http://www.tampabay.com/sports/outdoors/captains-corner-high-water-temperatures-make-current-fishing-a-challenge/2334497
Grouper fishing in most depths is spotty at best. Extremely warm water and a food source that has not been staying in place are spreading fish out in all depths. In the past month, we have caught decent grouper in depths from 35 to 450 feet. Look for schools of bonita in areas that have some hard bottom. Those areas should have schools of juvenile sardines taking cover on the edges of the bottom. Grouper in these areas feed on these tiny sardines, so when they find your larger sardine on the bottom, they will jump all over it. Snapper fishing was very good on the backside of this past full moon. Concentrate your efforts on larger structure such as ledges, wrecks and springs. A slow but steady chum line should be deployed for at least 15 minutes before the first bait hits the water. This technique will allow you to create a ladder of fish stretching from the bottom to the back of your boat. Light fluorocarbon leaders and small jigheads should do the trick. Float bait down through the chum in freespool and wait for the take. If you have the means and the boat, a trip to depths of 400-700 feet should produce awesome results. Many anglers prefer electric reels when fishing this deep, but this is Mecca for vertical jig fishing on the west coast. Yellow-edge, snowy, scamp, gag and Warsaw grouper along with yellow-eye and monster red snapper are typical species out there. Large frozen baits such as northern mackerel and large whole squid will outproduce live bait in this fishery. File a float plan before a trip like this, and make sure all safety equipment is on board.
Steve Papen charters out of Indian Shores and can be reached at (727) 642-3411 and fintasticinc.com.
- Jay Mastry - March 26, 2024
- Captains Corner, Gorta - March 23, 2024
- Dave Zalewski - March 12, 2024
