There are fishing boats whose high price is a source of owner pride. Fans of Cobia boats, in contrast, are proudest of the value and fish-worthy performance they get for their hard-earned boating dollar.
Cobia, a center console specialist (one bay boat and a pair of dual consoles in the line), is a sibling of Maverick Boat Co.’s Maverick skiffs, Hewes backcountry boats and Pathfinder bay boats. It became part of the four-decade-established Maverick family a dozen years ago, its 50-plus years of building family-friendly boats now enriched by Maverick’s state-of-the-art production ideas and techniques.
Those who know Cobia boats praise their attributes quite evenly: less than one point on a 50-point scale spanned our categories of Fishability, Performance, Design/Construction and Value. The most appreciated individual traits came from each of those categories too. Those responses paint a picture of a cherished line of boats offering safe, efficient fishing with strong manufacturer backing.
Cobia makes its own wiring harnesses, specific to each boat (and labeled at each end to short-circuit mysteries!). Hoses are double-clamped, and through-hulls are stainless steel. All fasteners are through-bolted, seated in screw-retention materials or both.
All features to appreciate in a rugged, comfortable fishing boat, Cobia fans agree.
COBIA 301 CC
Cobia’s 296 CC was the country’s top-selling 30-footer, the company says; its new 301 CC is stepping into those big shoes with added features.
The cockpit’s bigger, at 82 square feet, and a new console design places controls and screens in optimal settings. An inward-opening side door makes it easy to boat big fish, enter and exit the boat for diving or snorkeling, and disembark dockside.
Anglers will find the tackle station upgraded with a freshwater sink and rigging station. A pair of 80-gallon insulated fish boxes feature macerated overboard drain pumps. Two independently watered 28-gallon livewells keep bait lively.
The family’s sure to like the electric head with sink/shower, towel bar, toilet-paper holder and mirror, and the electronically adjusted forward table/sun lounge stored in-floor. There’s seating ahead of the console, and at the bow you can add bow backrests and cushions too.
Power up with your choice of twin Yamahas, 250 or 300 hp. Other options include T-top or hardtop; flush-mount kite-rod holders; upgraded electronics, including autopilot and radar; and outriggers and a hardened acrylic windshield with integrated frame. Pick your hull color, and color-match the dash to it, if you like.
It’s a bold move, replacing a proven boat like the Cobia 296, but then, the new Cobia 301 CC is a bold fishing boat.
MORE INFO cobiaboats.com
