Grouper Fishing 101

[bh89-2]

I have gotton a few questions PM'd to me about grouper fishing.  Let me try to explain a few tips for those interested:

First, get a color book of bottom fish species for Texas.  There are lots of species and many are hard to distinguish.  You could end up ticketed over an extra spine on a dorsal fin or a slight difference in the fishes color pattern. 

The most common species your likely to catch is Scamp, Warsaw, and Gag.  Scamp are smaller fish and have a distinct tail.  Warsaw are usually the bigger of the 3 and have a distict spiny doral fin.  Gag look similiar to Warsaw, but are usually more elongated and have very distinct spotted marking on the sides.

Catching Warsaw and Gag
Bait: My favorite bait is large cut bait. I will usually fillet a 3-5lb fish and put the entire fillet on a 10-12 circle hook.  Large squid are also good baits, as is live bait, such as a hardtail or piggy).  Again, my best results are with large chunck baits that will wave in the current. 

Rigging: Use 300# to 400# leader material.  I like mono because it's not as stiff as flouro or wire.  Rig a 20 oz weight to sit on the bottom and a second line from a 3-way swivel that will allow the bait to float away from the main line 3 or 4 feet. 

Presentation:  Keep the weight bouncing on bottom in 120 to 700 ft of water.  Fish for them at the same time your snapper fishing.  If you fishing a wreck this may be difficult and you may have to not sue the free floating bait line.  With wrecks you can rig 2each 8 oz egg weights above a circle hook, crimping the eggs on both sides of the pair.  The hook will float below the weight, which makes snaggs easier to get loose with some slack. 

Gags I have found like rigs.  Fish close to rig legs in 120-400 feet of water.

The Bite:  Often the bite is just a slow lathargic eating of the bait.  BE PATIENT!  There will be NO DOUBT when the fish is hooked.  It is IMPORTANT you get the fish up 10 or 20 cranks as soon as it is hooked.  These fish will do everything they can to go straight down into whatever rock or structure they can find.  Once they do that, 90% are gone.  As always, never set hook on a circle hook.  Just start reeling until the line is tight and rod starts to bend, then you can lift slowely and crank down.   

Scamp:  If you have eatin a grouper sandwich in Bass Pro you probably ate scamp.  It's a small and very tasty grouper.  Scamp tend to hang in schools, so if you catch one, mark the spot and hit it a few times, there is normally more on the same spot.

Bait:  Hands down the best bait is cigar minnows (not sardines).  cigar minnows are more expensive, but they are normally smaller and the scamp love them.  Use them frozen for best results.  A second choice is squid cut into halves.

Rigging:  I use a 16 oz  weight on the bottom with 3 each size 5 or 6 circle hooks rigged evenely apart above the weight.  A swivel goes above them.  I usually rig both cigar minnows and squid on seperate hooks to get an idea what the fish want to eat that day.  I like to use braided line on my reels so the bite is easier to feel.

The bite: There will be a suttle little nibbling going on.  Kind of like sun perch for you perch jerkers.  Don't be afraid to let them eat a short bit because usually you can catch 2 or 3 at a time if your not in a hurry to bring them up.  As always, never set hook on a circle hook.  Just start reeling until the line is tight and rod starts to bend, then you can lift slowely and crank down.   

OK, that's Texas grouper 101.  Keep the bait on bottom for best results and fish rocks or wrecks.       
 

[bullets13]

scamp might be my favorite grouper to eat.