The story of Jaime DaSilva's record cobia—54.50   kilograms (120.1 pounds

I was tipped off by friends that cobia liked to hang around this unnamed reef in Baia de Sepetiba, a sound starting 50 km from the city of Rio de Janeiro. The information was correct because before this 54.5 kg cobia, my buddy and I have speared more than ten of them during the months of August and September. One was the bigger than this pending record—54.5 kg—but it was disqualify because my friend Gilberto doubled the shot.

In Friday, September 22nd, there we were again at the reef, late afternoon, when the fish supposedly feed. We were alone and conditions were just right: calm seas, 25 C temperature and 8 m underwater visibility. The reef is shallow. Its top is 6 m underwater and the gneiss and granite rocks are sprawled in small area of 100 m². The bottom isn't deep either—12 m.

Our plans were to shot big fish, therefore I was equipped with my new Mares Sten 130 air gun. my buddy Gilberto obliged and took the first tour of driving our 4.3 m aluminum skiff. I was to dive first. That I did and slid slowly to the top of our reef where I laid motionless waiting for cobia to come. It didn=t take to I be encircle by a group of five cobia. Self-control was difficult, because these guys were already big, in the 20-30 kg range. But somehow I knew the bigger ones were around.

I let this first group pass and started to swim back for air. What you know, mid-way to the surface, a huge fish slowly glided just next to my right fin, coming from behind. I just needed to raise the Sten a little bit and let go the shaft. It penetrated behind the head, at the spine base almost perpendicularly. The shaft trespassed the body while I was already at the surface.

The fish didn't fight much because it was a very good shot but I didn't stone it. The cobia contorted itself in a slow-motion like manner. Without further ado I embraced it in as a bear, grabbed my knife to finish the chore. At the same moment, Gilberto had the skiff on top of me. We gaffed the cobia and embarked it. Nevertheless, I think we'll see bigger cobia from this secret reef.

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Sheri Daye

Current woman's world record for cobia—51.3 pounds (23.2  kilograms), Palm Beach, Florida, April, 1,2006

by Sheri Daye

I was diving with my buddy, Chad Palan. It was our first dive on a deep wreck, and I followed him down but lost sight of him. I heard him shoot at the same time. He'd shot a monster grouper, and I shot a cobia. We surfaced at the same time and could see each others catch while working to subdue our own fish. We eventually landed our respective fish while his mother, Johnnie, drove the boat. I will always remember that as one of our single most productive dives and a great way to start the day.