The Tampa Bay Times

Only a matter of days before cooler air heads our way. Dropping temperatures will bring new migrations of fish. Kingfish are the most common game fish grasping anglers attention. There are a few other specialty fish that attracts fishermen as well. The gag grouper can often arrive about the same time as the kingfish. They will normally settle in shallower depths as water temps begin to cool.       Water temps need to drop below eighty degrees before this occurrence happens. Many anglers have learned from experience, cool change equals gag grouper. Water temperatures dipping into the lower seventies is the best time to be fishing for shallow water gag groupers. Both seasons will produce great results, but the fall months are predominantly the best.  This is attributed to a pre spawn migration that occurs each fall.    We’ve lacked decent numbers of gag grouper for few seasons now. Some experts blame the red tide. Others claim overfishing is the culprit. Some veteran anglers will attest to both theories, but also agree we experience good and bad cycles in specific geographicallocations.   This depends on where the migratory cards fall. A hundred mile jaunt to the north  or south could tell  an entirely different story. Either way our fishing will get better in the next few weeks as water temps  cool.. 

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