An anchor ball, about the size of a medium beach ball, should be ready for attachment to the anchor line. That makes for easy retrieval of even heavy anchors. When it’s time to pull anchor, simply head at an angle upcurrent until the boat trips the anchor loose from bottom. The anchor ball will then float the anchor and chain right up to the surface, where it can be easily brought back aboard. Keep at least three times the anchor line aboard, for the depth you intend to fish. High tensile anchors are also recommended over regular anchors, simply because they won’t bend as easily when your anchor snags bottom and has to be pulled loose with the boat.

Gag grouper often join the bottom-feeding frenzy a reefs off Jacksonville.

Be sure to tie off your anchor line to a solid cleat, because an anchor windless will not pull a snagged anchor free. In cases of a severe snag, one may have to cut the anchor line, but only as a last resort after pulling from various angles with the boat. If the anchor is bent, it becomes very difficult to anchor properly, and you can’t straighten them back to their proper shape while still at sea.

Some of Jacksonville’s best bottom fishing comes during the warmer seasons, beginning in early April and running right through the month of December. This is where bottom fishermen have a wealth of live bottom ledges to anchor over within 10 to 40 miles of the St. Johns Inlet.

“I recommend RL, HH, TW, PG, 16-17 Bottom and the Elton Bottom,” Strait says. “All of these fish havens have numerous live, hard bottoms with 2- to 3-foot ledges. The point to remember is if the water temperature is less than 62 degrees, you need to go deeper until you find warmer water.”

Jacksonville fishermen will agree, we’ve experienced some of the best bottom fishing for red snapper and gag grouper during the past few seasons that we’ve ever seen. We can give thanks in part to much-needed saltwater regulations on reef species.

For the finer details on Florida offshore bottom fishing, try a copy of Florida Sportsman’s new Sportsman’s Best: Snapper-Grouper book.

FS