Go Deep for the Reds…. and Everything!
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]ugust is the month for some of the best red grouper fishing and light lining of the year. Granted, May is THE red grouper month, however if you can make it out to 125-140 feet and find big stacks of cigs and/or sardines, stop the boat, anchor up and let the party begin. NOTE: Most of the time, you will NOT see these bait balls on the surface… you need to be paying attention to the recorder to see the bait. This is where a good recorder comes into play.
Not only will the red grouper be under this bait, but wahoo, kings, dolphin and more will also be there feeding on this swimming buffet. Do yourself a favor… please take a sabiki, and use it. Frozen chum can also be a huge help when you are fishing around these stacks of bait. Fresh (chum) is always best, but frozen works also. If you put a live cigar minnow out around one of these bait balls, that’s a given bite. Better yet, turn on the spreader lights and spend the night on top of these stacks of bait. You will be amazed at what you see! The squid will be thick and the minnows will black out the screen. With very little effort, the livewell will be black with bait, and you should keep another 100 fresh dead ones… this is the stuff dreams are made of! The other good news is at or just before daylight, there will be dolphin under the boat that cannot resist a live cig or sardine. I have been on some of the hottest king bites ever in August at night near these stacks of bait.
I think we have answered this question over and over, but needless to say, the Decoy Jig with live cig or sardine combo is KILLER!
Don’t be surprised to catch that once in a lifetime gag out there this time of year. So, make SURE YOUR SHEET IS RIGHT. Make sure of all your knots/connections, braided line, and the drag on the reel is dialed in, because these big reds, gags and American reds will pull hard! There may not be stacks of the gags out in the deeper water, but this is when the big bulls stage in the slightly deeper water on their way into the shallows to spawn in the fall and winter. If the varmint bite (grunts, pinkies and sea bass) starts getting too bad, switch over to grass grunts and butterflied beeliners. That way, you put a bait down there that will eliminate everything but the grouper. Most of the critters out there have a mouth big enough to eat a sardine, but when you put a live grass grunt, beeline or a big pinfish down to the bottom, you are strictly grouper fishing now.
As always, please take your kids to enjoy this as much as possible!