Post by YodaFisherman on Jun 28, 2017 17:52:24 GMT -5
Ok guys, having a number of suggestions to put my Grouper setup post in the sticky notes made me think about some other posts I’ve typed over time. Here they are, put together, cleaned up and updated. It’s written from the perspective of talking to a novice. If you feel it’s worthy of sharing great, if not it can just die the slow death of finding its way to the bottom of the forum. I don't get insulted 
just thought it may have value to newbies.
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Skyway Grouper Tactics
I have use a number of tactics from the Skyway, some successful and some not so much. Many methods will catch them and sometimes you can hook one when not fishing for them. I once caught a 10” red grouper using a squid head on a bottom rig. But the point is to start using tactics that increase your odds of catching a keeper. These are the tactics I use that are the most successful.
My grouper set up:
12’ Penn Prevail Conventional Surf Rod
Penn Squall 30LD Reel
65’ braid mainline
100 lb. barrel swivel
6’ of 60 lb fluorocarbon leader
5/0 Gamakatsu Octopus Circle Hook
Live lining the bait
I will fish whichever side the tide is moving away from the pier. On the outgoing tide I’m on the South facing side and on the incoming I’m in the North side facing the unused part of the old bridge. I will fish through the abutments of the opposing bridge sections. I prefer not to, but the tide determines the side I’m fishing on. Grouper usually don’t run laterally down the pier, they like to go straight down, so I don’t lose many by having them swimming around the abutments. Unfortunately, it does happen, especially with the larger fish.
I will use a 4 to 6” live pinfish free lined using only the mainline, swivel, leader and hook. I will hook the bait just above the rear part of the anal fin.
Drop the bait straight down below the pier and allow the bait to swim to the bottom having the reel in free spool initially until the bait is on the bottom. This is where I like conventional reels with lever drag systems. I will then set the drag on the very first setting. On this setting the bait fish can almost pull the line out on its own. It only takes about 4 oz. of pressure to pull line off the reel.
I will then drop the tip until the line goes limp. This indicates the baitfish is on the bottom or in the structure. I will slowly lift the tip up and then slowly drop it again. Each time you do this the bait should move a little further out from the pier. When the rod tip is down and the line is tight I will pull 36 to 48” of line off the reel and lift the tip until the line it tight again. I will continue this process over and over until something happens or the bait is quite a ways off the pier.
The rock piles are about 100 yards long, so to reach the end you would do the above process almost a 100 times. Unfortunately, the further off the pier the bait gets the easier it is for it to move sideways and get into the rock and hang you up. I usually give up after about 20 to 30 cycles. This would put me about 75 to 125 feet from the pier.
Once I decide to stop letting line out I reverse the process. With the tip down, I reel in about 36 to 48” of line. Then raise the tip a little and slowly drop it back down. Over and over I do this until the bait is at the surface just below me.
If the bait makes it out and back I will change it. By this time it is worn out and so tired it will not be able stay down through another cycle. I also move to another spot frequently. I have rarely had a strike on the second time through the cycle in the same spot and never on the third time.
The strike and setting the hook
I’m always paying close attention to the baitfish’s attitude. You should feel the steady back and forth motion as it swims for cover. Any time you feel increased agile movement the fish is stressed and that usually means something is spooking it. This is where you need to hold on, although not every pickup has this happen. Once I feel the fish pick up the bait, I drop the tip about 2 feet, then tighten the drag lever about ¾ of the way. These few seconds gives the fish time to take the bait into its mouth and turn to swim off. Once the drag is set I will raise the tip slowly until I feel pressure. As soon as the fish feels the pressure it will run and here the fun begins.
The fish will hook itself. I’ve learned that pulling back on the rod has resulted in less hook sets than just letting the fish do the work. But with grouper, once he’s hooked it will run for cover. You need to keep it from that cover. You need to work very hard for the first 10 to 15 seconds to get the fish out of its safety zone. You can’t fight a grouper like many fish where you give them some line and work on pulling them in a little at a time. Any chance they get to gain the security of the rocks they will. And once you’re rocked you will likely never see the fish.
So, once the battle has started I reel the line hard and fast and resist the impulse to pump the rod. I will only pump the rod if the fish is big enough that I can’t gain line just by reeling it, but I continue to turn the reel through the entire cycle of each pump. If I notice the fish is pulling the drag I will tighten it, even if I need to take it all the way to the locked position.
Lifting the fish onto the pier
After a good hard battle the fish should be below you and you need to get it up onto the pier. Small grouper can just be reeled and lifted up, but the larger ones take some technique to get over the rails. I will reel the line tight with the rod tip pointing straight down to the fish and reel as tight as possible. I will then lift hard and fast to swing the fish up and over the rails. But be mindful that you only want to lift the fish just enough to clear the rails. The higher the fish goes the harder it will hit the road and bruise the meat. This actually takes some practice.
I always have a drop net with me. They are a useful tool, and in some cases the fish are too big to just lift. But dealing with the current, using a drop net can be a pain and almost impossible if you are by yourself. So I lift the fish with the rod if possible.
If all goes well you should have several good meals of grouper and have some tired arms. But isn’t that what fishing is all about.
Other fish caught with this technique
While using this process on the Skyway I have also caught other fish; Tarpon, Cobia, Spanish Mackerel, Rays, Sharks and Mangrove Snapper. And I’m sure Bull Reds and big Black Drum would hit it as well.
Also, be mindful of the Dolphin. They are a bane of many a fisherman and love to steel your pinfish. It’s usually easy to tell when a Dolphin has your bait. There’s nothing like having a speedy 100lb plus mammal on your line. They know exactly what they are doing and rarely get hooked. Most of the time they pull until the fish rips off the hook. You can get them to drop the bait by releasing the bail, without the pressure they can’s tear the bait off the hook. But once they hit it the bait is shot anyway.
just thought it may have value to newbies.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Skyway Grouper Tactics
I have use a number of tactics from the Skyway, some successful and some not so much. Many methods will catch them and sometimes you can hook one when not fishing for them. I once caught a 10” red grouper using a squid head on a bottom rig. But the point is to start using tactics that increase your odds of catching a keeper. These are the tactics I use that are the most successful.
My grouper set up:
12’ Penn Prevail Conventional Surf Rod
Penn Squall 30LD Reel
65’ braid mainline
100 lb. barrel swivel
6’ of 60 lb fluorocarbon leader
5/0 Gamakatsu Octopus Circle Hook
Live lining the bait
I will fish whichever side the tide is moving away from the pier. On the outgoing tide I’m on the South facing side and on the incoming I’m in the North side facing the unused part of the old bridge. I will fish through the abutments of the opposing bridge sections. I prefer not to, but the tide determines the side I’m fishing on. Grouper usually don’t run laterally down the pier, they like to go straight down, so I don’t lose many by having them swimming around the abutments. Unfortunately, it does happen, especially with the larger fish.
I will use a 4 to 6” live pinfish free lined using only the mainline, swivel, leader and hook. I will hook the bait just above the rear part of the anal fin.
Drop the bait straight down below the pier and allow the bait to swim to the bottom having the reel in free spool initially until the bait is on the bottom. This is where I like conventional reels with lever drag systems. I will then set the drag on the very first setting. On this setting the bait fish can almost pull the line out on its own. It only takes about 4 oz. of pressure to pull line off the reel.
I will then drop the tip until the line goes limp. This indicates the baitfish is on the bottom or in the structure. I will slowly lift the tip up and then slowly drop it again. Each time you do this the bait should move a little further out from the pier. When the rod tip is down and the line is tight I will pull 36 to 48” of line off the reel and lift the tip until the line it tight again. I will continue this process over and over until something happens or the bait is quite a ways off the pier.
The rock piles are about 100 yards long, so to reach the end you would do the above process almost a 100 times. Unfortunately, the further off the pier the bait gets the easier it is for it to move sideways and get into the rock and hang you up. I usually give up after about 20 to 30 cycles. This would put me about 75 to 125 feet from the pier.
Once I decide to stop letting line out I reverse the process. With the tip down, I reel in about 36 to 48” of line. Then raise the tip a little and slowly drop it back down. Over and over I do this until the bait is at the surface just below me.
If the bait makes it out and back I will change it. By this time it is worn out and so tired it will not be able stay down through another cycle. I also move to another spot frequently. I have rarely had a strike on the second time through the cycle in the same spot and never on the third time.
The strike and setting the hook
I’m always paying close attention to the baitfish’s attitude. You should feel the steady back and forth motion as it swims for cover. Any time you feel increased agile movement the fish is stressed and that usually means something is spooking it. This is where you need to hold on, although not every pickup has this happen. Once I feel the fish pick up the bait, I drop the tip about 2 feet, then tighten the drag lever about ¾ of the way. These few seconds gives the fish time to take the bait into its mouth and turn to swim off. Once the drag is set I will raise the tip slowly until I feel pressure. As soon as the fish feels the pressure it will run and here the fun begins.
The fish will hook itself. I’ve learned that pulling back on the rod has resulted in less hook sets than just letting the fish do the work. But with grouper, once he’s hooked it will run for cover. You need to keep it from that cover. You need to work very hard for the first 10 to 15 seconds to get the fish out of its safety zone. You can’t fight a grouper like many fish where you give them some line and work on pulling them in a little at a time. Any chance they get to gain the security of the rocks they will. And once you’re rocked you will likely never see the fish.
So, once the battle has started I reel the line hard and fast and resist the impulse to pump the rod. I will only pump the rod if the fish is big enough that I can’t gain line just by reeling it, but I continue to turn the reel through the entire cycle of each pump. If I notice the fish is pulling the drag I will tighten it, even if I need to take it all the way to the locked position.
Lifting the fish onto the pier
After a good hard battle the fish should be below you and you need to get it up onto the pier. Small grouper can just be reeled and lifted up, but the larger ones take some technique to get over the rails. I will reel the line tight with the rod tip pointing straight down to the fish and reel as tight as possible. I will then lift hard and fast to swing the fish up and over the rails. But be mindful that you only want to lift the fish just enough to clear the rails. The higher the fish goes the harder it will hit the road and bruise the meat. This actually takes some practice.
I always have a drop net with me. They are a useful tool, and in some cases the fish are too big to just lift. But dealing with the current, using a drop net can be a pain and almost impossible if you are by yourself. So I lift the fish with the rod if possible.
If all goes well you should have several good meals of grouper and have some tired arms. But isn’t that what fishing is all about.
Other fish caught with this technique
While using this process on the Skyway I have also caught other fish; Tarpon, Cobia, Spanish Mackerel, Rays, Sharks and Mangrove Snapper. And I’m sure Bull Reds and big Black Drum would hit it as well.
Also, be mindful of the Dolphin. They are a bane of many a fisherman and love to steel your pinfish. It’s usually easy to tell when a Dolphin has your bait. There’s nothing like having a speedy 100lb plus mammal on your line. They know exactly what they are doing and rarely get hooked. Most of the time they pull until the fish rips off the hook. You can get them to drop the bait by releasing the bail, without the pressure they can’s tear the bait off the hook. But once they hit it the bait is shot anyway.
