Outdoors

Captain's Corner

By LARRY HOFFMAN
Published September 25, 2007

What's hot: Offshore grouper fishing is moving inshore. Nice-sized gag grouper are being caught in 40 to 45 feet of water. Capt. Garner Koons caught a limit of gags in 45 feet of water Sunday south of Egmont Channel. Koons reported seeing lots of legal gags, hogfish and mangrove snapper. The water temperature is in the low 80s and working its way down with each day. Kingfish and cobia will be arriving soon. Look for bait schools to arrive first and the kings will be right behind. Koons reported that the effects of the red tide from two years ago have diminished and the shallow areas are looking alive again.

Tackle/tactics: Shallow grouper fishing requires locked down drags and an aggressive retrieve to catch gags as heavy as 10 pounds. You will find the gags on small ledges, and the fish can get you caught in the coral. You must reel first to take the stretch out of the line, then pump the rod and reel as fast as you can. Once you get the fish moving up, slow down and take your time. Shallow-water fish are aggressive, and the action is short but intense. Depending on the visibility, 50-pound class tackle with small weights should be used with a 5-0 offset J-hook. Leaders should be 2 feet of fluorocarbon. Dead bait such as frozen sardines and squid work great, but small pinfish or pilchard will entice the big gags.

[Last modified September 24, 2007, 23:00:38]