Gag Grouper

Gag Grouper

Big Gag Grouper the author caught on Jan 2, 2010 by trolling deep diving plugs just off the Florida shoreline in shallow water 25 feet deep. The best color lures will change from day to day, but Blue/Silver, Green/Silver, and chrome are good bets on most days. Read below for more instructions and tips for catching big gag grouper.

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<---- This Big Gag Was Released To Fight Again

PLEASE USE BARBLESS HOOKS EVEN IF YOU DON'T CATCH & RELEASE - See Below

Gauge with a BIG one!

Father & Son 30 inchers!

Nice Gag Groupers Caught in October 2009 Using The Techniques Outlined Below

gag groupers

Thanks For Releasing this 30 incher! And this one too!!

Where Are The Gag Grouper

Gag Grouper are back in the shallow waters of Southwest Florida. We managed to catch several nice gag groupers including the two 30 & 29 inch gags by father and son pictured above. Gags can be located on any structure near shore and water as shallow as 35 feet. The inshore gag catching season runs November thru March. Many of the gags are over 30 inches. Please be aware that new fishing regulations are in effect that limit the number of Gag Grouper. Always check local fishing regulations before you decide to take a fish home. Gag Grouper also has a closed season now. You can also catch a lot of Mangrove Snapper, Cobia, Snook and Redfish. The best way to catch the fish during these months is to free line pinfish around any structure in Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound.

Gag Grouper Techniques

Some fish are being caught in shallow water only 4-6 feet deep. The bigger the pinfish the better. We have been catching big Black Gag Grouper on pinfish bigger than your hand. Its best to use a fluorocarbon leader of 50 lbs when fishing the dangerous underwater structures. The big grouper will run around a dock or rock and break you off if you don't really lock the drag down tight. You have to take control of the fight quickly before he has a chance to turn his head downward.

Gag Grouper Tackle

This is some very exhilarating fishing. You will also need a stout rod and reel with 30 lb Spider Wire or equivalent. Always check on the latest fishing regulations to make sure you know the latest bag requirements for gag grouper .

Methods of Gag Grouper Fishing

Another successful method to catch Big Gag Grouper is to troll for them using a Mann Stretch 25 deep diving plug. Gags can be found inshore in as little as 3 ft of water , but its also a great time to fish the coastal reefs and ledges. Find an area with a ledge in 20 - 30 feet of water. Troll the plugs parallel to the ledge and let them bounce off the bottom. This will help draw a strike. Gags have been known to come to the surface and strike also, so be mindful as you reel in your line. I have caught some of my biggest gags this way.

Be Careful Using The Big Trolling Lures

Careful !

CUT THOSE BARBS OFF BEFORE YOU HOOK A BIG ONE (yourself).

" As shown in this photo, be careful to watch out for the treble hooks on these big 30 ft trolling lures. The big gags will lay still until you try to remove the hook and in an instant they will flop about and snag your hand in one of the big lure hooks. I have heard of several fishermen having to abandon a great day of fishing to make a quick trip to the local emergency room to have a nasty hook removed. Use a fish grabber, filet gloves and a hook removing apparatus to safely remove the hooks. I recommend everyone cut the barbs off your treble hooks. I'm doing this now and haven't lost a single hookup and the hooks come out of the fish easier when the line pressure is released. Be sure to immediately release undersize gag grouper so they can safely survive the trip back to the bottom."

We Recommending Releasing All Fish & Barbless Hooks To Fight Again Another Day!

You can also try the passes, but the passes see a lot of boat action and there are also a lot of boats drifting or anchored that presents a problem to trolling lines in the water. Floating weeds can also bring trolling efforts to a halt.

gag groupers

gag grouper

bib gag grouper

The author with another 33 incher that he safely released to fight again another day!

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Trolling - When trolling for Gag Grouper, please don't use the technique of dragging the grouper to the surface behind a trolling boat. This technique cannot be healthy for returning grouper that are short or big seeder gags like above. Quickly after hooking up with a grouper, bring the boat to a complete stop and crank the grouper in to the boat with your fishing tackle. We practice this method all the time and have never lost a big gag grouper running back to ground cover or rocks. The gag will be in much better condition for release unharmed. We also recommend using barbless hooks (bend back your hook barbs with a pair of diagonals). Barbless hooks were used by the author to catch the 33 inch bruiser above.

Another Big Gag caught on barbless hooks and released unharmed.

The Mangrove Snapper are also hitting very good in the passes on Shrimp, White Bait or Pinfish. Use a 3/4 ounce round lead sinker on 20-30 lb line with a # 2 hook and light tackle and you'll have a ball. We did our best fishing in less than 20 feet in the passes. We caught several over 5 lbs and managed to limit out every day. Keep in mind you need to set the hook a couple seconds before the mangrove snapper bits as my buddy Rick says. Just kidding, but you really have to be ready and keep a tight line so you can feel the strike.

2010 Spinnerbait Review Lures That Catch Fish

* Photos by Rick Dugan

21 lb tripletail caught in 2009 by Pine Island Capt Charles

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Gag Grouper