Hunting trophy gag grouper or even a respectable keeper requires patience one moment and brute force the next.

A day fishing with the James Gang holds special promise because you just never know when you might find him. “James” is a record gag grouper that lives southwest of Pensacola and he has a bounty on his head. There’s no money involved, only braggin’ rights that will undoubtedly be disputed. But what can’t be disputed is the sheer glee that is involved in the hunt for James.

Headed up by the patriarch of the group, Mark Adams, we boarded the 37-foot charterboat Nothin’ Matters, which operates out of Mark’s family business, Daybreak Marina. Our captain was Mark’s son Matt and the rest of the crew consisted of gang members Tony Davis, Matt Lacour, Keith Jenkins, Allen West and me. To be fair, Keith, Allen and I were substitute gang members, filling in for Coach Schippman and Mark’s other two sons, Jake and Luke.

We loaded up the boat at 6 a.m. and prepared for a long ride to the southwest. The one thing you’ll never find on a hunt is a shortage of rods and reels. The last count I made for the trip was 37—rigged and ready—and I didn’t count the ones below deck. I think the pre-trip preparation helps keep your excitement level in check, but even Mark admits you don’t get much sleep the night before a trip.

It was a long ride by most bottom fishing standards, as our first drop was 55 nautical miles from the pass. But we weren’t looking for a box of keepers, we were after James. Keith was the first one down. As the rest of the group readied their rigs with live bait and butterflied northern mackerel, he quickly sent down a heavy bucktail jig. You can always spot the bass fishermen on a trip; they want to get one on artificials before switching to bait. Keith’s line went slack, signaling he’d reached the bottom at 240 feet. After just a few quick and heavy bounces of the rod he was hooked up and grinning. He made short work of this 10- or 12-pound fish and after a few quick pictures, our first gag graced the fish box.

Not to be outdone, Mark loaded up a nice gag on a butterflied bait. Tony Davis joined in the fray next with a healthy keeper, followed by two serious trips to the gunnel. Even heavy bottom gear is no match for a grouper that bests you into the rocks and 150-pound braided line snaps quickly against the pressure of an ex-linebacker. If you’ve never had a fish take you to one knee and pin your wrists to the gunnel, you’re missing out on a very humbling experience.

While enjoying the “Tony Show,” we heard Matt Lacour start grunting and turned to see him bowed up on something we hoped was a little better than a “keeper.” Matt’s rod was doubled over and he had the butt tucked neatly under his arm. He didn’t pump this fish up and reel down—that’s a recipe for a lost fish—but instead just kept reeling steadily until the fish was clear of the rocks. Everyone joked with him about hooking into a big triggerfish or a goliath mingo, but we knew it was a good grouper when the fish quit fighting about halfway up in the water column. What we didn’t know was that a fat warsaw would pop up alongside the boat. I had the pleasure of wrestling him into the net. After spending a few hours on ice, this fish still pegged the scales at 41 pounds later that afternoon. It wasn’t James, but his cousin would have to do for this trip.

Dragging big grouper away from their lair isn't for the tame or tentative.

We caught eight gags and the big warsaw on our first stop—and even fed a nice scamp to a 6-foot mako shark, but the activity for the rest of the day would slow down. We picked up two more gags in the 15- to 20-pound range at the next rock and some nice scamp came from another spot just a few miles away. Since this trip took place in late March, we had to release two snapper that would have scared the heck out of 16 and 18 pounds. Enough to make a boat full of grown men cry, or at least make sure we noted where they came from in our logbook. It was a great day by any standards and just another day for the James Gang.

Preparing and executing a big-game bottom fishing expedition isn’t much different than your normal bottom bumping, except for gear, location, tackle, bait and techniques. Yeah, it’s completely different! If you want to plan a hunt for James (or even a cousin) try following some tips from the Gang.