First was increased fishing pressure as the number of people-and recreational fishing boats-grew quickly along Florida’s Gulf Coast in the 1990s and early 2000s. A Turn for the Worse a Decade AgoĪt least two things caused gag grouper to become overfished. The Act requires science-based catch limits, an end to overfishing, and the rebuilding of overfished stocks. These successes were made possible by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the law that governs our nation’s marine fisheries. This year’s report also shows that the number of stocks on the overfished and overfishing lists are the lowest they’ve ever been. NOAA Fisheries recently released its annual Status of Stocks report, which shows that gag grouper and two other stocks-golden tilefish and butterfish-were rebuilt in 2014, for a total of 37 stocks rebuilt since 2000. That’s good news for fishermen, for coastal communities, and for the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. NOAA Fisheries recently declared the Gulf of Mexico gag grouper stock rebuilt, and regulators will likely allow more fishing in the coming year. Today, business is looking up for Colby, who owns a 40-foot charter vessel, The Double Hook. “What do you sell to your customers? People want to yank and crank.”
![gag grouper gag grouper](https://www.pointclickfish.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Mark-Davis-1.jpg)
![gag grouper gag grouper](http://www.stuartflfishingcharters.com/media/1591131476000_rpt.jpg)
“We spent several years with a very poor gag fishery,” Colby said, and it hurt his business. “That’s what brings customers to the dock.”īut since 2010, Gulf of Mexico gag grouper have been managed under a rebuilding plan that stipulates shortened fishing seasons for recreational fishermen and lower quotas for commercial fishermen. That adds another element to an already exciting type of fishing, Miami style.“Gag grouper? That’s our money fish,” said Mike Colby, a charter boat captain out of Clearwater, Florida, on the state’s western shore. The most heavily traversed waters in Biscayne Bay camouflage some of its finest gag grouper spots. However, be prepared to do some fancy maneuvering when trolling, as well as some nail-biting when fighting fish. Only when a hooked fish comes to the surface toward the end of the fight should you slow the boat, and then only slightly. More importantly, the moving boat helps pull the grouper from its lair and away from cutoffs during the fight. Doubleheaders are common when gag grouper congregate. Hardie suggests maintaining trolling speed when hooked up, then leaving the other rod in play. For a split second, you think you’ve snagged bottom, but when that bottom runs off under heavy drag, you know what you’ve got. The sudden jolt and instant bend in the rod nearly rips the outfit from your hands. Gag grouper strike trolled lures viciously. Target Areas: Deep ledges and jagged bottom hold larger fish. And, upon hooking up, the moving boat helps pull the fish away from structure, boosting the odds of getting the larger fish to the boat. Trolling is preferred over anchoring because it finds grouper by covering a lot of ground. If a wreck sits deep enough to avoid snagging your lure, troll over it. As for wrecks and debris fields, troll parallel with and tight to each side. Your best bet at the longer spans is trolling the length of the bridge, keeping tight to the pilings and focusing on both up- and down-current sides. Also, seek out rock piles scattered about the floor of the ICW channel, as well as precipitous drops, some as much as 3 to 5 feet, all prime habitat and ambush points.īay bridges also hold gags.
![gag grouper gag grouper](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UPV_qfo2dJM/maxresdefault.jpg)
![gag grouper gag grouper](https://i.imgur.com/0ACnpi1.jpg)
Such spots provide relief against current and prime ambush spots. Search out parts of the ICW walls that jut out a bit. However, we also made passes by a handful of rubble points and a couple of wrecks south of Key Biscayne, where he consistently catches them. Hardie concedes that the ICW channel is one of the most consistent places to troll for gags, which was proven on our trip. Wrecks and artificial reefs on adjacent bottom outside the channel Illustration by Tim Barker Dial It In Troll the Intracoastal Waterway paying special attention to:Ĥ.