Florida Angler Television - Joe's Fishing Tips

Grouper tackle is available in many brands and numerous sizes. The norm is a 4/0 level wind reel and a fairly stout boat rod spooled with 50 - 80 lb. test line. Grouper are strong fighters and very adept at holing up, which is how most of these fish are lost. Once a grouper takes your line into a hole or crevice, the only thing you can do is give it slack and hope that it decides to swim out after a while.

In our area the standard terminal tackle for grouper digging is a 2 to 6 oz. egg sinker, either before or after a swivel to which is tied 2 or 3 feet of 100 lb. test leader. The terminal rig is usually finished off with a 7/0 hook.

Bottom fishing baits range from frozen squid and chunks of mullet to a variety of frozen sardines. The most often used (perhaps because they are readily available at local tackle shops) are frozen Spanish sardines or threadfin herring. A wide variety of live baits are also very effective. These range from pinfish, grunts and squirrelfish to blue runners and pilchards.

A friend of mine, who is very successful with grouper, hooks his live baits from side to side just behind the pectoral fin. This allows the bait to swim above and upright while the sinker sits on the bottom. Many anglers hook their live baits either through the lips or across the back.

The other common method for catching grouper is to troll diving plugs with or without a planer or downrigger. Trolling speeds may vary, but most fish are caught between 3 and 6 knots. Trolling, while a complete method by itself, is often used as a means for locating fish. Often, once a fish hits, a marker is thrown overboard. The boat is then anchored in that area to begin bottom fishing. In our area grouper can be found anywhere from 6 feet of water or less up to 200 foot depths and more.