-Capt Brent Gaskill
Better get your grouper now, because its going to be a long time before you get another chance. At the beginning of the New Year recreational grouper fishing will be shut down for an extended period of time. This move by the NOAA Fisheries Service has most of the fishing community up in arms. Whether you agree or disagree with the controversial closure really doesn't matter because you are going to have to live with it either way.

The good news is that grouper fishing peaks in the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas, meaning right now is prime time. The same schools of bait that congregated just off our beaches that the kingfish followed also lured the grouper population closer to shore. The fish will stay in these shallower depths actively feeding until the water temperatures plunge in January.

Shallow water grouper fishing means targeting depths of 30-to 50- feet. While some can be located in as little as 15- feet or less, anything under 60 is generally considered winter grouper territory. Most of the keeper size catches will come from ledges this time of year. The term "ledge" refers to a limestone outcropping of natural hard bottom that has a distinct cliff or vertical drop resulting in a significant depth change. Ledges that have an undercut section or caverns and caves will be the most productive. Smaller ledges will produce better catches than the large breaks. Generally speaking a 2-foot ledge will give up better quality fish than a 4-to 6-foot ledge. The theory behind this thinking is that everyone can find the big breaks and it takes a little more skill and effort to locate and set up on the smaller ones. Therefore huge ledges are over fished and the smaller ones receive much less pressure.

The term "setting up" refers to anchoring and boat positioning which is critical for success. There are times when the boat being 10-or 15-feet off the spot makes the difference between catching grouper and not catching grouper. When the boat sits directly over the hole baits can be delivered right to the fish’s doorstep. Ideally this means being on the down side of the ledge giving a better angle to leverage the fish out and away from the rocks that will cut the line. A marker buoy deployed as soon as the ledge is detected on the sonar is a useful reference tool to assist in positioning the boat but many savvy anglers have learned to use their GPS chart plotters to achieve the same goal.

Don’t despair when the closure does begin. While grouper's good on the dinner plate, there are other bottom species that may be even better. For now, go get your grouper. We'll concentrate on all the alternate species next year when the grouper season is closed.

Capt. Brent Gaskill is a full-time guide in the Tampa Bay area fishing both inshore and offshore.  He can be contacted at 727-510-1009 or e-mail captbrent@summervacationcharters.com. View his web site www.summervacationcharters.com.