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Grouper Cutbacks Are Looming

Tribune photo by FRANK SARGEANT

For some anglers, a fat gag grouper might make a Christmas dinner preferred over turkey or ham. The popular reef fish are most active when water is cool, as Captain Joe Maisano proved with this keeper.

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By FRANK SARGEANT | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 21, 2008

Although many reef anglers say they are catching more small gag grouper than at any time in the past 20 years, state and federal fishery managers have confirmed a plan to reduce the bag limit on the popular reef species to one per person per day as part of an aggregate bag of five groupers of all species. Formerly, Gulf anglers could take up to five gags daily.

The cutback begins Jan. 1.

On the positive side, fishery officials will double the bag limit on red grouper, from the current one fish daily to two. But seasoned reef anglers point out that with the limit of red grouper already set at one fish, the effective daily limit will be only three fish, because gags and reds make up the majority of the bottom-fishing catch in most waters available to recreational anglers.

Also impacting the catch will be a closed season on gag grouper harvest from Feb. 1 through March 31, which is spawning season for the species. Large adults aggregate by the hundreds on offshore reefs during this time, making them easy targets.

And even though there appears to be high numbers of juvenile gags, those do not necessarily equate to lots of adults that will continue to replenish the population. Heavy harvest pressure means most that grow beyond the minimum size limit of 22 inches are soon harvested. And because this species depends on the older females maturing into males, a significant population of adults has to be preserved long term.

In any case, the five-fish bag on gags remains in effect through December, and the cooler months are prime time to catch gag and red grouper in Bay area waters. The fish move near shore at this time of year compared to the summer months, with good fishing starting in water as little as 10 feet deep from Homosassa to Anclote Key, where there are shallow rocks near shore, and from 50 feet on out from Anclote Key southward.

Captains Sam and Joe Maisano target grouper at this time of year by visiting known rock ledges, drops and wrecks.

"We use a lot of chum to get the bite going when the fish are shallow," said Sam Maisano, of Treasure Island. "We anchor uptide of the GPS number and then let the current take our chum to the fish. By chumming, you pull the fish off the rocks a little and this gives you a better chance to get them up before they go in a hole and cut you off."

On a recent trip I took with Sam and Joe, along with captain Bill Miller of TV's "Hooked On Fishing," the Maisanos also proved that chum is a great turn-on for numerous other species that might become more important to Gulf anglers as the limits on gags go down.

Within five minutes after Joe slid a mesh bag of frozen, cut baitfish over the side, clouds of mangrove snapper started showing up behind the boat, many only a few feet below the surface.

Joe rigged a light spinning rig and an unweighted size 1 hook with a piece of cut bait about the size of the chum bits floating down to the snapper. In minutes, he had derricked a half-dozen of the tasty snappers into the ice box. The fish averaged 1 to 2 pounds, perfect for the table.

Other anglers on board rigged heavier gear with whole frozen threadfins or live pinfish, and soon started hauling up gag grouper. Most were just under the minimum of 22 inches, but occasionally a keeper came over the rail.

For details on grouper fishing, visit the Maisanos' Web site, www.gofastfishing.com. For details on grouper rules, visit www.myFWC.com.

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