Getting ready for Miami Grouper spearfishing season

Want BIG trophy Grouper?......Read on

Well its just about that time again…when excitement starts brewing for the up and coming spearfishing grouper season opener this May 1!!!! Lots of spearo’s are getting ready checking their old black grouper waypoints, scattered along Biscayne Bay. And yet other spear fishing folk are scouting for new Red, Black, and Gag grouper spots along Key Largo all the way down to Key West. It’s looking like it’s going to be another stellar grouper spearfishing season, as every spearfishing charter we’ve taken clients out on-from the Miami Beach wrecks to Soldier Key, Elliot, And Boca Chita- has been packed with black grouper sitings, with some huge blacks topping 50 pounds!!!!! Everyone going spearfishing for grouper

A double thumbs up season is expected for 2014

should be up to date on the rules and regulations set for May 1 2014 and put out by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commisssion http://myfwc.com/. As many spearfishing guys and gals know, spear fishing regulations can change from year to year, heck it can change from one month to another, so word to the wise, if spearfishing a monster black, huge gag or big Red grouper is on your list-make sure you know the regs specific for each grouper species http://myfwc.com/media/2714384/Reef-fish-pelagic-quick-chart.pdf!!!! Although going to the link above is your surest way to be informed about this year’s grouper season I will summarize it so those booking a spearfishing charter in our Miami waters will have the “cliff notes” version. KEEP in mind this is not a substitute for going to Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and doing some research. Basically you are permitted a 3 grouper limit, with ONLY ONE either of which can be a black grouper or a gag grouper, warsaw, snowy, and the other two can be Red grouper, Scamp grouper , or Yellowfin Grouper or Yellowmouth grouper (of which total bag limit can be up to 3 of any of these species) this is for our Atlantic waters. For our Gulf waters (and yes we do run spearfishing trips for Gulf grouper)those spearfishing grouper will enjoy a more liberal bag limit with up to 4 Blacks, 3 gags etc , again check specific regulations on the site listed above. Frequently spearfishing grouper requires some good bottom time and deep dives, but just as often on many of our spearfishing trips, we will look for the patch reefs along Key

A Huge Hog Snapper and Red Grouper both like similiar habitats

Biscayne, in 20-30 foot deep water . On these spearfishing sessions, the spearing is fast, and the shooting can be instinctual to say the least. It’s no secret shallow water big black and gag grouper are a trophy in any legal size, as these guys can be real spooky…when feeding in skinny water. I like the patch reefs right in front of Adams Key and along Biscayne Bay, especially the patch reef clusters of 2-3 humps about 50-100 feet apart with sand in between; we have many of these grouper hotel waypoints marked on our GPS and ready for this season. Aside from being bait magnets, they are trophy red grouper and black grouper habitat, as they can move from hump to hump while staying in good protective cover. Quite frequently while on our spearfishing tour, clients will hunt for black groupers over the humps, and plates extending from Boca Chica, to Soildier Key and everywhere inbetween…we usually will instruct our spear fishing clients to move out and hunt the edge of these same plates and humps, and to keep an eye out over the sand, where quite frequently a huge gag or yellowfin sits motionless waiting for its next meal.

The head shot-stone'em or control'em

Quiet finning on the top, and slow deliberate movements is what will score big grouper when spearfishing shallow water. Try to keep your spear fishing long fins in the water at all times to prevent noise, try moving with the current to decrease movement…and whenever possible keep the sun behind you, that’s just a few of the spearfishing tips we pass on to our customers when they book a Miami spearfishing expedition with us. When you approach a shallow water grouper hole turn your engine off and quietly slip your anchor in the water, most of the reds, blacks, and gags on these small patch reefs are residents, and prefer to hide rather than swim off to another reef- this both myself and our clients have seen everywhere from our Haulover Wrecks and reefs through to our Miami Beach spearfishing grounds all the way down to Long Key and Marathon Key which happen to be two of our favorite and most popular spearfishing charters. Here’s another spearfishing grouper tip- chances are if you didn’t see any grouper when you slip into the water, they probably holed up. If such is the case, a good flashlight or as our foreign visitors prefer to call them “torch” is the tool of choice…and this method of spear fishing for grouper requires patience! I recall one spearfishing expedition out of Bayfront Park, with a father and son team. On our first drop the son went down 15’ (yes fifteen feet) to a small ledge close to Elliot Key, and came up empty. I grabbed my torch and went in with him, he followed me down and I shined my flashlight under the ledge, where he picked the biggest of 3 blacks sitting waiting to be stoned…and shot him square in the head!

Another successful spearo!

Now when I say patience, I mean you have to go down to a fishy looking grouper hole and focus your flashlight in there, and then VERY CAREFULLY look inside, with your spear gun at the ready position. Don’t just focus your torch on one spot, but rather slowly and delicately search the entire grouper house, as grouper especially black grouper will sit motionless in the smallest of crevices till you shoot them…then all hell breaks loose! We recommend all our clients booking spearfishing charters in our Miami and Florida Keys waters to bring along a shorter 85-110 cm speargun with 1 or 2 bands, and preferably a heavier shaft 8mm (5/16”)-9mm (with a 7.5 the lightest) when spearfishing grouper in holes. The benefits of a shorter gun is of course increase maneuverability, and increased visibility when intight and close to the hole. When dropping deep for grouper the first spear fishing tip we pass to our customers booking a Miami spearfishing trip is-BUDDY DIVE! One thing that’s certain when spearfishing deep water for warsaw, and black grouper is they are not as spooky (as their shallow water cousins), so you are permitted a bit more room for error, but diving deep requires perfect methodology in your dives so it goes without saying on our spearfishing charters buddy diving is assured.. When we take a client out for wreck grouper hunting, or deep reef grouper spear fishing we like a slow drift, if planned right a good drift along our second reef line (spreading from Dania Beach all the way to Whistle buoy) can extend well over 5 miles and produce tons of fish. I recall a drift we made last year along the Miami Beach wreck graveyard, it was an epic spearfishing tour, that produced for one of our spearfishing clients from Brazil a personal best 48 pound black! As well as a brute Amberjack topping 105 pounds, all in the same spearfishing expedition, and in less than a half day spearfishing charter!

Long drifts+lots of fish

When shooting these deeper reef grouper a bit of a bigger speargun in the 100-120cm range works well as one never knows if a big mutton, mangrove, yellow jack or cobia might come in for a visit. There are lots of tips and tricks we pass on to our clients who charter a Miami /Florida Keys spearfishing trip with us. And yes the spearfishing advice will vary depending on what (in this case its grouper spearing), and habitat (deep water wreck and/or ledge and reef spearfishing to shallow patch and hole grouper spear fishing) and where (Haulover Beach Park, Miami Beach, Matheson Hammock, Soldier Key, Boca Chita Key, Key Largo Tavernier Key, Marathon Key, Duck Key, Long Key) all have their specific “tweaks” depending on the resident grouper. That being said here are a few broad grouper spear fishing tips for opening day grouper in Florida:

 1.Speargun should be adapted to type of hunting, with a 105-110 ideal as a one gun

the head shot is your best bet

 2. Use a floatline and float during the first week of the grouper season to many boaters out around this time-remember safety first
3. SAFETY FIRST
4. Carry a flashlight/torch we like these
http://www.austinsdiving.com/products.php?cat=137
http://www.spearfishingworld.com/big-blue-cf250-led.html
 5. For shallow water grouper hunting turn your boat off and drift to the patch reef
 6.Aim for the head shot- you'll either stone him or in the lease be able to control him
7.On patch reefs find the end that has the most current
8. Plates and humps with deep cracks hold big groupers
9. A Grouper hole has an entrance and exit try and find both before you drop on them, and if a buddy can hover above the exit you’ll increase your chances by 50%
10. Look for a “double ledge”, a huge grouper will usually hang on the shallower ledge above the deeper ledge which is his real hole
 11. Patiently look inside holes with your flashlight cover every inch with light- blacks are masters of the darkness and blend incredibly well
12. As soon as you shoot a monster grouper pull him up off the reef, this lessens your chances of him holing up
13. If a grouper holes up maintain constant pressure on him, and take turns buddy diving for the extraction 14. Carry a 1’-2’ gaff on board it works wonders getting big grouper out of a hole
15. If you can’t get a kill shot on a holed grouper, and you know the hole is clear of danger, slip your hand in feel for the gills and press them firmly down as you pull him out.

These are just a few quick bits of grouper spearfishing advice we pass to our clients when we take them out on a grouper spearfishing outing. There’s a lot more advice that can be passed along, and truth is most of it can be applied to most all types of grouper, whether it’s here in Miami, or the Florida Keys all the way to the Bahamas you can bet that grouper in these water have similar characteristic. One important

Whether its Miami, Florida Keys, or the Bahamas big grouper have similiar characteristics

characteristic of grouper to note while spear fishing, is their stalk/still hunt methods, which is a key component to spearfishing more grouper. Grouper and especially black grouper are masters of camo, and will often show their location if given the time, so when you approach a structure do so very slowly and deliberate keeping a keen eye for the slightest of movements of groupers and - especially of pinfish, and other bottom fish- that will often give away a groupers where about. A grouper will move from one rock, to a sea fan, to a patch of coral slowly in pursuit of food, depending mostly on its amazing camouflage and when close enough

The right size gun and gear make the difference

it ambush its prey, it swallows it in a single gulp. Often you will see more grouper on the reef if you just sit and watch. Another tip for successful grouper spearfishing, and maybe the best tip for landing more grouper when spearfishing is to carry a barbless pole spear or spare shaft on board. When a grouper holes up the easiest and safest way to get him out is to put a kill shot in his head. Problem is if you don’t get the kill shot, you shaft is stuck with the grouper and can’t get it pulled out. A barbless shaft, allows you to pull the shaft easily out to take another killshot, and hopefully stone him. Once a grouper is dead in his hole he relaxes his gills and can then easily be pulled out

. So in summary, when visiting Miami, Florida Keys or the Bahamas familiarize yourself with the current rules and regulations for spearfishing grouper, book a charter with a competent spearfishing charter/captain that knows the local waters well, carry the right gun for the type of spearfishing you will be doing, buddy dive….and make sure you have a big cooler- cuz its gonna be a great season!

Till next spearfishing report, tight bands, straight shafts, and smooooooooth triggers!

 Tone

 http://www.settingsteelspeargear.com