# grouper fishing



## Lyin Too (Aug 31, 2009)

What are the main differences between catching grouper and other reef fish? Snapper seem to be easy but the grouper are a little harder to learn how to find.


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## grey ghost (Jul 24, 2011)

you got that rite, i catch occsional red grouper, but thats about it on grouper for me!!? i will be listening for help?? GG


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## Michael f sights (Jun 19, 2012)

In my limited experience, Gag's are on the bottom near wrecks, hit live bait better, but it's getting harder to get through the snapper to get to them.

Red grouper prefer live bottom & dead bait better. Scamp need water 180' or better & like little 3-4" pinfish.

However, it seems where I fish in the Gulf the snapper fishing get's better every year & the grouper fishing is getting worse. Just my 2 cents.


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## Naby (Jan 18, 2009)

Add me to the list, I can't catch them either. That being said I never tried to do anything different than I do for snapper. The other advice above is pretty good from what I've heard from others.


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## JoeZ (Sep 30, 2007)

Fish deeper (180 or better) and use large live baits or huge butterflied dead baits. Keep it on the bottom.


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## younghooker (Oct 7, 2007)

snapper are more aggressive, overpopulating, running off the grouper... huge to need to harvest the snapper to balance fish populations


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## toobad4u (Feb 13, 2012)

From a divers look at it, I see alot of grouper out in the sand away from the actual wreck. At one point this past weekend I could count 20-30 gags about 30-50' from the wreck hanging out in the sand. They wouldn't let me get close enough for me to shoot. Don't get me wrong, they are in the wrecks too, but they are quick to get out in the sand away from the wreck if they get spooked. BTW, all the dives from this weekend, 8 drops total, were done in less than 100' of water. Gags were on every spot out of Panama City.

Stephen


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## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

Use the biggest live baits you can get ahold of, fish in at least 150' in the summer, winter the grouper move in and I've caught them on the bridge and jetties when its cold. I personally like to drift large areas of live bottom in 200 plus, I like to use pinfish at least 4-5 inches if not bigger. Most of the best baits you aren't legally allowed to use. Also, grouper don't chew, they suck the bait in hole so getting pressure on a fish rite when you hook up is important, you want to use heavy line and reel like hell. Sometimes it's better to fish off the wreck a little and let them come to your bait, catching a big one out of his hole can be very hard.


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## Naby (Jan 18, 2009)

toobad4u said:


> From a divers look at it, I see alot of grouper out in the sand away from the actual wreck. At one point this past weekend I could count 20-30 gags about 30-50' from the wreck hanging out in the sand. They wouldn't let me get close enough for me to shoot. Don't get me wrong, they are in the wrecks too, but they are quick to get out in the sand away from the wreck if they get spooked. BTW, all the dives from this weekend, 8 drops total, were done in less than 100' of water. Gags were on every spot out of Panama City.
> 
> Stephen


Thanks for that perspective.


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## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

That's the main reason I drift fish, catch all kinds of stuff off the wrecks and even find more structure occasionally.


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## grey ghost (Jul 24, 2011)

bigrick, your reply makes alot of sense, !! One of these days soon, i will be on coast full time instead of a wkd or so a month, i usually have one day of hard fishing on that wkd. I luv to drift fish and look for somebody else's honeyhole!!?? Time is my problem!! thks for help on grouper! LOL


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