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Pulling Plugs For Grouper
By Captain Rob Hammer
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Overlooked keys to trolling success.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Grouper are a family of fish found
in warm, near-shore waters all over the world. What
follows are some special grouper trolling concepts developed
by Capt. Rob Hammer in the Tortugas off the
Florida Keys. They’re worth trying no matter where on
the globe you’re angling.
I have to admit, I discovered trolling for grouper out of
desperation. It was raining and the wind was blowing
20 miles per hour. I had no bait, and my client suddenly
wanted to catch grouper. I did what any desperate captain
would. I said, “We’ll try.” The only real option in those rough
conditions was to troll in protected water. I grabbed two diving
plugs and let them run behind the boat. They hadn’t been out
two minutes when one of the rods snapped down. Minutes later
my client had his first red grouper. “Even a blind squirrel can
find a nut sometimes,” I thought. Over the next three hours we
caught grouper after grouper. Many were short but the action was
incredible. I’d heard about people using wire lines to troll deep
for grouper, but we were using diving plugs in 20 feet of water.
After the charter I went on a shopping
spree for diving plugs. I was determined
to figure this game out and I did. All the
hoopla with the fancy plugs won’t necessarily
catch fish, but some basic trolling
concepts will.
The Trolling Option
Both black and red grouper use waters
that range in depth from 10 to 250 feet.
Jigging in the deep end of their range may
net out larger fish but it requires much
more work for both captain and client.
With trolling you can cover miles of productive
bottom. Once you find fish you
can switch to jigs or live bait if you’re in
the mood. Many people look to troll the
largest amount of coral or the longest reef
line. But just as Robert Frost’s “road less
traveled” offers rewards, so does the reef
less trolled. Taking a cue from successful
divers, I use my chart plotter and target
reef patches that are off the beaten path.
These heads range in depth from 10 to 40
feet of water. If I’m targeting red grouper,
I’ll troll right across the top of the heads.
If I’m targeting black grouper, I’ll troll the
drop offs.
The Water Column
The reefs I fish range in depth from
60 to 10 feet. The closer the plug runs to
the bottom, the more hits you get. It’s that
simple. In general, the more line you let
out, the deeper the plug will go. I usually
let out between 75 and 120 feet of line and
try to bump bottom every once in a while.
Another thing I try to do is keep my anglers
involved in the trolling process. When we
approach a shallow head, I’ll have them
reel in tight to keep the plugs from getting
snagged. After we clear the head, they let
line out so the plugs can run deep again. A
grouper will shoot up from 50 feet to hit a
plug running at 30 feet. This is the exception,
however, not the rule. If you want to
troll deeper, try rigging a cigar weight 20
feet in front of your plug. Just tie it directly
to the main line, then run the leader below
the weight.
In a perfect world the bottom would be
consistent, but we all know that’s not the
case. Getting stuck is just part of the game.
When you do, don’t try to out-muscle the
bottom. Simply back up and apply pressure
from the direction you came. Most of the
time you can shake the rod tip and dislodge
the plug. Losing plugs gets expensive so
it’s worth the two minutes of effort.
As for trolling speed, I’ve tried slow, medium
and fast. After years of trial and error,
four to five knots seems to be the optimal
speed. For some reason black grouper like
bait that’s a bit faster moving, whereas the
reds respond better to slightly slower trolling
rates. As a general rule, don’t fret too
much about speed, just make sure the baits
aren’t spinning, a common problem when
plugs are being pulled too fast.
Plugs
Like many, I was seduced by chrome
plugs with lifelike scales. After a couple
of months of fishing, though, I learned that
barracudas like flash and grouper like color.
I fish bright colors (sometimes I even
spray-paint my plugs) with orange being
my favorite. But don’t get locked into one
color. Pay attention to the ecosystem. For
instance, when bait like ballyhoo are thick
on the patches, I’ll troll a silver plug with
a green back. More important than color
is to know how deep your plugs actually
run. Packaging will tell you whatever you
want to hear. Just because they claim it
dives 25 feet doesn’t mean that’s true. It
might reach that depth in a test tank on
two-pound braid, but in real-world conditions
with a leader, you’ll see a difference.
Not to push any one brand over the other,
but one of my favorites is the MirroLure
111. It has a plastic lip and very good VMC
hooks. Trolling is a high-impact sport, and
strong hooks are crucial. Another of my
favorites is the Mann’s Stretch 30+, though
you should replace the stock hooks with
size 4x trebles. Floating plugs are preferred
because you want the plug to stay clear of
bottom if you have to stop the boat. On top
of that, I can’t tell you how many times
I’ve had grouper come up and eat a plug as
it bobs on the surface.
Seasons
Do I catch grouper year-round trolling
on the reefs? Yes. But I’d be lying if I said
seasons don’t matter. The numbers of fish
in 20 to 40 feet is greater in the winter than
in warmer months, but it’s more about bait
than water temperature. Ballyhoo arrive in
the Torgtugas in November, and grouper
move up in the water column to access
them. It’s easier for a grouper to ambush
surface bait while hiding in 15 feet of water
than in 50. While trolling in cooler months,
I’m constantly watching for ballyhoo showers.
Two years ago, with ballyhoo present,
I spent the entire day trolling plugs just to
see what kind of numbers I could rack up.
My total was 96 grouper. This, of course,
is not the norm. It shows, however, that
even though grouper are territorial, they
move with prey and season. You can put
bait in front of more of them by trolling.
Tackle
One reason I do so well: braided lines.
Use them. Their thinner diameter allows
plugs to run deeper and gives
more precise control. I personally
like 30 to 40-pound Stren
Superbraid. I use a three-foot
leader of 80-pound mono.
Fluorocarbon is not needed. I
don’t use a long leader as its
bulk will prevent the plug from
reaching maximum depth.
Another advantage is that
braids don’t stretch. Imagine
the collision when a grouper
nails a plug. It’s violent (this
is why I don’t let anyone hold
a rod while trolling). The first
thing the fish wants to do is
get back down in the coral.
With mono stretching up to 20
percent, you’re giving him an
advantage. By the way, when
you hook a large fish, keep the
boat moving to prevent him
from getting back into his hole.
Once the fish has been pulled
clear, I put the boat in neutral
and let the customer enjoy the
fight. Also, stay away from the
high-speed reels. This is grou-
per fishing at its most brutal,
and you’ll wear the gears out of
those “higher end” pretty boy
reels. Trust me. I’ve learned
from experience. Another nice
thing about trolling for grouper
is that you can release the short
fish and they usually survive,
unlike the ones reeled up from
200-plus feet.
Good Luck Out There
Some of my customers have
taken the principles we use in
the Tortugas and applied them
with great results to fishing
for gag grouper in northern
Florida in the winter months.
Another customer fishes the
channels of the Skyway Bridge
in Tampa and again has great
results. I can’t say for sure how
this stuff would work in Central
America or Australia, but
every near-shore reef area has
predators, and lots of them are
grouper. So the next time you
get on the water, pull out a couple
of plugs and tell Mama to
heat up the fryer ‘cause there’ll
be grouper for dinner.
For more information contact
Captain Hammer at 305-321-1473
or tortoogy@bellsouth.net
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