Dragging the boat down to Duck Key in Mid April, looking for any info
on good spots for grouper/snapper. Plan on trying to drift over some of the wrecks/reefs with live bait.
Is a reef anchor a must?
Thx
Nauticstar 1900XS w/ suzuki DF140
Dragging the boat down to Duck Key in Mid April, looking for any info
on good spots for grouper/snapper. Plan on trying to drift over some of the wrecks/reefs with live bait.
Is a reef anchor a must?
Thx
Nauticstar 1900XS w/ suzuki DF140
You would want to anchor and deploy a chum slick.
We used our regular anchor the whole time we were down in December. We did move the chain to the bottom on the anchor shank and drilled a second hole to attach it. Then we zip tied the chain to the old hole. This way if it was hung the zip tie would break and pull the anchor from the bottom.
Anchor and chum like said above. 12 dozen shrimp and two chum blocks will last about 2.5 hours atleast that was our average Lol. . We anchored in depths from 35-100 ft on the patch reefs when we bottom fished. Caught yellow tails at every depth. Also caught keeper grouper (red and black), mutton and triggers in 35 foot of water. It was crazy.
Pioneer 222sf
250 Yamaha
I’ve killed legal black groupers there as shallow as 12 feet.
We stayed on Conch Key (near Duck). Went out with a guide straight out of the opening at Long key Bridge until we hit the reef. We chummed and caught yellowtail and then dropped large grunts on bottom rigs and picked up a few black grouper. We normally stay up in the Islamorada area and I would imagine the fishing along the reefs is pretty much the same. If you are fishing for yellowtails, Chum, chum, chum and then chum some more. Use light line and small hooks and fish in your chum slick. We usually pick up a couple of triggers as well.
Oh and the anchor tip is a good one. I now use a Lewmar claw anchor rigged for a breakaway. You will never loose one that way.
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