Tampa Fishing Charters - Red Grouper

[CptRickReddick]

I headed out late in the afternoon to catch the evening grouper bite. We left out of Tarpon Springs Sponge Dock. I had my lap top hocked up to navigate from, just knowing that we were going to get our limits of mangrove snapper and red grouper. Gag grouper and red snapper are now closed so we were going for what we would be able to keep.

We passed the sea buoy around 4:30pm, and headed due west. Half way there my laptop with all our numbers on it crashes and we start to scramble to pull the trip together. We decide to head out to some flat bottom in 85’ of water. After looking around for an hour, we find some fish holding on the hard bottom.

I am a die hard anchoring captain. I hate drifting. I will motor or power fish when the situation is right. That being said, red grouper tend to be spread out on flat bottom so anchoring is not always ideal. We decided to power/ drift fish, and it paid of well. The current was not running too strong and the wind was about 10 knots out of the south. We set up a slow drift and on the first pass we caught a few short red groupers and one keeper. We did it again and landed another red grouper. Within one and a half hours of finding this spot, we had our limit four man limit of red grouper.

Offshore fishing has been very good. There are more fish out there than I have seen in my lifetime. If you can get out there and get your red grouper and mangrove snapper—do it.

Captain Rick Reddick

http://www.captainrickreddick.com

info@captainrickreddick.com

813-787-0249



Tampa Fishing Guides | Tampa Fishing Charters
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[Tarpon4me]

That's a good job man. I know the grouper are quite a bit deeper right now off of our coast. We have to run out to around 100' plus, usually in 120' or better, to find any quality grouper. LOL, benefits of living in Florida I suppose. [cool]

What kind of rig and bait are you using. I know our local DNR passed a reg that requires us to use circle hooks with natural bait, and I wonder if that was an SAFMC reg, or just local.
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[CptRickReddick]

Circle hooks are required in FL. I am using Carolina rigs. I have caught red grouper out of Georgetown and Charleston in 75-85'.
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[Tarpon4me]

I've caught them shallower out of MI and G-town. [] This time of year though, it's not so great. Everyone that is bumping bottom around the vermillion, santee banks, etc... is only getting short fish and BSB. Pretty typical. Different ball game when fall rolls back in. I've caught keeper Gags during winter in less than 50' of water.

We use carolina rigs as well, unless anchored. I'll tie on a knocker rig at that point. [cool] The guy I fish with the most doesn't like to anchor, which I do. So, mostly carolina rigs or jigs. LOL!

FYI, the SAFMC reg for circle hooks covers bottom rigs specifically designed for use with natural bait. Jigs and artificial lure delivery methods don't apply to the rule.

Good to hear you've fished out of our local waters. You should also visit charlestonfishing.com if you frequently do so. We have a little club called the Winyah Bay Fishing Club that gets together the second wednesday of each month. If you are ever in the area of Pawleys Island, let me know. We'd love to have you stop by, drink beer, and tell lies. []
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[CptRickReddick]

I chartered out of Charleston for 5 years. My screen name on CF is purposeone. I am back fishing at home now. You are right about the fall and needing to go a little deeper. I have caught them in 75-85 in the summer though, but not in large numbers.
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[Tarpon4me]

Small world man, that's really cool. My screen name on there is the same as this one. I never fish out of Charleston, for no other reason than I don't know anyone in the area, nor do I have any numbers out of that area.

I grew up in MI, and know most of the normal skippers over that way.....Englis Glover, Shannon Curry, Jay Sconyers, etc..... I suspect you know a few of the same people I do. [cool]
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[cruisedubai]

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