General Non sense but a grouper update.

I had to go to Key Weird today to get my TWIC card. Pain in the butt, but I did see a few guys I haven't seen in a while. I timed the trip perfect for some fresh fried gizzards at Dion's in Big Pine.

When I got back to Marathon a crew that I took out five or six years ago were singing the blues about not catching. They wanted Grouper and big snapper. So I am going to do a quickie for fishing basics.

There are a few wrecks that grouper have not been over harvested in the Marathon area. There is no way in hell I am giving you those numbers. Honey holes are what save my butt from time to time and I would be stupid to give my numbers to the masses.

I do teach how to find your own honey holes. Generally, when you fish for long lived species like Grouper, you need to find a place less fished by man. So instead of fishing a Top Spots number, just take a look at how it looks on the bottom machine. Throw a plug out to troll and search for similar bottom structure and give it a shot. Then if you are smart, take one keeper and move on to another.

The Middle Keys bottom fishing gets a lot of pressure. If you take all the brood fish off a spot it may take years to rebuild. Hunt and peck may be more work, but it produces and will continue to produce in the future.

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

Tight lines,

Capt. Dallas