

Therefore, anglers anchor or drift a decent distance from the spot and cast live baits or lures in towards the structure. In water as shallow as 10 feet, the boat will scare the fish. This mostly occurs in the shallow waters of the Bahamas and the Gulf of Mexico north of Tampa. There are also occasions where anglers can cast to grouper. Some anglers simply prefer the comfort and feel of a spinning outfit. Grouper can be a little bit line shy in very clear water. Anglers fishing in shallow, clear water sometimes find that lighter spinning tackle makes a more natural presentation. While conventional tackle is the best choice in most grouper fishing situations, spinning tackle certainly has its place. Spinning tackle options for grouper fishing Anglers fishing in hundreds of feet of water in the Atlantic Ocean with heavy lead will need a stouter outfit than those fishing in 40 feet of water in the Gulf of Mexico. Anglers need to tailor the tackle to the size of the fish being sought as well as the depth of the water being fished. Goliath grouper grow hundreds of pounds and requires special tackle. In other places, fish pushing 50 pounds are not uncommon.

In some locations, a 5 pound grouper is a decent fish. The angler uses his or her thumb to evenly dispersed the line on the spool.Īnglers can click this link to shop Amazon for Penn Senator rod and reel outfits Many old school grouper fishing reels such as the venerable Penn 4/0 do not have a level wind. However, some anglers look at that is just one more piece to break or go bad. Level winds are nice in that the line is spooled up evenly as it is retrieved. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”Īnglers using conventional tackle for grouper fishing can choose a reel with a level wind or one without. “Fishing Lido Key is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. Anglers can click this link to shop Amazon for Penn Squall conventional outfits Most grouper fishing is done bottom fishing. This can handle most the bottom fishing situations as well as some light tackle trolling.
Catching gag grouper series#
Conventional tackle works best for grouper fishingĪ 6 1/2 foot to 7 foot medium heavy rod with a 30-40 or 3/0 to 4/0 series reel is a good all-around and versatile grouper fishing outfit. Penn is THE name in saltwater tackle and makes some excellent equipment at reasonable prices. Also, most outfits can be used in other types of fishing. However, anglers do not need to spend a ton of money. Heavy spinning tackle can be used in shallow water. Heavy conventional tackle with 50lb to 80lb line works best. Therefore, stout tackle is required when fishing for grouper.
Catching gag grouper free#
It is about hooking the fish, and getting it’s head turned before it can get down into the structure and free itself. Heavy conventional tackle is the best choice for grouper. They are also caught in inshore waters around the same structure as well as docks and bridges.

Reefs, wrecks, artificial reefs, areas of rocky bottom, and ledges are the top spots where anglers catch grouper in open water. Seldom will one be found high up in the water column or on sandy bottom with no structure.

The one thing that all groupers have in common is that they are bottom dwelling, structure oriented fish. It is 23,000 words long and covers tackle, tactics, and species. For the most part, their habits are very similar and will be treated all the same when it comes to tackle and techniques.Īnglers can purchase Capt Jim’s E-book, “ Inshore Saltwater Fishing” for $5 by clicking on the title link. There are quite a few other species of grouper that are found in deeper waters and throughout the Bahamas and other locations. The most popular species in the United States are gag grouper, red grouper, goliath grouper, and black grouper. There are many different species of grouper. While they are a powerful fish that puts up a strong battle, grouper are prized by many anglers for their flaky white fillets! They are found in the warmer waters of the Atlantic Ocean, gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and points south. Grouper are a highly coveted bottom dwelling species. This post will cover the best grouper fishing tackle and lures.
