You might be surprised how available gag grouper are in shallow water

On Jan. 1, 2017, gag grouper season will close. The closure will most likely last for six months, reopening on June 1, 2017.

With the recent surge of cold fronts, anglers seeking a late season gag grouper have targeted them on inshore ledges, wrecks and other structure as shallow as three feet. A lucky few fishing flats for redfish, snook and trout have also run across gag grouper, something that seems to happen when water temperatures drop below 70 degrees.

I grew up thinking gag grouper needed to be targeted offshore. We frequently headed offshore in the winter when they would make their presence known on our favorite spots. As a teenager, my perception changed on grouper fishing when brought to a small ledge in only 5 feet of water near a commonly traveled channel.

The bait of choice was, and still is, a free lined pinfish on heavy spinning gear. It’s combat fishing, with gag grouper attempting to work their way to the safety of structure they call home.

This not-so-secret ledge has produced grouper consistently year in and year out, and there are many more like it scattered across Tampa Bay, Terra Ceia, Sarasota Bay and more.

More secretive are wrecks that can be as small as a trash can or as large as a sailboat around the bay. If a grouper can fit in it, there’s a good chance they’ve tried to make it home. These spots are held secretly by most anglers.

The more common area for anglers wanting an inshore gag grouper right now is trolling the edges of the Tampa Bay shipping channel. There are many jagged channel edges from 20 to 40 feet deep that can be trolled with 65-pound power pro, Mann’s Stretch 25+ lipped plugs, and 6-feet of 80-pound leader that have recently produced gags over 32 inches for anglers.

Trolling can help find grouper in high traffic areas where deeper water have been carved out like the intercoastal channels paralleling Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key. If you catch one, mark that spot and return with a frisky live pinfish that gag grouper rarely refuse. It’s high adrenaline fishing where the battle can be lost in a split second if a gag grouper gains access to their sacred structure.

Of course, the tried and true bottom dropping offshore will be an option on calmer days until the end of December. Gag grouper should be ready to eat both frozen sardines and live baits between 30 and 80 feet. With the recent surge of red snapper to more shallow water, it seems gag grouper have held more consistently around the 40- to 50-foot depths.

Winter has always been the best time of year to fish for gag grouper in shallower water, and this is the first time in a few years the regulations have allowed their harvesting in late December. Take advantage while it lasts.

Whatever route you choose to target them, be aware that gag grouper must be 24 inches to keep, and the bag limit is two per person per day within the four per person grouper aggregate.

This story was originally published December 10, 2016 at 7:38 PM with the headline "You might be surprised how available gag grouper are in shallow water."