June first marks the first day to put some gag grouper in the box on the Big Bend. The limit is two fish per angler and minimum size is 24 inches. The best depth to start at is around 18 feet and out to 30. The best bait is live pinfish on a knocker rig and live chumming with pinfish can get you on the fast track to fish in the box. I have watched grouper come to the surface at 25 feet to take a free lined pinfish. If you can sabiki up some threadfin or white bait it’s game on. On the shallow rocks this technique work just as good . Some of the other species to add to the fish cook out is hog fish that will eat live shrimp on the sand near the rock, mangrove snapper that eat live shrimp on a 1/8 oz. chartreuse jig head fished down current over the structure and possible cobia that can show up at any time. Grouper anglers all have the same story of a big cobia hitting the lock down drag boat rod and busting off. You never can be totally prepared but a heavy spinning rod with 30lb. braid and 60lb leader can save the day when one follows a hooked gag grouper to the boat. Keep a live pinfish in a bucket of water ready to pitch when this happens . Incoming high tide will be in the afternoon this weekend.
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