CRYSTAL RIVER – June Fishing Report

Offshore Excitement

June has always been a great to go out in search of scaled prey, and this is even more true with the modern seasons for some of our favorite offshore species. Offshore fishing out of Crystal River typically means chasing gag grouper and red snapper.   Thankfully, the lord blessed our piece of ocean floor with thousands of pieces of natural bottom, that range from large limestone rocks, to hard rocky ledges. Knowing how to effectively fish this structure, is the difference between coming home with a full fish box and sore arms, or a bruised ego and a bad sunburn.

The gag grouper are prevalent from 20 feet, out to 300 feet of water, but in our area, some of the best fishing occurs in 30 to 70 feet of water over hard rocks, that hold good schools of white grunts, and small baitfish. The standard rig is a beefy conventional rod and reel, spooled with 50 to 80 lb. test line, finished off with a fish finder rig consisting of an 8 oz. egg sinker sliding on the main line, with a swivel below it, and a 4 to 6 foot long 80 lb. fluorocarbon leader, and an 8/0 circle hook. The bait selection can be as varied as the personalities aboard your boat, but a healthy mix of live pinfish and large dead baits will get the party started. Like most bottom fish, grouper are frenzy feeders, so once you get the fish fired up, you want to try to keep the action fired up.

Red snapper are very similar to gag grouper, in the fact that they frequent the same rock piles and ledges, but in our area, you are going to want to look a little further offshore, in depths ranging from 50 to 80 feet of water. The snapper are much less likely to try and break you off in the structure, so we will typically downsize to smaller weight, such as 6 oz. lead and 50 lb. leader, terminated with a 6/0 hook. Our bait of choice is usually a small live pinfish, or a half of a frozen thread fin herring.

Just remember, that these fish are valuable, and try your best to release undersized bottom fish with care, so they can have the best chance of survival.