GO FISHING is a daily look at the area fishing scene through the eyes of local charter boat captains and fishing guides. Today: Randy Rochelle.
Gulf water temperatures continue to slowly drop as October draws near; now if we only could get the winds to lie down as well.
Most offshore anglers remained dockside this past weekend but a few brave souls decided to brave the seas.
Gag grouper seem to be making their move eastward. The bite in the 70- to 90-foot range seems to be picking up, especially from Clearwater northward. Inside of 70 feet, the bite will continue to be spotty at best until water temperatures drop into the upper 70s.
Now that the mangrove snapper are done with their spawn you can expect the daytime bite to pick up. The hot depth has been from 60 feet and out, with most fish averaging around 2 to 4 pounds. The big key to catching mangrove snapper is to downsize your tackle.
Use 20-pound spinning or conventional tackle, 30 to 40-pound leader, small 2/0 to 4/0 circle hooks and 1 to 3 ounces of lead. The amount of lead you use will depend on the current and depth where you are fishing. The rule of thumb is to use just enough lead to get you to the bottom.
The most consistent bite has been red grouper in 80 to 120 feet. The hot area has been 4 to 5 miles southeast of the Mexican Pride. Areas of hard bottom are producing red and gag grouper and a good mix of snapper.
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