A 109-Pound Cobia at York Spit

On June 10, 2006, an angler anchored at York Spit in the lower Chesapeake Bay boated a cobia that weighed 109 pounds. It broke a long-standing Virginia record. This is what is known about the catch, drawn from the state’s announcement.

The catch

Joseph F. Berberich II of Hayes was fishing with his wife and two friends aboard his boat, the Sea Berb, anchored and chumming with ground menhaden. After a fight of about twenty minutes, they boated a cobia that weighed 109 pounds, measured 69.5 inches and had a girth of 33.25 inches. The Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament certified it as a new state record, replacing the previous record of 104 pounds 8 ounces. The fish also won the Hampton Creek Cobia Tournament.

Why it is remarkable

It broke a long-standing record from a boat anchored in the lower Bay in June, the month cobia are in the area.

Connection to the waterway

Cobia are a signature summer fish of the lower Bay and the bridge-tunnel, covered in the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel guide. York Spit is a separate fishing ground and not part of the bridge-tunnel.

The lower Bay in June

Cobia are a signature summer fish of the lower Chesapeake Bay and the bridge-tunnel. A 2016 Soundings article says the run lasts from late June to late September. Anglers there use live eels on circle hooks and menhaden chum, and spin casters throw large bucktails with paddletails at cobia they can see. Berberich’s method, anchored and chumming with ground menhaden, is a version of the same approach.

York Spit is a separate fishing ground from the bridge-tunnel, in the lower Bay. The 2006 fish also won the Hampton Creek Cobia Tournament.

What we could not confirm

The record Berberich displaced stood at 104 pounds 8 ounces. We did not check whether the 109-pound fish still stands as the state record, since the 2026 record list was not compared. The press release’s page title mentions a striped bass and a spadefish, but the text is about the cobia. Check VMRC’s current record list before you call it the record.

What anglers can take from it

A record fish does not predict future catches. Cobia seasons, size limits and permit requirements change, so check current rules before you go. More stories from Virginia waters are in the Dock Tales index.

Sources and caveats

This tale uses the Virginia Marine Resources Commission press release of June 16, 2006. The release’s page title and breadcrumb mention a striped bass and a spadefish, but the article is about the cobia. We did not check whether the 109-pound fish is still the state record, so do not call it the current record.