Tampa Bay fisherman has advice for anglers during Florida’s gag grouper season

When Sept. 1 arrived, many anglers were excited to run offshore. It coincided with the Labor Day holiday, leading many to make fishing plans.

Gag grouper, red snapper and amberjack seasons were all open, but there was a problem. Despite a forecast that called for good fishing weather, it was rough, forcing many boats to stay nearshore or in Tampa Bay and focus on just gag grouper.

“Opening day, it seemed like everyone was forced to stay inside Tampa Bay,” said Captain Mikey Joseph of Island Time Family Charters. “It’s been windy, so smaller boats haven’t been able to get offshore. I run a 23-foot Dorado, so on windy days I stay inside too.”

Joseph had already planned to target gag grouper in Tampa Bay for his anglers. Despite the boat traffic and pressure on the gag grouper, he did well, catching a limit of two per person for his clients that day and each day since. It’s one of his specialties, and he says the closed season has made the fishing even better now that it’s finally open.

“I love to tarpon and gag grouper fish. Usually, May, June and July are tarpon season, then we focus on gag grouper after that. Even catching and releasing, they’re fun,” Joseph explained. “When it was open for longer, we weren’t getting as many quality fish, 30-inch fish. Wednesday, I got three fish over 30 inches with 33 inches as the biggest.”

Tactically, Joseph changes his fishing based on the currents of the bay. When the current is moving swiftly, he trolls big diving plugs and/or planers. When it slows, he focuses on setting up and dropping live baits, with the bigger baits getting bigger fish.

“I start every trip sabiki’ing live bait, pinfish. When you sabiki them, they’re bigger and seem to do better than ones caught in a trap. I use super beefy tackle, big spinning reels, it’s combat fishing.”

Joseph trolls up and down the edges of the Tampa Bay shipping channel, which is lined with many ledges and rocky outcroppings that house structure-loving gag grouper. When the current slows, the big pinfish are sent down on heavy jig heads to the structure. He says the thump of a gag grouper is unmistakable.

“When you can drop a bait down and feel it get hammered shallow, it’s even better than offshore. When you get tight, you’ve got to work them hard and quick — beat them or they’ll beat you. Those first five feet, just quick pumps. When you’re off the bottom, you can slow down,” said Joseph.

“If they get you in the bottom, you can often play them out,” he added.

With a little over a week left in the short gag grouper season, offshore anglers have been struggling to find calm weather to get to the deepwater fish. But there are a lot of gag grouper in Tampa Bay, as Joseph has proven for those looking to get fillets for the dinner table.