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Calm seas predicted; grouper a good bet

By ED WALKER
Published December 3, 2005

After a week of strong winds, the National Weather Service is predicting moderate seas this weekend. This should allow anglers to get back out to nearshore rock piles in search of gag grouper.

Before the recent spate of nasty weather, the gags had settled in and the fishing was excellent. Then came the winds, a sharp drop in water temperatures and the inevitable dirty water. Expect to find poor visibility out to 50 feet or so, but don't let that stop you from dropping a line. Even though the clarity is off, the fish are there and you should be able to catch them if you modify your approach.

During the fall months, live baits such as pinfish, squirrelfish and grunts are the standard. But when the water gets murky, the fish are more likely to feed using their sense of smell. This means cut baits and chum help put more grouper in the boat.

When the visibility is down the fish may take a while to get fired up, so be patient at the start. A good grouper rally evolves, not usually happenning right away.

Here's how it works: As any diver will tell you, on virtually every structure or rock formation there is one place where fish congregate. This includes grunts, hogfish, sea bass and of course grouper. It is not always the tallest peak or the deepest hole, and it will change depending on the situation.

If you do not drop your line directly into the sweet spot on the reef or rock pile, which even with the best GPS coordinates takes a bit of luck, you need to establish an activity zone below the boat to move fish toward your baits. The easiest way to do this is by getting some type of scent on the bottom.

A chum bag lowered inside a metal cage works great. Surface chumming is less effective because the current can carry the scent of the chum far from the boat before it reaches bottom.

If you do not have a chum cage, Plan B is to send down soft baits such as sardines on your line. After smaller fish start to nibble or become hooked, they struggle and kick up sand. This can make quite a bit of noise under the water and attract fish from as far as 100 feet.

As the gags move in to investigate, they become competitive. This is when the bite is the best. The swarm of small fish, feeding grouper and expelled baits creates an underwater frenzy.

After the action peaks, it seldom lasts more than 20 minutes. Be sure to capitalize before the fish slow down and realize something is wrong. This is not the time to have a sandwich or pose for pictures.

How long you remain after the bite slows down is a judgement call. You may be able to wait out one more fish, or the big ones may be done.

If you are looking for the major score, your best bet is to move and try to get them going at a new spot. Then again, if you do not have alternatives nearby, you might just stay put and see if you can convince one more grouper to strike.

--Ed Walker charters out of Tarpon Springs. Call 727 944-3474 or e-mail info@lighttacklecharters.com

[Last modified December 3, 2005, 01:22:20]