapper stops.
Is there a charter that targets cobia?
Down The Bayou Charters, with Capt. Joey Maciasz, lists cobia out of Fourchon, La.
Where are the rules?
They depend on state versus federal waters. Check the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and NOAA Fisheries, and see the Regulations section above.
