Offshore it’s not April Fools, it’s the real deal!!
Spring Break is in full swing off the West Central Gulf Coast! Fishing fever is heating up with a full-blown King Fish run with other pelagics including Cobia, Blackfin Tuna, Permit, and Wahoo all come to town for our spring break running game!
As spring breakers hit the beach, the reef fish (grouper & snapper) are hitting our lines! Everyone is here on our Gulf Coast from all over the world and they want to catch fish.
Grouper 101
Start out at 100 ft. to 150 ft. for your trophy Red Grouper, as those Firetrucks have been running hot lately. As I travel I constantly watch my high-powered depth finder looking for new spots, rocks, ledges, hard bottom with shows of fish. When I find a show of fish I mark it with my GPS. The next step is mission critical. Anchoring. There’s nothing worse than to show up on time for the party and find out you are at the wrong house … and nobody is there! Precision anchoring is a must to successful grouper digging. I acquire the wind heading using a streamer I’ve tied on my bow rail, go up wind of my way point on my GPS, using it as my marker, travel approx 150 ft, maybe more depending on the wind. Drop anchor and the boat lands on the spot! My GPS then will tell me how close I am in feet to my hot spot. Here we go!! Let’s get this party started!! With this method, no need to use a physical buoy which takes up extra fishing time. On some drops, we may only catch a few grouper, but when you find that honey hole you may catch your limit on one spot which is 2 red grouper per person. When this happens first thing in the morning I’ve had guests ask, “What do we do now, Captain Larry?” … I’m glad you asked! We’ll catch snapper & go pelagic!
For Grouper tackle, use heavier 4/0 to 6/0 Penn Senator Reels with heavy 80 lb. Class 6 ft. 8 ft. Rods. 60 to 80 lbs test, 7/0 to 9/0 circle hooks. 80 lb. fluorocarbon leader is the standard grouper set up, using a variety of live baits, frozen sardines and giant squid wing strips.
Technique is all about stopping your grouper from going in the hole. When he hits, he may hit you like a freight train and do the smack down on you like the “Rock”! You have to be ready! I recommend you stand up and fight him like a man.
You can’t be daydreaming, eating, smoking, drinking or holding hands with your girlfriend. Be ready for the hit. When it happens raise your rod high into the bend of the rod and crank as hard as you can. No hook setting here, it will not work with a circle hook, especially in 100 ft plus water. Keep your rod high and crank, no jerking, no pumping, just work it smooth, like a date. This is a full contact sport like a UFC cage match! There is no playing a grouper! You have to outperform him. Play with him when you’re getting him ready for dinner! Sometimes we do a quick release into hot grease!
Don’t miss your grouper and let him rock you up in the bottom, cutting your line off in the sharp limestone and coral. When this happens, it can shut down the bite, usually the big dog on the reef hits first and if you miss him, it signals the others “danger, danger” and the party is over.
The moral of the story: Be ready for your championship match and don’t miss your hit! Now it’s time for you to come out and get ya some of this!
Capt. Larry McGuire, Show Me the Fish Charters, Call 941-720-6475, captlarrymcguire.blogspot.com and Show Me The Fish on Facebook.