Bring Down the Thunder to Catch Shallow Gag Grouper

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Mention gag grouper and most folks think "offshore." Not incorrect, but while plenty of reefs and rocks in 60-plus feet of Gulf water hold progressively more and bigger fish, coastal rocks in 5-20 feet of water host impressive populations of adult gag grouper (many keeper size) that will absolutely blast a bait well within eyesight.

Live offerings are easiest and Capt. Ed Walker knows that a well full of pinfish usually equates to a day of arm-stretching, eye-popping fun. Considering how an offshore angler’s first look at a gag grouper generally amounts to a whipped fish languishing at boat side, the shallow water deal shows you the true beast the dwells within this fish.

"It’s totally different; it’s similar to flats fishing," Walker said. "We stopped using sinkers years ago. We chum them to the top and cast to them. It’s sight fishing for grouper. It’s more exciting."

Targeting limestone outcroppings and rocky ledges from Tarpon Springs to Chassahowitzka, Walker does most of his grouper fishing in the 8-30-foot range, with 15 being the average. For minimal pressure, smaller is better, but Walker said today’s fishing pressure requires diligent searches for unmolested fish.

What was once a well-guarded secret has in the last couple of decades become more mainstream. With most of the larger sites listed on local charts, or marked by someone’s waypoint, Walker’s constantly using his side-canning sonar to search for the subtlest of bottom spots—even an unassuming crack in the bottom can hold keeper gags.

"It’s still a hunt; there’s no such thing as a guaranteed grouper spot," he said. "If you land on something special that hasn’t been picked over, the average size is 8-10 pounds, and 75 percent of what you catch are keepers.

"On the more fished spots, you have to grind through a bunch of shorts to get a couple of keepers. We’ve caught them up to 21 pounds in shallow water."

Live Action

Noting that fall-winter offers the best opportunities, Walker said the live bait routine is the most user-friendly option. Sling a handful of pinfish, or whatever bait you have across the target site, watch the the gags blast the freebies like snook on a mangrove edge, then sling a live pin or pigfish on a 9/0 circle hook toward the point of attack.

Walker fishes his livies on 6 1/2-foot spinning outfits with 5000 size Daiwa BG reels carrying 50-pound monofilament. The reel’s lower retrieve speed provides more torque, while the mono makes it stealthy.

"Nothing will mess up your chum line like braid, because of the visibility," Walker said. "I used to go braided main line with a mono topshot, but in shallow water, I realized I was using on the topshot, so there was no need for braid.”

Gags On the Fly

For a thrill that nearly defies description, Walker’s favorite way to engage shallow gags is with a stout 11-weight fly rod. He’ll chum the fish up same as live baiting, then present his fly on sink tip line.

Walker ties his own baitfish patterns with a little lead in the design to aid the sink tip line, but he’s also seen big gags go nuts on a popper fly.

"The fly fishing is the coolest thing you’ve ever seen," Walker said. "We’ve had them jumping out of the water on a popper."

With multiple IGFA world records on his boat, including his men’s 20-pound tippet record (15 pounds, 6 ounces), Walker said the key to handling these brutish fish—on fly rods, or spinning gear—starts with positioning strategy.

"Especially with the fly rod, don’t park on the rock—chum them away," he said. "When you hook them, they want to run back to the rock, so we give ourselves a head start."

Distance also benefits your stealth objective, as these shallow-water fish are keenly alert and easily spooked into lockjaw mode. Slamming bait well lids and storage hatches, dropping rods into holders, heavy footsteps; gags with less than a boat length of water over their heads won’t tolerate such overhead racket, so give them some space and they day will go much better.

Casting Call

Expanding the artificial approach, grouper addicts like Crystal River’s Capt. Brandon Branch specializes in throwing topwaters, swimbaits and diving plugs. Calling his tactics “combat fishing,” Branch works his area’s limestone rocks in 5-14 feet with 7-foot-6 heavy spinning outfits. Unlike live baiting, where grouper will spot braided line hanging in the water, faster moving lures cast better on braid, with a fluoro leader offering that front-row stealth.

Branch likes crossing a good rock pile with baits like the Halco Laser Pro Diver or a 7-inch Rapala F-18.

Brighter, vivid colors like orange, gold, chartreuse and purple perform well in stained water, while silver patterns excel in clear conditions. Baits with rattles often held attract attention in low light periods, but once the fish are “on,” going silent is typically fine.

Calm conditions and sunny skies favor the strongly visual element, but a little chop and cloud cover won’t necessarily kill the deal. Floating grass can become an issue, but prudent site selection might get you out of the worst of it.

It’s A Drag

From limestone reefs dotting the Nature Coast-Big Bend region, to manmade hard bottom sites in lower latitudes, trolling big diving plugs offers another option for tempting impressive gags. From Tampa Bay to the Cross Florida Barge Canal, Idling along channel edges probably qualifies here too, as you’re often pretty close to mainland ports. However, there’s no lack of artificial reefs and rubble piles worth a few passes.

Whatever technique you prefer, know this: Deep water tends to absorb initial bite shock and yield a mostly vertical tug of war. Certainly nothing to dismiss, but locking horns with a solid keeper gag in shallow water defines brutality.

That explosive aggression is what this thrill ride is all about, but make no mistake, you’d better be holding on tight or they’ll add to the Gulf’s tackle collection.

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