Cobia fishing out of South Padre Island means a run past the Brazos Santiago Pass jetties to reefs, a wreck, the shelf edge, rigs and FADs. Locals call cobia "ling." This page lists the named structure, depths, distances, the nearest weather station and the charters that list the fish. The South Padre Island port page covers the rest of the port, and the cobia species guide covers the fish itself.
When cobia show up off South Padre Island
Local charters list cobia on 8-10 hour trips and give no season. Plan around the trip length rather than a calendar.
A full day leaves time to run to the outer structure and still fish more than one stop. If you run your own boat, build the day the same way: a long run out, several stops, a long run back.
Where boats run and the structure that holds cobia
Texas Sportfish says cobia hold under floating or stationary objects offshore. Each ground below is a place to look for that kind of object. The table runs from the pass outward.
| Structure | Depth | Distance/position | Cobia note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazos Santiago Pass jetties (North and South) | Flank the pass entrance to the Gulf | ||
| Port Isabel Reef | 75 ft | FishingBooker lists cobia | |
| RGV Reef | |||
| Texas Clipper | 134 ft | About 17 nm off South Padre Island | TPWD expected cobia |
| Continental shelf edge | Starts to drop around 30 miles offshore | ||
| Deep-water oil rigs (incl. Perdido) | Stationary structure | ||
| Texas FAD network (Hilton / HBGFC buoys) | About 1300 ft | Floating/stationary object |
Brazos Santiago Pass jetties
The North and South jetties flank the pass entrance to the Gulf, and every run out of South Padre Island starts between them.
Port Isabel Reef
Port Isabel Reef sits in 75 ft of water. FishingBooker lists cobia at Port Isabel among the fish it holds.
RGV Reef
The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Reef is a named ground near the port. Boats working the reef grounds out of South Padre Island include it in their stops.
Texas Clipper
The Texas Clipper sits in 134 ft, about 17 nm off South Padre Island. TPWD expected cobia at the wreck.
Continental shelf edge
The shelf starts to drop around 30 miles offshore, and that is where the runs get longer. The wider Gulf cobia picture (see also the Gulf of Mexico fishing guide) helps place this edge against the rest of the western Gulf.
Deep-water rigs and Perdido
Deep-water oil rigs, including Perdido, are stationary objects, which fits the pattern Texas Sportfish describes for where cobia hold.
Texas FAD network
The Hilton and Houston Big Game Fishing Club buoys sit in about 1300 ft. FADs are fish aggregating devices, meaning floating structure.
Conditions station
The nearest station is NDBC/TCOON station BZST2 (8779749), SPI Brazos Santiago, TX, at 26.067N 97.155W. Chart positions and map layers are not for navigation. Before you run, read wind, wave height and period against the official coastal waters forecast.
How cobia are fished out of South Padre Island
Local trips that list cobia are mixed trolling and bottom fishing days of 8-10 hours. The structure calls for both: you troll between stops and fish the bottom at them.
The stops are the structure in the table. Check floating and stationary objects as you go, including FADs, rigs and the wreck. For other fish that share these grounds, see the coastal and offshore gamefish pages.
Who fishes cobia from South Padre Island
These local charters list cobia. If you want to learn the grounds before running your own boat, this is a place to start.
REEL Madness
South Padre Island Sportfishing runs REEL Madness, a 38 ft sportfisher that takes up to 6 passengers. Captain Todd Lohry runs the boat.
Texas Sportfish
Texas Sportfish, the operator quoted above, runs the boats Miss Directed and Miss Guided.
SaltWalker Sport Fishing
SaltWalker Sport Fishing Charters is Captain Michael Walker, based at Sea Ranch Marina.
Epic Charters Unlimited
Epic Charters Unlimited lists Captain Roy Songy, per its Guidesly profile.
Osprey II
Osprey Cruises runs the 70 ft Osprey II fishing trips.
FAQ about cobia fishing out of South Padre Island
When do cobia show up off South Padre Island?
Local charters list cobia on 8-10 hour trips and give no season. Plan around trip length rather than a calendar.
How far is the Texas Clipper and how deep is it?
The Texas Clipper sits in 134 ft, about 17 nm off South Padre Island. TPWD expected cobia there. It is one of the named grounds boats run to from Brazos Santiago Pass.
Where do cobia hold offshore here?
Per Texas Sportfish, cobia hold under floating or stationary objects. Local examples are the FADs in about 1300 ft, the deep-water rigs including Perdido, and the Texas Clipper in 134 ft.
What does a local cobia trip look like?
It is a mixed trolling and bottom fishing day of 8-10 hours. The stops follow the structure: reefs, the wreck, FADs and rigs, with floating and stationary objects checked along the way.
Which buoy should I check before running the pass?
Use NDBC/TCOON station BZST2 (8779749), SPI Brazos Santiago, TX, at 26.067N 97.155W. Before you run, read its wind, wave height and period against the official coastal waters forecast.
