What’s your go to grouper rig? I was fishing live bottom on Monday with live pogies. Had 2 bites than I am almost certain were grouper (that’s what I was targeting) because they rocked up, but I got them both out. I was using 30 lb braid, and honestly I know I should have been using heavier but it’s what I had. That was tied to a swivel with a 6 oz lead. I had fluoro coming off the other end with a snell connecting an 8/0 circle hook. Both fish got off because the braid snapped on one and the hook pulled on the other. Bad luck or should I be using something else? Knocker rig perhaps?
Carolina rig will work. When dedicated grouper fishing I am using 100lb braid and 100-125lb mono leader, around 4ft. As for hook I am crimping to swivel and using 6/0-8/0 4x gamagotsu hooks. I recommend using more weight as well, I dont not think I fish with less than 12oz ever.
For scamps I use 130 pound mono in either a Carolina rig behind an 8 ounce or 10 ounce egg sinker, or 150 pound mono with a single dropper loop with 12 to 16 ounces of lead. If I am dropping for big gags or black grouper I push up to 200 pound leader and 20 - 30 ounce lead fished off of a two speed bent butt rig with 150# braid. A 30 pound plus gag grouper will shred 100 pound leader like it is silk. If you are using less than 80 pound braid you are losing a lot of fish. I have limited out on my last two trips, but because the people I was with wanted to use their own gear, we lost a lot of fish.
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PROUD YANKEE
Oyster Baron
NMFS = No More Fishing Season
“Back home we got a taxidermy man. He gonna have a heart attack when he see what I brung him”
3 way swivel rig!
“mr keys”
Sellsfish 150lbs braid and 200lbs leader and bent butt 2 speed reel to catch 30lbs class gags wth. Not bragging at all but I’ve probably caught more grouper than most and never had to go to that extreme for gags or scamps and I fish in Florida for the most part where every trip we have gags over 35 to 45lbs range. I fish with a shimano Trinidad tn40 with 80lbs braid and trevala xxh rod or bo’s poachin stick which is a custom rod just for grouper normally 100lbs flouro or mono is the max sometimes drop down if they finicky. The key to catching them is technique are u gonna bust some off sure but drag locked and keep that big head up and half the battle is won. As far as rig goes i fish a basic fish finder rig for the most part with a few modifications and weight depending on what the current is doing on the bottom when I get out there I want enough weight to hold and as little as will let me do that. Favorite bait is live pinfish or hard to beat a split tail pogey they just can’t resist it
Just reel or get broke
I’m sorry I will retract my last statement… What the hell do I know about grouper fishing. And people wonder why I don’t post here anymore
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PROUD YANKEE
Oyster Baron
NMFS = No More Fishing Season
“Back home we got a taxidermy man. He gonna have a heart attack when he see what I brung him”
Sellsfish no need to retract your last statement I was wandering behind your logic I’ve just never had to use tackle to that extreme I’ve seen more big gags brought over the side of the boat with ol tried and true penn 114 6/0. You know you can agree to disagree
Just reel or get broke
Thanks for the info everyone!
Paul, anytime you want to give me a masterclass on grouper, the fuel & drinks are on me. And I promise I won’t bring my own gear.
Nosense, I don’t think you know who you’re lecturing
“I don’t want to be accused of not being helpful so, I’d start by keeping my mouth closed when outside. Hope this helps.” -DFreedom Aug 28 2017
quote:It's just a discussion forum, don't get your panties bunched up so quickly. Marines/Yankees are supposed to have thicker skin
Originally posted by sellsfishI’m sorry I will retract my last statement… What the hell do I know about grouper fishing. And people wonder why I don’t post here anymore
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PROUD YANKEEOyster Baron
NMFS = No More Fishing Season
“Back home we got a taxidermy man. He gonna have a heart attack when he see what I brung him”
After being released, a lot of fish die, but a lot of them live also.
quote:
Originally posted by sellsfishI’m sorry I will retract my last statement… What the hell do I know about grouper fishing. And people wonder why I don’t post here anymore
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PROUD YANKEEOyster Baron
NMFS = No More Fishing Season
“Back home we got a taxidermy man. He gonna have a heart attack when he see what I brung him”
You need a drink.
quote:
Originally posted by PeaPodNosense, I don’t think you know who you’re lecturing
Well who is it if I don’t know
“I don’t want to be accused of not being helpful so, I’d start by keeping my mouth closed when outside. Hope this helps.” -DFreedom Aug 28 2017
Just reel or get broke
Hey noslack ,grouper fishing in Florida and grouper fishing here is a little bit different.And sellsfish is the grouper guru around here.We don’t like to bust some off,we like to put em in the meat locker.
[quote]Originally posted by sman
Hey noslack ,grouper fishing in Florida and grouper fishing here is a little bit different.And sellsfish is the grouper guru around here.We don’t like to bust some off,we like to put em in the meat locker.
If you have never busted one off then you haven’t fished enough. grouper fishing may be different here which I fish for them here just like I do in Florida but I promise I still have no problem finding and putting them in the “meat locker” I will save everyone from flooding this post with grouper pictures as I am no rookie to this game. I’ve been humbled plenty in my life and just when u think your the best at something there is always someone out there that has one upped you.
Just reel or get broke
Zebco 33 and a beetle spin
“mr keys”
Pretty humorous how forum legends get so worked up when someone has a slightly different opinion.
Of course you’ll catch more grouper with a bent butt and 200 lb braid than you will with a lighter setup. I don’t commercial fish (anymore) and have no desire to fish anything that heavy or crank when a rod is in the rod holder nowadays. That’s not why I go fishing, but to each his own.
Day in and day out, a 4/0 Senator with 80-100 lb braid with a Carolina rig to 100 lb leader will get the job done. That’s a reasonably priced setup and will land some big grouper. There are more capable two-speed reels out there for sure, but for the money, it’s tough to beat a star drag that can be hammered down tight.
One mistake I’ve seen a lot of people make is to try to use lower end lever drag reels like TLD25s for grouper. The drag curves on these reels aren’t steep enough to provide enough stopping power to slow down most grouper while still maintaining freespool. You might catch a few with a TLD25, but I’ve seen people lose a lot more grouper than they’ve caught on these reels over the years.
The best advice I can give to someone who wants to catch grouper is to learn how to anchor your boat. You will catch many, many more grouper from an anchored boat than you will drifting.
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Originally posted by northchuckyZebco 33 and a beetle spin
“mr keys”
White with a red dot or chartreuse? Lately I’ve head some are doing very well on the Watermelon with red split tail. 
In all of this, you probably could luck up and catch a small one on a zebco, but proper gear for selected targeted fish is always better. When I decide to get back into offshore fishing I’ll gear up proper for what I target which means I’ll spend some money and use some of Paul’s advice.
I just hope this new administration or one in the future will drop all the stupid bottom fish regulations.
“Why Bruce?”
Interesting to me discussion. Ive always run 100 lb braid attached to a snap swivel and either a 100 lb dropper rig or 100 lb carolina rig. Recently Ive had a few break offs at the braid so I doubt sharks. I usually attach the braid to the swivel with a palomar but have been rethinking this knot. Any better connections than a palomar? Maybe need to go to stronger braid. I also find that the carolina rig with an 8 oz egg sometimes get twisted with a live pin. Maybe a triple ring would keep things better spaced out. Always looking for a better mouse trap.
I always liked the Carolina style grouper rig, but hated dealing with securing heavy egg sinkers riding, out or back and different spots in between. I started using a sleeve swivel which the braid slides into above the snap swivel. Then tie a short piece of mono to the sleeve swivel eye to form a loop. Now you can attach and remove bank sinkers to the loop just like you would on a chicken rig. On the business end, I use a 10/0 Gamaghatsu live bait circle hook crimped to 200 lb mono. The braid is currently 200 lb also on a modified Penn 114H with a Tiburon solid aluminum frame, beefed up drag and crank handle on a bent butt rod. The drag maxed out is around 40 lbs and stays in the rod holder when up that high.
http://www.charkbait.com/cs/images/accessories/SeaStriker/IMG_9245.jpg
Pioneer 222 Sportfish
Yamaha 250
quote:
Originally posted by tridogsInteresting to me discussion. Ive always run 100 lb braid attached to a snap swivel and either a 100 lb dropper rig or 100 lb carolina rig. Recently Ive had a few break offs at the braid so I doubt sharks. I usually attach the braid to the swivel with a palomar but have been rethinking this knot. Any better connections than a palomar? Maybe need to go to stronger braid. I also find that the carolina rig with an 8 oz egg sometimes get twisted with a live pin. Maybe a triple ring would keep things better spaced out. Always looking for a better mouse trap.
Might want to consider adding about 10’ of leader ahead of your swivel. Leader (either flouro or mono, as long as it’s actually leader material, which is harder than line) is far more abrasion resistant than braid because braid is made up of 4 to 8 strands of soft, thin material. The egg sinker alone rubbing against the braid can weaken the line to a point where you can start seeing breakage on big fish, not to mention the rocks and other structure grouper live around. The stiffer leader material also doesn’t tangle as easily as the braid.