Plan for tomorrow

Gr8Laker

Being new here, but having read several posts by experienced fishermen, I'm planning to spend my day tomorrow trolling plugs in Crystal bay starting in 20' of water and working my way out until I find several likely spots for grouper. I don't expect anyone to reveal their spots as I'm reluctant to publicize mine. I'd appreciate any input on direction and depth from veterans.  I'm planning to proceed on a basic course of 240 degrees once I pass CR 1 & 2.

Salty Dawg44

I was out not too far from that area today, but a bit farther offshore in 30 - 35 feet of water, and a little to the north. When you find rock piles, mark them on your GPS and troll over it several times from different directions. Most Grouper will be slightly undersized. Bigger legal ones will come on there in the fall and winter. You want to pull deep running plugs that just clear the bottom. Today red/white and blue/silver Bomber CD30 plugs worked for me.





Also look for pods of bait with diving birds over the bait. I got a King and three Bonito here by changing over to light 20 pound tackle and pulling smaller 5" plugs that run at 12 feet. That puts the lures just under the bait school.



I tend to launch at daybreak, or slightly before, and get back in by 2pm to avoid our afternoon thunderstorms.  Today I left from the ramp at 6:10.

kingkong954

Summer-time grouper is MUCH tougher than colder months; the natural bait is plentiful. It gets better the further out you get. Good to scout now for spots that you can re-visit in the colder months, but dont become discouraged if you strike out right now.

Soda Popinski

I don't think they are that shallow yet like kingkong said.   you can scout out rock piles.   but the fish aren't there yet.  

capt louie

Grass may be an issue but you never know. I catch keepers with bait all summer when I decide to go roast myself. Not as fast as fall/winter but sometimes a cobia will show.  
BTW , welcome aboard newbie !!   Let us see that first report !

Ruff One

Yes, shallow water trolling in the summer is usually a bust because of weeds. Deeper is probably better for pulling plugs. The grouper are there(shallow). Those shallow rocks all have keeper grouper all year round. It's like Louie said, bait is the ticket.

bunkerboy222

Hey Salty Dawg........Thanks for the good info. gotta give it a try.

Slacker

you will not catchem if you sit on the couch

if you find structure and do not score on fish it is still a score for later

you could catch gags up to 30 inches

you could end up like me yesterday with a pile of shorts, still fun

two days before we had a 27, 29, and 30 inch gag

its called fishin not catchin

tell us how you did, it is all good input

m9000

Catch a dozen hand sized pinfish and drop them over the rock piles you find on a fish finder rig.  How onto your rod with a very firm grip.

Gr8Laker

Thank you all for your input. Each of you are virtually spot-on compared to my experience. Floating grass out to 30', schools of bait in shallower (12'-15') with what looked like frigate birds above, predators busting from below. I charted and marked several promising piles, although I didn't strictly maintain a heading of 240 degrees due to checking out the bait pods. I even managed to catch 2 keeper gags (25" and 27") which hit simultaneously.  I kept the boat in gear at speed (3.7kts) and landed both even though I was alone.  My first keeper gags since I moved here! Delicious, too. They weren't on rocks, but just over hard bottom that appeared to be featureless. They hit the same lures as described by Salty Dawg. Another hour of looking for rock piles and I'd had enough. Forgot my hat and ended up with a sun-burned head due to a short haircut. Well worth it.

Thanks again!

Slacker

glad you had some fun, you will be addicted

there is no cure

Salty Dawg44

Keep it up, you're off to a good start. Keep a log, it will pay off.

restlessnative

Great start and eats. Might have gone over a ledge too and not just hard bottom. Like salty said keep a log, there are plenty good ones you can download to make it easier too. 

Gr8Laker

While I was out I was hoping to pick up some chatter on the VHF radio, but got nothing. Is there a particular channel (s) that gets used here?

Ruff One

Nice job. Two keepers on your first trip is quite impressive. Mark every fish you catch. Before long you will a have visual  log of the area the groupers hang out. 

Doc Stressor

While I was out I was hoping to pick up some chatter on the VHF radio, but got nothing. Is there a particular channel (s) that gets used here?

It's not like up north or on the Great Lakes.  Fishermen generally don't talk about catching fish on the radio around here. Sometimes you'll hear offshore guides reporting their catches to each other later in the day or a couple of buddies calling about how they are doing.  But you won't learn much. Specific areas are rarely mentioned.  Most people don't even monitor 9 or 16 while they are fishing and only use the radio for emergencies.  What little chatter goes on will be on 68, 69, or 72.

Salty Dawg44

I monitor channel 68 on one of my radios whenever I'm out.

Soda Popinski

Doc Stressor said:

While I was out I was hoping to pick up some chatter on the VHF radio, but got nothing. Is there a particular channel (s) that gets used here?

It's not like up north or on the Great Lakes.  Fishermen generally don't talk about catching fish on the radio around here. Sometimes you'll hear offshore guides reporting their catches to each other later in the day or a couple of buddies calling about how they are doing.  But you won't learn much. Specific areas are rarely mentioned.  Most people don't even monitor 9 or 16 while they are fishing and only use the radio for emergencies.  What little chatter goes on will be on 68, 69, or 72.

i have heard of guys on the northeast part of the state running their mouths about "man we're slaying em in 450'" then laughing when they watch 7 boats peel off and head out.    

Gr8Laker

Thanks. I thought my radio was broken. There was a lot of radio traffic on the Great Lakes and yes, some of it was pure BS. My buddy used to catch a few mid-sized yellow perch and run to the radio that he was "killing the jumbos" and give away his position. Then he'd start complaining when a hundred boats pulled up all around him. He never changed. That fishery is not structure oriented like it can be here. The big fish followed bait fish, so water temp was key.

Doc Stressor

I used to fish with a few other boats off of Tarpon Springs back in the LORAN days.  For each trip, we would use an agreed-upon offset for both TD numbers.  Sometimes we would see a bunch of boats listing in on the radio head off to the fake numbers. 

It's funny how the customs vary from place to place.  Fishing for salmon in the Pacific, it was pretty common to run over to catch "radio fish".  But not in the Big Bend.

Alex from GA

I used to buddy boat in S CA and we talked via walki talkis when we were out for albacore.  He had an RDF and could tell which direction the hot school was when the party boats talked, and they always did.  It wouldn't tell us how far though.

gogittum

I tried that when chasing Killer Whales in Johnstone Strait, B.C.  Found the right channel to listen to the tour boats, but they talked in shorthand that an outsider couldn't figure out.  I found a few Orcas, but I did work for them.....and burned Lots of gas.

Jonsredfishin

I like how on wicked tuna when they get a bite one person grabs the rod and the other loud mouth runs to grab the radio to start bragging. 

Gr8Laker

...and then there's the southern boats who claim to fish "as a team" and deliberately call out the wrong numbers when they hook up.