http://www.tampabay.com/sports/outdoors/captains-corner-red-grouper-biting-in-region/2331045
Red grouper fishing is excellent, especially in depths of 110 feet or more. Look for them to be under the bait stacks that are scattered on the edges of the hard-bottom areas. These usually consist of either Spanish sardines or vermilion snapper. A quick way to tell if there are grouper is with a drift drop — pull just upcurrent or upwind of your desired location and drop a few test baits. If the spot has fish, you should know within 10-15 seconds of hitting the bottom. If you catch a decent-sized grouper, anchor right away because too many drifts will scatter the fish and stop the bite. Look at the ledges and rolloffs in these areas for mangrove snapper. They will not venture far for a meal, so anchor right over the structure. Smaller baits are usually key for them this time of year. These can include cut sardines, live pilchards, and even live shrimp. For the next couple of months, pelagic species such as mahimahi, sailfish, blackfin tuna and wahoo will be invading our offshore waters. On recent trips to our grouper grounds we have been pulling a small spread of smaller jet-head lures and having success with mahi. Always keep an eye out for birds, surface activity, flying fish, grass or other structure on the surface, as these will give you the best possible shot at some trolling action.
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
