“Buckle up. We’ll be running about 40 miles into the Gulf before we drop our lines,” says Capt. Clay Shidler of Hang ’Em High Sport Fishing in Crystal River, Florida, an area known poetically in travel and tourism brochures as the Nature Coast. I quickly learned, however, that in a rig like Shidler’s 42-foot Freeman catamaran, powered by quadruple Suzuki 350 dual-prop outboards, a 40-mile run requires only slightly more time than rocking out to the long version of Iron Butterfly’s hippie-era classic “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.”
Exaggeration? Yes, but just a small one, because this rig can top 70 mph with the throttles firewalled and is capable of cruising comfortably in the 50s through almost any type of weather. In what seemed like no time at all, we were throttling down so Shidler could scan the area with his Simrad electronics and strategically anchor up-current from a small pile of rocks, one of many he’s found over many years fishing this area that attract large numbers of gag grouper in autumn.
As we came tight on the anchor line, our quintet of excited anglers prepared to send live pinfish plummeting toward the bottom. Five lines reached the bottom quickly, and five rods bent into arcs one after another as a ravenous pack of hefty gag grouper jumped on our baits. Apparently, everything happens fast here.
All About Structure
Gag grouper fishing off Crystal River during this autumn bonanza can be categorized in two ways. One is inshore fishing around small rock piles that can be less than 10 miles from home base and often in less than 20 feet of water. The other is the “long run” described in my intro, which goes to deeper spots located far offshore but still considered shallow water for this style of fishing.
The terms offshore and shallows usually don’t go together, but they do in this area of the Florida coast. Hang ’Em High’s fleet of four Freemans makes it easy to run 30 to 50 miles offshore to target scattered structure spots that are lightly pressured by other boats. As a result, the action is often fast and furious. Depending on the time of year and conditions, anglers will be fishing in 60 to 110 feet of water and can expect to catch gag grouper, as well as red grouper, scamp grouper, hogfish, red snapper and mangrove snapper.
When Shidler wants to shift the action to mangrove snapper and hogfish, he rigs his clients with shrimp or small pinfish fished on the bottom. This allows anglers to broaden their experience and bring home more tasty fish for the table, even when they’ve reached their limit of gags.
The fall months are when gag grouper fishing really shines. “Prime time for shallow-water grouper fishing is usually October 15 through December 1, when the water temps range from 62 to 72 degrees,” Shidler says. Scattered rocks and rubble piles draw schools of hungry grouper like an oasis in the desert, and they usually find a lively pinfish coming into their field of view too tempting to resist in these lightly pressured spots. And while they are usually happy to cooperate when it comes to eating your bait, they become downright grumpy once they’re on the line.
“Gag grouper are masters at getting into small holes and breaking you off once they’re hooked,” Shidler says. Not surprisingly, this requires anglers to pull hard from the get-go and not let up until they have their quarry clear of the dangerous territory below. “For bottomfishing with live pinfish, we mostly use heavy conventional tackle with a traditional fish-finder rig consisting of an 8-ounce egg sinker on the main line, a strong barrel swivel, and 5 feet of 80-pound-test fluorocarbon leader tied to an 8/0 circle hook,” he says. “We will also free-line pinfish on ½-ounce jig heads on spinning rods, as this can be very effective when the fish are suspended above the structure.”
Electronics play an important role in finding and fishing these spots effectively. “Our side-scan sonar has revolutionized the shallow-water grouper fishery by allowing us to find new spots and hit so many different pieces of structure over a given day,” Shidler says. “And having a bird’s-eye view of the structure allows us to set up on spots in a way that helps minimize the fish’s chances of making it back into the structure and breaking us off.”
Different Seasons, Different Tactics
The sport fishery for gag grouper is carefully monitored and managed to ensure sustainability, including no-take seasons when only responsible catch-and-release angling is permitted.
This is the proverbial double-edged sword. It means guides and anglers must work around changing regulations and take restrictions, and factor this into their trip planning when visiting this angling paradise. At the same time, these restrictions seem to be having positive results for the fishery and anglers. “In the past few years, we have seen the average size of our gags go up, due in large part to this aggressive management,” Shidler explains. “Today, it’s very common to catch 28- to 30-inch gags in very shallow water, with our biggest fish in the 40-inch range.” As I can tell you from personal experience fishing with Shidler, fish in this 20- to 35-pound size class can literally lift your heels off the deck when they’re trying to make it back to the safety of the jagged rocks.
The Hang ’Em High fleet uses different boats and targets different areas based on the season and current regulations. When keeping fish for the table isn’t on the menu, anglers can still enjoy fast catch-and-release action. During these times, Shidler’s fleet targets nearby waters only 8 to 15 miles from port aboard custom-outfitted Young Boats bay boats rigged with Suzuki outboards, Power-Pole shallow-water anchors, and GPS-enabled trolling motors to help hold position. By focusing on shallow waters and using circle hooks for bait fishing or working large diving plugs or soft-plastic swimbaits, Shidler’s clients can enjoy some epic catch-and-release action on world-class gags.
“Our catch-and-release trips are a great option for anglers who are in it for the thrill of the pull,” Shidler says. This is an exciting fishery where fishermen target ultra-strong fish in shallow waters. It’s also a great opportunity to fish with plastics and plugs on spinning gear. But this is by no means finesse fishing, Shidler explains. Whether fishing offshore or inshore structure, he emphasizes the importance of getting on these fish fast and hard, and keeping up the pressure until they’re well clear of the sharp rocks. Much like with the offshore structure trips, there are other species you can pursue during the day to satisfy the desire for tasty fillets.
Boating anglers who want to try this for themselves need to make sure they understand the current harvest and gear restrictions because state and federal regulations change from year to year based on fisheries management strategies and stock assessments. They also need to brush up on grouper identification so they can differentiate between different species.
Putting in the time to build a network of structure spots is important to becoming a better grouper angler. “For new anglers, a good starting point would be to run 20 to 25 miles southwest from Crystal River Marker 1, and begin searching around with your sonar looking for rock piles,” Shidler says. “Be prepared to spend a lot of time staring at your electronics.
“It can get monotonous, but I assure you that the juice is worth the squeeze. One good spot can be all it takes to make your day, and the more you do it, the more proficient you’ll become.”
While Shidler would never say it himself, I can attest that booking a trip with the Hang ’Em High fleet is a fast way to shorten the learning curve for anglers of any experience level looking to tap into this unique Florida bottom fishery.
Read Next: Gulf of Mexico Gag Grouper Fishing
Know Your Grouper
Retention rules can differ throughout the season for gag grouper, red grouper, scamp grouper and other species, so anglers need to be able to recognize the differences in their physical appearance. Full-color grouper identification charts are available from various sources, including the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (myfwc.com) and Coastal Conservation Association Florida (ccaflorida.org) and should be printed out and carried on board at all times.
Ticket to Gag Grouper Paradise
To book an inshore or offshore grouper fishing trip with Hang ’Em High Sport Fishing, contact:
352-586-2748 / hangemhighsportfishing.com.
Tackle Box Inshore
- Rods: Heavy action spinning rods
- Line: 65-pound-test braid with 80-pound fluorocarbon top shot
- Lures: Rapala FMAG 18 plugs or NLBN 5-inch paddle-tail swimbaits on a 3-oz. jig head
- Bait: Live pinfish on an 8/0 circle hook
Tackle Box Offshore
- Rods: Heavy action conventional rods
- Line: 65-pound-test braid with 80-pound fluorocarbon top shot
- Bait: Live pinfish fished with an 8-oz. sliding egg sinker and an 8/0 circle hook
