With water temperatures hovering around the 70 degree mark, it is almost time to put the pelagic trolling tackle away and replace it with gag grouper trolling tackle until close of the gag grouper season December31. Probably the most popular grouper trolling spot is the edge of the Tampa Shipping Channel from the Skyway all the way into Port Tampa where the water depth drops to about 40 feet. Numerous rocky outcroppings provide a haven for not only grouper, but also for mangrove snapper and many other species normally targeted offshore. Getting large plugs, spoons or curly tailed jigs in front of these fish is accomplished in several ways. A large lipped plug that will dive to 30 feet works well. Being old school our go to rig is still a #3 planer 30 feet of 60 # leader and a large jointed gold plug or gold or blue spoon. When a strike occurs, keep the boat moving for awhile to help drag the fish away from the outcropping.

The same tackle and tactics work offshore in the gulf in the 30 to 40 foot depths over hard bottom areas that have rock piles or ledges. Stone crab season is in full force and a great way to troll for gags is to find a string of traps and troll at a speed of 4.5 knots. Crabbers place their traps on rocky bottom where all forms of bottom life take refuge. The traps are baited with fish carcasses which put out a chum slick that attracts small fish and their attendant predators. While trolling near crab trap buoys, keep a sharp eye out for tripletail. When one is spotted, the trolling tackle must be pulled up while returning to the buoy. A live shrimp on a free lined 1/0 circle hook is irresistible to a tripletail. Tripletail regulations have changed and they must now be 18 inches

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