Fishing

Tackle & Tactics

Some fishing tips from the pros.

Q. What is your favorite bait for fishing docks at night?

A.That depends on the season and the type of fishing I'm doing. Starting in late March through April, I prefer a free-lined scaled sardine rigged to 50-pound braided line and a locked-down drag. This is the best time of the year to skip big baits under docks for a chance at a large snook. The trick is to yank the bait from under the dock a few seconds after casting. If you leave it there longer, the sardine swims around the pilings and gets snagged. When a big snook strikes the line straightens before you can retrieve the bait. If this happens, reel as fast as you can until the snook is clear of the dock. For the rest of the year, I use live shrimp.

Q. Are red hooks worth the extra money?

A. Red hooks were designed to imitate gill flash in a wounded baitfish. As with most anglers, I'm looking for any edge I can get. When I'm fishing for sheepshead, Spanish mackerel or any lesser game fish, I use cheaper hooks. I use red hooks when fishing for trout, redfish, snook, tarpon or kingfish. It's not that you can't catch these fish on a regular hook, but when it comes to building my confidence level, I invest in red.

Q. We fish for grouper and don't have much luck. How do you find good places to find them?

A. You can purchase "hot spots" fishing charts. Most of these show ledges, wrecks, hard bottom and reefs, areas in which grouper like to hang out. Most of the spots within 20 miles of shore get fished regularly. To find your own hot spot, troll large jigs over areas of hard bottom listed on the chart. When you catch a grouper, throw over a jug attached to a weight to mark the spot, then bottom fish that spot with frozen sardines or squid. If you catch a few short grouper, switch to live pinfish. When the keepers start coming over the rail, you've found your own grouper hot spot.