The Bay-sics of Grouper Grabbin’

Trolling inshore ship channels produces keeper gags in Tampa Bay.

By David A. Brown

Normally, when Capt. Woody Gore fishes near the Port Manatee spoil island, he’s looking for snook. No doubt, the spot holds a ton of linesiders during the summer spawn, but this wasn’t a summer trip, Woody wasn’t slinging live sardines, and he wasn’t fishing the shallow brine where snook roam.

Gathering his sons, Mike and Mark—also Tampa Bay guides—Woody fished the deep water of the Port’s ship channel. The target: big gag grouper. The tactic: trolling plugs—a highly effective presentation for these bottom-hugging brutes.

Resembling mullet, bluefish, ladyfish and trout—common forage for channel gags—hefty lures attract attention from aggressive predators with the means, motive and opportunity for a big-time aggravated assault.

“The fish are just sitting there, waiting for something to shoot by,” Mike said. “They’re all fighting for an easy (meal), and if we put a lure right in front of them on the side of the channel, they can’t resist it. If anything rolls by these fish, they’re going to eat it.”

Big-lipped diving plugs like the Mann’s Stretch 25, MirrOlure 111MR, Magnum Rapalas and Rebel Bombers present hefty targets with lots of vibration, so if a grouper doesn’t see it coming, he’ll feel the tremors. Productive colors include orange, pink, gold, chartreuse and firetiger, but Mark said it’s more about the speed. Unlike bottom fishing, where grouper have time to examine the bait and calculate their escape route, trolling shifts more advantage to the angler.

“The fish has a moving object going by him, so it has to make a split-second reaction,” he said. “He’s going to hit the plug as hard as he possibly can to take it out before he misses it.”

WHERE & WHEN

Grouper range throughout the Tampa Bay shipping lanes linking the Egmont Channel to Port Manatee (south shore), Port Tampa (Old Tampa Bay) and Port Sutton (Hillsborough Bay). Some spots are sweeter than others, but there’s plenty of highway to search, so don’t think you have to hug close to the Sunshine Skyway at the mouth of the bay.

Mark said anglers who master trolling tactics can expect keeper gags (22-inch minimum) on each trip during the spring and fall seasons. Moderate water temperatures keep the fish active, while mild tides bring the best feeding.

“You want a moving tide, but a really strong tide is harder on the fish,” Mark said. “They’re trying to stay out of the current as much as possible. If they swing up off the bottom, they get pushed farther away and they don’t want to leave their spot.”

Mark prefers trolling on weekdays because there’s less boat traffic. “It’s not the pressure on the fish, so much as the pressure of other boats. You have to avoid other people and you’re not always able to hit the areas you want to hit.”

Trolling with the tide is best, because grouper will be looking into the current. Running downtide pulls the baits over the fish’s back and they rarely see them in time to strike.

“You might spook one out once in a while because [your lure] came close enough for the fish to grab it,” Mark said. “But usually, they’re not looking that way. So, by the time they go to do anything, the opportunity has already passed them.”

In deep environments, the sound of a passing boat doesn’t spook the fish—in fact, Mike considers it a stimulant.

“The fish will usually hear the boat and they’ll know something’s coming,” he said. “All these big ships coming through will stir up the bottom and all the bait gets pulled out of the holes. So, the fish hear the noise go by and they assume it’s feeding time.”

Mark adds: “A lot of people hook up right behind (a ship).”

Of course, a good dose of awareness, tempered with boating safety will help prevent mishaps in these ditches dug for commercial traffic. Recreational boats must yield to ships underway, and while it’s hard to miss the big guys, collisions aren’t the only concern. Huge wakes can jostle fishing boats, and smaller inshore vessels face a serious risk of swamping when hapless skippers allow swells to sneak up on them.

“Keep an eye on the wind and current and know that (big boats) can’t stop like we can stop,” Mike said. “Stay as far right or left as you can in the channel. You don’t have to stop trolling because the channel actually goes outside the markers.”

Daily tide schedules will keep you on target in the channels. As Mike notes: “The markers may be outside or inside the channel by a good 50 feet because of the swing in the (anchoring) chain. If the tide’s really ripping or if the wind is pushing the marker one way or the other, you can go to either the inside or the outside depending on the tide.

“If you’re not careful, you’ll get your gear caught up on that chain and lose your plug or your downrigger weight. So you want to give the cans plenty of room.”

HOW IT WORKS

Running at about 1,000 rpm, Mike uses a split screen function to monitor his bottom recorder and chartplotter. This affords him optimal perspective on channel depth and contour to keep his lures in the strike zone, while allowing him to identify hotspots for repeat passes.

“When we get a strike, we’ll circle back and a lot of times, we’ll pull one off the same spot,” Mike said. “We’ll just follow the same trail until we get another one.”

Double-headers happen, too, Mark said. “If we hook up, we’ll put the boat in neutral and sometimes another grouper will pick up the other plug. When you hook a grouper, you usually see others running after it because they’re hanging together.”

Running lures about 50 and 100 yards back ensures a staggered presentation with sufficient line to present the lures at the right depth. Once they’re set, Woody likes to see an occasional bounce in his rod tip. This means his lure is running right across the grouper’s porch and putting on an irresistible show in the process.

“I like for that lip to hit the bottom now and then,” he said. “Every time the lip hits the bottom and puffs the dirt up, that’s a definite attractor for gag grouper. He’ll see that and come right after the plug.

“Also, when that lure bumps the bottom the rodtip goes down, and when it comes back up the lure starts to float. The grouper will hit it on the rise.”

In deeper areas, trollers may replace diving plugs with heavy jigs run behind planers or, for more precision—downriggers. Bullet shaped jigs with horsehair skirts and chartreuse, pink or white curl tails do the trick.

The jig’s skirt pulsates in the water and the tail’s undulating action also draws attention. Jigs won’t create the enticing vibrations like a plug, but Woody has a way of bolstering the attraction.

“I like to cut in and out of the channel to bounce that jig on the side,” he said. “You’re going to lose some jigs this way, but most of the time, if you’re paying attention, when you see it (snag) you can back up and let it come loose.”

GEAR UP

Conventional or spinning gear will work for plug trolling. As Mark notes, his inshore fishing background has made him more comfortable with the latter, so he simply moves up to heavy-action gear for grouper and spools 65-pound braided line. About four feet of 80-pound fluorocarbon leader strengthens his presentation while decreasing visibility.

A braided line’s small diameter cuts through the water faster than bulky monofilament, so plugs reach their effective range in a hurry. Moreover, there’s no stretch with braids and that proves strategic in separating a grouper from his fortress.

“As soon as they hit the plug, they’re coming out,” Mark said. “They don’t have any chance at all to get back to their structure. That’s the whole benefit of trolling, too. They’re not going to rock you up as bad (as with bottom fishing). They’re coming up off the bottom to hit the plug and as soon as they do, they’re just gone. We’re pulling them along with the boat.

“Sometimes with a big fish, the rod’s bent over so much that it’s difficult to get it out of the rod holder. But that’s a nice problem to have.”

The Gores use a heavy-duty Frabill salmon net to scoop up their grouper. Nets are fine, but when treble hooks tangle in the mesh, retrieving fish gets complicated. Slipping the hook of a short-handled gaff under a grouper’s chin also works well, but be careful not to dislodge the lure before you have the fish secured.

The Gore’s family affair concluded with a trio of confirmed 10-pound gags sending fresh fillets to each household. We launched just before sunup, iced the first keeper at 7:30 and closed up shop around 10. No one’s knocking the Gulf’s offshore fishery, but considering the impediments of high fuel costs and frequently bumpy seas, ours was a fine morning.

By the way, we fished in Mike’s 23-foot Ranger bay boat—the same one he uses to chase snook at the Port Manatee spoil island.

Vital Skyway Access Details

On May 9, 1980, the phosphate freighter Summit Venture rammed the original Sunshine Skyway Bridge at the mouth of Tampa Bay. The collision occurred during a blinding squall and sent large sections of the elevated roadway, along with several motorists, crashing into Tampa Bay. There’s no minimizing the tragedy, but this event delivered an unexpected gift to local anglers—fishing piers and artificial reefs.

A decade after the accident, the rest of the bridge was demolished, its ends were capped and in 1994, the North and South Skyway Piers opened with bait shops, restrooms, lights and parking. Rubble from the original Skyway, strategically placed adjacent to the piers, has attracted a resident population of gag grouper, along with mangrove snapper and black seabass.

The pier bait shops can provide reef location details, and anglers drifting live pinfish, squirrelfish or pilchards to these spots regularly haul in keeper gags. Dropping live or cutbait directly under the piers occasionally produces an ice-worthy grouper, but the outlying reefs prove most consistent.

The Skyway Pier grouper fishery somewhat offsets lost access to the new bridge’s central pilings. Before 911, dropping pilchards or pinfish near the main channel edges was nearly a guaranteed hookup with feisty gags who feed aggressively in this food-rich environment.

National security concerns have led the U.S. Coast Guard to prohibit vessels from stopping or anchoring beneath the central main span of the Skyway Bridge. Mooring with or contacting any of the bridge structures—including bases, pilings and dolphins—is also prohibited.

Boaters must also stay at least 100 yards away from moving or moored cruise ships, and moored container ships carrying dangerous cargo. Within 200 yards of such vessels, you must proceed at the minimum speed necessary for save navigation. Certain channels require 500- or 1,000-yard security zones around fuel container vessels (LPG and NH3).

You can obtain a complete Boaters Guide to Safety and Security Zones on Tampa Bay online at: homeport.uscg.mil/stpetersburg. On the right side of the screen, scroll down to Community Outreach and click on Security Zones in Tampa Bay. You may call (727) 824-7531 for clarification.

Keep ’Em Running Right

Big plugs with big trebles are good at catching grouper, but they’re also good at catching leaders. If a fish hits and misses the plug—or shakes off after a hookup—one or both of its hooks may swing around the fluorocarbon. This mars the presentation and usually prevents a hookup on subsequent strikes.

Other grouper may take a follow-up swipe at what looks like a wounded bait, but the running action of a fouled lure just doesn’t get the job done and interest quickly diminishes. Plugs that rise topside and skip are clearly in need of attention.

Sometimes, lures foul during deployment, so Capt. Woody Gore advises this preventative measure: Drop your lure into the water a few feet from the boat, but hold the line against the rod for a few seconds. Once the lip digs in, release the line and let the lure shoot out into the current. Water drag keeps everything straight.

Vegetation can also create problems for trolling. Grouper don’t care for salad with their meals, so keep watch for the tell-tale signs of trouble.

“Earlier in the year, we find a lot of floating grass that will gather on your line and work its way down to your plug,” Woody said. “You can tell when you have grass on your plug because your rodtip stops bouncing—it’ll be a dead pull instead of that side-to-side vibration.”.

Fishing Down on the Boulevard

Surf fishing’s not just an Atlantic game. We survey promising shoreline on the West Central Gulf Coast.

By Tom Levine

Surf fishing paradise between Fort DeSoto Park and Clearwater? Well, one fishing truth is that many people overlook the obvious. If you like the image of your drag searing out with some of the Gulf’s most crowded coast at your back, maybe reaching a hand back for a soft drink to sustain you in the battle, picture yourself stepping off Gulf Boulevard, State Route 699. There’s mackerel, blues, snook and more out there that “ain’t sceered” by condos and carbon monoxide. If you plan to be in St. Petersburg or Clearwater on business or pleasure, remember to pack your tackle.

Just pick your fish attractor. The saltwater ones are usually easy to spot. You’ll find two of the best ones together—passes and bridges. The passes, where tide pulls Gulf back and forth into intracoastal waterways and lagoons, are natural fish meccas. Add a good ol’ barnacle-encrusted bridge featuring an eddy on the downstream side of every piling and you’ve got to be thinking not, “Will I catch anything,” but, “What kind of fish will I catch next?”

Access points abound between Fort DeSoto Park and Highway 60 into Clearwater. You get a choice: fish the passes from beach, bridge or jetty, or walk out on the beach and start casting. There are major public beaches along the way and between those, frequent public paths to the beach. You’re never far from a casting opportunity. My boys and I started at Fort DeSoto and cruised north, checking out spots along the way.

Fort DeSoto is a glorious Pinellas County park south of St. Petersburg and a world away. It’s great to see a park where it’s clear the designers actually thought nature was a good idea and so left a lot of it around. That’s Fort DeSoto in spades. Here you’ll find vast, non-crowded fishing ops wherever you look. Not to mention gorgeous campsites. Ours had a waterfront view. We went kayak fishing in mangroves, spotted snook from little bridges, surf fished, and stalked the most wadeable flats ever. I didn’t want to leave but the Boulevard—and, by extension, home in Central Florida—was calling. We had plenty of adventure ahead, with the goal of seeing how many times we could grab those rods and make for salt water between our campsite and the big Pier 60 in Clearwater.

We started watching for a good bridge.

Ordinary people think a bridge is just an easy way to get across the water. Fishermen know better. We recognize a spectacular blending of engineering and architecture, a tribute to the indomitable human spirit, one of the truest symbols of man’s exit from the cave and into the realm of fishing. When we see a sign that says DRAW BRIDGE AHEAD we are likely to take pencil in hand and draw a bridge with a head on it. Our proud wife is then likely to say, “That’s good, honey. That’s real good.”

Bridges come in different flavors and a fisherman should be keenly aware of the distinctions: Is it a nice, low bridge? Is it a tightfisted stingy bridge bookended with NO FISHING signs or is it a liberal, welcoming bridge that recognizes its duty to taxpayers driven by the pursuit of fish, with a catwalk and parking space at either end? Does it sport mid-channel fish-attracting, barnacle-encrusted fenders? Is there a beach at each end where a person can land and photograph that giant cobia? Are there lights? Is there a bait and tackle shop nearby?

The boys and I soon hit a bridge that met all the criteria. We opted for tiny tube lures on 1⁄16-ounce jigheads with a splitshot a couple feet up the line for weight. Six-pound test and no leader. Not using a leader means hoping for pompano, whiting, flounder, lookdowns, maybe mangrove snapper over blues and macks. If you’re feeling adventurous, light line is great for bridge fishing because it has little water resistance, enabling you to use light lures and letting your lure stay longer where you want it in current; and low wind resistance which lets you put it there in the first place. And yes, with a little luck in what part of the mouth gets the hook, you can land snook and toothy fish with that line. Of course, you’ll need a long-handled dipnet, or a hoop net on the end of a nylon line, if you plan to haul up anything substantial.

If Spanish and blues are around, best to try 30-pound-test mono or light wire.

Night fishing from bridges can be exciting. Try 1⁄4- to 1⁄2-ounce bucktails or tube lures, and walk the bridge, dropping by pilings or the best place, by the bridge fenders. Wait for a light tap, then hang on to that snook. Heavier tackle is helpful for this, at least 15-pound test. If he heads unstoppably for a piling, give him slack line. Normally the snook will stop and you can eventually ease him away. Tarpon also are a distinct possibility.

If it’s a low bridge and you have a lantern, lower it on a rope to just above the water. It’s fascinating just seeing the weird creatures that swim through the light and often it attracts big fish to catch.

It’s a special feeling just being out on a bridge at night—fresh night breeze, maybe some moon, stars, mystery.

For a much simpler pass fishing experience, just park and walk down to the sand, find a nice eddy or bend and start tossing that little tube lure or spoon. Or fish from the bridge abutments. You may just find out what’s out there. Ladyfish and jacks, two of our most spectacular fighters, are always a good bet.

Moving on, the boys’ friend Nigel spotted a glimmer down a road out the left side of the van. We parked and got out. Folks sitting on a well placed picnic table, weighted lines out with cutbait.

Seawall and rocks are sprinkled with the occasional fisherman. I ask how’s the fishing. Not good at the moment, but it looks good, with the inlet curving out to the left a couple football fields away. Easy fishing, with a nice little eddy right here, little dock to the right; I can just picture predators slashing in at exhausted bait schools trying to hang out of the current.

The boys toss jigs by the dock and Ely gets a nice snapper interested. He’s sure a touch of bait would close the deal but I don’t see any extra around. Nice little open-air restaurant-bar across the street, man sitting almost on his rod, apparently just returned from that establishment, tells me exuberantly “Lookit! I caught this cup.”

He holds it aloft with great happiness. “Isn’t this great?” he gushes.

“Yeah. Pretty nice cup. Blue. Did you hook it?”

He looks sheepish. “Nah. Had to swim for it.”

“Then it doesn’t count,” I try to deflate him. “Anything else out here?”

“Oh yeah,” he rhapsodizes through a big sharky grin. “Everything. Spanish mackerel, blues, jacks, kingfish, grouper. They get flushed in and they get flushed out, just like a giant toilet.” I believe him. This little out-of-the-way nook could be great. And it couldn’t be more convenient.

Though the boys would like to linger longer, we’re back on the road.

Redington Shores boasts a 50-year-old wooden pier, a relic to make an old pirate’s gallbladder glad, the likes of which I thought no longer dared the Gulf’s wrath after the year of the hurricanes. In fact, I didn’t know piers with this much character ever existed.

“This, boys, is a pier,” I said.

At the time, the pier looked as if it had weathered a few storms—barely. You could lose your catch in the grain grooves in the old planks. For contrast, a random new one was nailed in. As we strode up the ramp barefoot, a thoughtful fisherman pointed out one particular nail famous for its ability to “rip a big toe clean off.” I wondered if it had a name, like Hitler the Boca Grande hammerhead.

“Thanks,” I said, “but I’m sure I would have found it on my own.

“Hey boys, do you suppose all the fishermen out here might actually be dead, like The Pirates of the Caribbean?”

They were not ready to rule out the possibility.

We got out there and I noticed antique park benches lined up along the rickety rail. A Canadian hauls in a bull whiting.

“Want to see the rest of them?” he offers instead. Sure enough, a bucket of big whiting.

“How do you like this pier?” I ask.

“Look around you,” he laughs, pointing to some two-by-fours inexplicably nailed in an elevated rectangle “It could use a little repair, eh?”

“To tell you the truth, that’s exactly what I like about it.”

“They even had to block off the end.”

He had me there. (For the record, the privately owned Redington pier was closed to the public for a few days in 2006, but has since reopened with structural upgrades.)

Just then a man set the hook viciously and hauled in a long Spanish mackerel. I found his rig interesting and nothing I’d have expected to work: piece of cut mullet suspended below heavy egg sinker under large styrofoam cone bobber. A minute later he sets into a nice bluefish. I take to watching his bobber. Then Nigel walks up with a blue runner and Ely hauls up a lizardfish. Lots of fish out here, I’m thinking. It’s eerie, like the fishing is from the past, too. I keep a furtive eye on the boys, lest they get sucked into some Twilight Zone type void.

“How do you feel about paying 10 bucks to fish out here?” I ask the present Canadian from my native perspective.

“Heck,” he rejoins, “Where else can you go for 10 dollars?”

“Never thought of it that way,’’ I said.

A tall, triangle-shaped cloud is devouring the sun, dripping rays of orange and yellow to the surface of the Gulf. “Time to go if we’re going to make it to Pier 60,” I say to three getting-tired boys who’ve been adventuring since dawn. But first they want a swim. Quite a sight, 12-year-old boys, billions-years-old sun, brand new sunset and scary fishing pier. You never know what you’ll find down on the Boulevard.

Get Your Feet Wet Or Not

Fort DeSoto Park: 3500 Pinellas Bayway S., Tierra Verde. This park has it all: Campgrounds, boat ramp, Bay and Gulf fishing piers, canoe trails, observation tower and more. To reach the main office, call (727) 582-2267. For the camp store, dial (727) 866-9191. Kayak rentals available in park for excellent and easy backwater angling; call (727) 864-1991.

Redington Long Pier: 17490 Gulf Blvd., Redington Shores. Excellent antique pier with tackle shop.

Big Pier 60: 1 Causeway Blvd., Clearwater; (727) 462-6466. Adult fishing admission $6.30. Bait and tackle sold on site.

Wingin’ It: Pinellas County has lots of public beach access, and there are bait and tackle shops scattered up and down Gulf Blvd. Winter is a good time to fish; the water’s cool, and you won’t be competing with swimmers for space. One shop we spoke with, West Wind Bait and Tackle (727) 392-2121, advised getting in on the whiting bite, using small bits of shrimp on a sliding sinker rig. “You can walk out and catch whiting all day, and some pompano here and there,” said owner Tom Williams. “Our beaches do a good job at giving everybody access.” West Wind is located between Johns Pass and Redington Long Pier.

Another B&T we consulted with was The Bait Bucket in Tierra Verde, (727) 864-2108. They recommended fishing for sheepshead around structure, and said with a warm winter, or early spring, migratory fish such as Spanish mackerel and kingfish are a possibility off the piers. The fishing varies according to water temp. Snook were biting on the flats through the winter of ’06-’07. Main thing is, just get here and adapt to the circumstances. That’s what the fish are doing.

Here’s a quick look at some spots we checked:

• Pinellas Bayway (SR 679) south to Tierra Verde draw bridge: Perfect for fishermen, with continuous vehicle access via dirt track paralleling road. Many breaks in the mangroves, where you can wade or launch paddle craft. Look for seatrout, redfish, snook, tarpon, mangrove snapper in the mangroves. Ideal place for soft jerkbaits, spoons and tube lures.

• Tierra Verde draw bridge: Fishing encouraged, catwalks and guard rails. Public parking at both ends, particularly north end. Pretty spot.

• Tierra Verde behind Mercantile Bank: Local knowledge hotspot; small grouper, seatrout, snapper.

• From Tierra Verde to Fort DeSoto County Park: Everywhere you look; very fishing friendly.

• Passe-a-Grille: A town made for fishing. Long seawall on inside, right next to road; just park, step out and start fishing. Scattered park benches for exquisite comfort, and scattered small docks. Passe-a-Grille jetty at southernmost point is particularly known for pompano; also great beach access with metered parking and playground park near beach. Small side bridge by Sea Critters Restaurant.

• Small and wide beach accesses scattered along Gulf Blvd.

• St. Petersburg Beach, 75th Ave. bridge: No guard rail; park by city hall.

• Boca Ciega Bay bridge: Parking and boat ramp.

• Gulf Blvd. bridge to Treasure Island: Easy parking.

• Boat ramp Treasure Island, 100th Ave. and Gulf Blvd.: good small dock, good depth. Fishing access also at 101st and 102nd avenues, plus small beach access across from 103rd Ave.

• 112th Ave.: Little side bridge, easy parking.

• Boat launch and dock: 123 Ave.

• John’s Pass: Public access from north side, fishing jetty. Catch whiting, pompano, sheepshead, seatrout and redfish.

• Madeira Beach Causeway: Beach access and nearby park.

• Indian Shores-Park Blvd: Boat ramp has park and restroom; seawall fishing from park, also bridge.

• Indian Rocks Beach: Seawall fishing.

• Sand Key Park: County beach park at 1060 Gulf Blvd., south side of Clearwater Pass. Phone (727) 588-4852.

• For general Pinellas County parks information, visit www.pinellascounty.org/parks

The Hit List

Year round: whiting, seatrout, redfish, mangrove snapper, tarpon, snook. Fall-early winter: Pompano, Spanish mackerel, kings, bluefish (some blues year-round). Sheepshead: Big spawners show up winter through spring. Drop bait around pilings and hang on. Stout tackle and leader helpful for this style angling.

FS