You can't complain about the red grouper fishing this summer. Anglers are busy in depths of 75 feet or more, and after the previous two summers of miserable grouper fishing, this action is much appreciated.
The absence of red tide lingering in the gulf is the only difference between this summer and the past two. Many experts thought the red tide had a lot to do with the absence of grouper in our area the past two years. And calm seas have allowed anglers to get out there.
The new limit of two red grouper per person won't hurt, either. A few times this week I was able to fish the same spot on consecutive days and catch fish because there are some fish left behind. And the large grouper left behind attract more grouper, so leaving a few keepers on your rock can produce a consistent flow of fish for weeks. Most reds are 6 to 8 pounds with an occasional big one mixed in. Both dead and live bait is needed.
We have been starting with dead sardines and fillets of Key West grunts to get the fish interested. After a few minutes of reeling in smaller grouper, start sending down big, live baits. This attracts the larger red grouper to your baited hooks.
A 6-inch squirrel fish is hard to beat. These great baits can be easily obtained by tipping your bait rigs with small pieces of squid. Squirrel fish will live, for the most part, on the sandy bottom. Simply drifting over this type of bottom allows anglers to fill their livewells. If a hungry grouper is anywhere near a squirrel fish, the bait will be devoured.
Another productive baitfish is an offshore grunt. They are often referred to as "flannel mouths." They have a black spot on their tail, and the inside of their mouth is bright red. You can find these baits by tipping bait rigs with squid and dropping them over wrecks in 40 feet or more.
Mangrove snapper action hasn't been as hot close to shore. This time of year there are usually plenty of them in 60 to 90 feet as they prepare to spawn. Some ledges and wrecks are holding decent numbers, but overall the numbers are down.
Offshore, about 70 miles toward the Middlegrounds, is where to find plenty of mangroves. All the large ledges that contour the bottom at the south end of the Middlegrounds are filled with schools of these tasty fish. This area is called the "clover leaf" because of its shape.
The key to success in this area is driving over the large breaks until you see fish on the sonar. Normally they will school about 10 feet above the high sides of the ledges.
Dave Mistretta captains the Jaws Too out of Indian Rocks Beach. Call 727 595-3276, or e-mail sales@jawstoo.com
