Hi all, ive been offshore a large number of time but have never tried targeting groupers specifically, but want to give it a try. Around how many miles offshore will I need to go to have some luck…Thanks in advance.
17" War Eagle 25 Mercury
17" Boston Whaler Montauk 90 yamaha
Sometimes Charleston 60
I target them normally out past Y-73 @ 35-40 miles,I would say a little to far for a 17 ’ boat.
Grouper are nearly everywhere in various sizes and densities throughout the year I think. The hard part is getting them to bite a hook. It will take putting some time in to figure it out. Many different techniques work- some better at specific times of the year or in specific areas.
Try using bucktails and/or butterfly jigs over the outlying smaller structures of the DNR reefs. You can cover more ground this way to locate fish. The smaller artificial and natural structure is quite expansive off our coast, and it receives much less fishing pressure than the larger structures. Smaller structure may be a half acre in size and only have 2 waypoints listed. Learn to not rely on waypoints. Rely on your sonar instead. Zoom your sonar in on the bottom and place an emphasis on finding larger fish arches rather than huge variations in the bottom or stacks of bait or smaller fish. Those things do mean there are good fish in the area normally, but you are trying to locate a prized fish in the area most heavily fished. So you will have to fish differently from others if you want to catch what others don’t catch…
Any structure holds good fish, but to find them within close range of shore where fishing pressure hasn’t taught them 1)not to bite there or 2)not to live there, you will have to focus more on the small stuff or fish in conditions that others don’t fish. The former is a lot easier to do!
You will have to catch and release hundreds of sea bass, but grouper are typically in the same places that you see very large sea bass. Be patient. Grouper generally feed in spurts rather than for extended periods of time. You can do things to trick them into feeding, and there are times when grouper will feed strongly all day, but those are exceptions to the rule. You also have to be patient in a longer-term sense of the word. When you find spots that have life on them always mark them regardless of what you catch there. Come back later on in the year, and your patience will often times pay off.
Keep at it. During a
phin is on as always, we can catch plenty when they will bite within sight of the bridges. 15 mi off the jetties! pin fish is the best, fresh or frozen cigars and pogys will catch them. your sonar is the key, large bsb’s and any relief on live bottom is the target area. maps unique shows a 21mile long live bottom that runs out from about 60’ to 150’, and it all holds grouper,some better then others homework is the key!
If it got any better I couldn’t stand it.
Phin and Bugcatcher just gave u as much information as u would get from anybody anywhere- time on the water is the hardest, most time consuming and best part of the game
Where is the best place to get a maps unique chart?
61 Blackwell and twin 250 yammies
Hadderall’s got all of mine there
2220 Keywest
200ox66 Yamaha
Haddrells or west marine…the two most commonsense places 2 look for a fishing chart…
Thanks Phin that was some truly useful information and exactly what i was looking for…fishnbarrels-are you mad at the world or something? My commonsense tells me you’re a jackoff
17" War Eagle 25 Mercury
17" Boston Whaler Montauk 90 yamaha