Gulf of Mexico Gag Grouper Fishing

In autumn months, Capt. Clay Shidler of Cling ‘Em Excessive Sportfishing is aware of precisely the place he plans to take shoppers. Shidler units a course aboard his Suzuki-outboard-powered 42-foot Freeman for small, little-known rock and rubble piles some 34 miles out within the Gulf of Mexico off Plantation on Crystal River resort, Crystal River, Florida.

That is the place gag grouper and mangrove snapper swarm within the fall, and anglers dropping dwell pinfish to the underside discover the motion quick and livid. That’s precisely what we did throughout a visit in early October with Shidler, who likes to anchor up on his favourite spots to fish. It paid off as our crew rapidly scored limits of gags (two fish, minimal 24 inches), after which switched to frozen complete shrimp to focus on large mangrove snapper.

A Quick Season in 2024

In fact, a mid-fall journey gained’t be attainable this 12 months. With an especially brief season that runs Sept. 1-15 in 2024, Gulf of Mexico leisure anglers and constitution captains are feeling the sting. Final 12 months, NOAA incited some enamel gnashing by curbing the season from six months down to only 45 days. Now, NOAA says a brand new leisure allotment is predicted to be met in simply 15 days.

These shallow-water grouper are essential to Gulf anglers and tourism as a result of they’re extra accessible in nearshore waters. Nevertheless, they transfer out and in with water temperatures, and this 12 months’s meager season happens when water temperatures will seemingly nonetheless be slightly heat.

Fast Bites

When fishing for gag grouper with Shidler, the primary baits within the water on contemporary spot get bit virtually instantly by essentially the most aggressive fish, that are additionally a number of the largest fish on a specific spot. Shidler fishes with 65-pound braid with a Carolina-style backside rig, utilizing a 6-ounce egg sinker and 80-pound fluorocarbon chief. He units the drags tight to h wrestle the grouper away from the jagged backside construction.

Reside Bait Magic

The important thing to catching gag grouper is loads of dwell bait. Whereas quite a lot of baits work, Shidler prefers pinfish, which he catches in pinfish traps that he visits on the way in which out to fishing grounds. Shidler additionally typically friends with dwell bait to assist carry the gags up from the underside and entice them to feed.

As Contemporary because it Will get

Gag grouper make for a number of the finest desk fare that Gulf waters have to supply. To maintain one in federal waters, the fish should measure not less than 24 inches, with a each day bag restrict of two fish per angler. We stayed on the Plantation on Crystal River. The resort’s West 82 Bar and Grill gives a “Catch and Cook dinner” menu, making ready the fish that you simply caught that day for dinner.

As soon as the crew reaches it each day bag restrict of gag grouper, Shidler likes to interrupt out the sunshine spinning deal with to fish frozen shrimp on small leadheads for mangrove snapper. Whereas the gags have a tendency to hold close to the underside, mangrove snapper are likely to feed above the underside, and supply nice sport on gentle gear.

Wholesome Mango

Mangrove snapper develop massive and wholesome within the Gulf waters off of Crystal River, Florida, and battle exhausting. Capt. Clay Shidler hoists a pleasant one displaying its ruddy colours and broad flanks. On this a part of the Gulf mangrove snapper have to be not less than 12 inches in size to maintain, however we had no downside catching legal-sized fish.

Grouper Success

On our journey, we caught gags to 17 kilos, and launched many undersized fish. Shidler says which you could catch gags in depths from 3 to 150 toes, however he prefers to focus on them in 34 toes of water this time of 12 months.