Outdoors Column | An ‘off day’ of fishing yields a big catch of grouper, hogfish and more
As water temperatures have dropped into the 60s, captains like John Gunter have been changing tactics to target more aggressive cold water fish. Gunter, who specializes in targeting snapper and grouper around Tampa Bay, says right now is the best time to get gag grouper in the shallows of Tampa Bay.
“They’re aggressive, and big fish are in shallow,” he said. “We’ve been getting limits as shallow as 12-feet.”
With a free day from a charter, I joined Gunter and his wife Lindsay along with fellow captain Griffin Deans aboard Gunter’s 26-foot Andros. Even while running more than 220 trips in a year, fishing on an off day is what captains like Gunter love to do.
Before visiting the shallow water gag fishery, we decided to run into the Gulf to fish nearshore waters and grab some hogfish, another species that becomes a popular option during cold water months. Deans showed up with 20-dozen shrimp while I provided Gunter with his favorite 1.25-ounce pink Hogballs that he targets hogfish with.
Stopping on a ledge in 45 feet we threaded shrimp on the Hogballs and sent them below. To get hogfish the key is to let the shrimp sit right on the bottom but still keep tension. A hogfish bite is very subtle, so getting the feel is necessary. I started with a lane snapper while the Gunter’s caught small grouper. Deans’ rod bent further with drag pulling from his reel.
“It’s gotta be a hog!” Deans said.
“Look at it swimming out,” remarked Gunter.
Up from the depths came a beautiful male hogfish, merely minutes after arriving. Soon a second and third would hit the fish box, while I landed a 17-inch mangrove snapper and Lindsay landed a 17-inch sheepshead. A variety of fish seemed to be active, divulging in our shrimp offerings.
When the bite slowed, we moved less than a half mile to another ledge. Once again a big male hogfish came within minutes after stopping.
We kept repeating this process, moving often when the bite slowed. Each stop seemed to have a few hogfish but no more, giving us the sign they haven’t quite schooled up for spawn yet. On one of the spots the gag grouper bite turned on, and a pinfish Gunter was reserving for the shallows deceived a 25-incher. Not long after I luckily landed another 25-inch gag on a 4000-spinning reel and 1/16-ounce jighead, quite the fight!
We headed back inshore with our catch filling his fish box. Gunter took us to experience the gag grouper shallow water bite. We stopped in only 10 feet of water. The bay was so clean we could see the bottom and make out the gag grouper in and around the structure!
Gunter prefers freelining pinfish on heavy spinning tackle. It didn’t take long for a few smaller fish to make their presence known.
With such clean water I tried throwing out a diving plug. “Look at the action,” I said while reeling it close to the boat. Just then, a grouper launched toward it from the structure below hitting it from the side.
It was a surreal moment and after a few minutes of tug-of-war I kept it from it’s rocky home below. Into the net it went, measuring out at 30 inches. The experience, thump and sight of the hit is one I will never forget!
Gunter has since been back on the grouper, noting the bite has been fantastic around the bay. The bad thing is the season will soon be over when the calendar turns to 2021. If you’re looking to get that last minute grouper sandwich, now is the best time. Good weather and hungry fish await.
Capt. John Gunter can be reached at (863)838-5096.