Gulf Anglers Seeing Red This Summer
By Captain Will Geraghty
Summertime will have many Gulf anglers seeing red…. red grouper that is! Coming off back-to-back summers of robust red grouper catches we are now poised to make it three in a row as the bite is already firing on all cylinders.
Here in the Gulf region, bottom fishing for red grouper reigns supreme as water temperatures rise, pushing aggregates of these tasty targets close to the coastline. As summertime progresses, red grouper will migrate even further east into the shallows allowing even the small boat fisherman a solid shot at catching success. So whether you fish aboard a 60-foot Sportfish or a 25-foot center console there will be plenty of grouper sandwiches to go around!
A popular target for table fare, catching red grouper is relatively simple. Taking up residence in the local Gulf waters anywhere there is a presence of artificial/natural structure, red grouper will bite nearly every live, dead or artificial offering deployed to depth.
An eclectic variety of natural baits can be employed when pursuing red grouper. Live pinfish, herring and sardines accompanied by frozen squid, cigar minnows and herring will get the job done. It will be paramount to have several bait options on board prior to showing up on the fishing grounds as definitive bite patterns do develop on a consistent basis. Having all the “bait bases” covered could make or break your Gulf grouper outing.
Separating frustration from catching success will be the quality and class of tackle anglers choose to employ. Here, in the red grouper arena, there is NO substitute for inferior tackle! Stout rods matched with bulletproof reels will pay major dividends.
Rod quivers should be complete with 15-20-pound medium heavy spinning rods and 30-50-pound class conventional outfits. Reels are recommended to be spooled to capacity with a quality super braid or name brand monofilament application. Remember anglers, do not bring a knife to a “grouper gunfight”!
Ironically, for most area anglers the most difficult part of the red grouper catching process is remaining current with size/bag limit restrictions and closed seasons imposed by state and federal regulators.Current regulations call for a 20-inch minimum length overall size and a bag limit of two fish per angler. Closed season for red grouper occurs from February 1st through March 31st.
Possessing an appearance or color scheme of brownish red, red grouper have a scarlet-orange lined mouth, blotches on their sides in an unorganized pattern combined with small black dots lining the periphery of their eyes. Juvenile red groupers are found offshore accompanying adults greater than 6-years old while fish ranging from 1-6 years occupy the nearshore fishing grounds. Spawning cycles typically occur during the months of April and May.