Pictured here is Shane Baker with a beautiful black grouper that he caught while trolling planers the other day. This fish was caught in 180 feet of water using a bonito strip. This is the time of the year when the grouper bite starts to pick up. These fish are located around reefs and wrecks and love to ambush their prey. If you are fishing from a drifting boat or on the anchor you must put a lot of drag on the rod and reel combination so that the fish cannot run back into the rocks and break the line. If you are trolling and you hook a fish like this, they are very difficult to catch as they open their mouth and create a huge amount of drag. It can take up to 30 minutes to reel in a catch like this while trolling a planer. 

It is also time for the sailfish bite to start heating up as the cold fronts are pushing through more frequently. The sails love to get up on top and tail down sea towards the south. You will see guys using live bait while using kites to suspend the rigs. While you are drifting for a sailfish don't forget to put down a bait for a mutton snapper or grouper right now.

The swordfish bite and the wahoo bite have both been consistent as well throughout the week. Be sure to check the weather forecast before leaving the inlet. The best of the swordfish bite has been in 1450 feet of water which is a little bit shallow compared to normal depths. There has been schools of baitfish in the shallow waters keeping the swords closer in. 

For up to the minute fishing report tune in to Big 105.9 the Paul Castronovo Papas Pilar fishing report Friday mornings at 6:20 AM

Stay safe!
RJ Boyle