Groupers are one of many prized fish that we can catch along all coasts of Florida and the Bahamas. Hard fighting and good eating bottom fish, The Southeastern US particularly Florida Keys groupers provide the best grouper fishing in the world. Groupers are a firm, white meat fish that makes a spectacular onion-garlic sauté for your dinner table. Enough recipe chats!! Let's catch fish.

Classic method of grouper fishing entails bottom fishing with heavy tackle. Grouper are aggressive strikers, so right when they inhale the bait, they will normally go right into the rocks or structure that is surrounding them.

Another favorite method for grouper fishing is trolling. This method works in water from 15 to 25 feet in depth and works wherever grouper are found.

If you are fishing in shallow water 4 to 12 feet, another popular way to Grouper fish is called flat lining. Most of the time if there are grouper on the structure where you are, you will have a hook up fairly quickly.

NOTE: Goliath Grouper, formerly known as Jewfish, are totally protected from harvest in Florida waters. Also, Red Grouper, gag grouper, and Nassau grouper (spawn in April and May) prefer water temperatures between 66 and 77 degrees F.

I. Bait for Grouper

Just remember, big bait, big fish, small bait, small fish. From gag grouper in at little as ten to twelve feet of water to the mighty Warsaw grouper in several hundred feet of water, all grouper tend to like the same types of baits and presentations whether they are on the bottom or by trolling.

II. Bottom fishing with live baits

The bottom structure that you're near tends to pull them in closer, housing a variety of species of fish, including tons of bait. Pinfish and large grunts would be your best bait. What you want to do is see which way the tide is moving and go to the side where your bait will go away from the pier, find a good rock pile and just keep letting line out until you know your bait is right in front of your grouper.

You will find that most baits that live primarily on the bottom will not be suitable for trolling, but will be good for bottom fishing or even mid-water fishing if the boat is at anchor or drifting slowly. The best bait for these fish is cut squid which is provided onboard. Sand perch are also good bait when filleted or steaked and used as chunks. Sardines and live pinfish are good grouper bait and can be purchased on the dock before sailing each morning.

Keep an eye out for birds sitting in the water because they're on top of the bait, and all you have to do is wait a few minutes for Mr. Grouper.

III. Fishing Tackle

- A rod with a lot of backbone, a reel with the ability to crank down an extra hard drag, and 60 to 80 pound test line are the usual equipment on a bottom fishing trip for grouper. One of the most common rigs for grouper fishing is called the sliding or egg sinker (aka knocker) rig. If you're bottom fishing with live baits such as pin fish and large grunts, use a 3 to 8 ounce egg sinker, 2 to 3 foot of 50 to 100 pound leader and a 5 to 10/0 hook, depending on the size of bait.

IV. Trolling, Bottom fishing- Flat lining for groupers

Bottom fishing

- Classic grouper fishing involves bottom fishing with relatively heavy tackle. Grouper are aggressive strikers, so right when they inhale the bait, they will normally go right into the rocks or structure that is surrounding them. Trolling

- Another favorite method for grouper fishing is trolling. This method works in water from 15 to 25 feet in depth and works wherever grouper are found. In the winter and early spring, black grouper and red grouper make their way up from deeper water to the relative shallows of near shore patch reefs to spawn. Some patches climb almost vertically, and all have holes and caves serving as home to a variety of fish, including our groupers. The feather lures or lures with a ballyhoo combo & running about 12 to 15 feet deep attract the groupers to run out of their holes as the bait goes by.

Slow Trolling

- The method we use during this time is to slow troll feathers with strip bait, such as mullet on deep troll downriggers, between, next to, and sometimes over the patch reefs. The wire line is necessary to (1) get the bait deep enough, and (2) provide a no stretch line to insure the fish is moved away from the reef. The feather will run about 12 to 15 feet deep and the grouper will run out of his hole as the bait goes by.

V. Flat Lining

If you are fishing in shallow water 4 to 12 feet, another popular way to Grouper fish is called flat lining. What you want to do is see which way the tide is moving and go to the side where your bait will go away from the pier or boat, find a good rock pile, and just keep letting line out until you know your bait is right in front of our groupers' dinner table.

The majority of the time if there are grouper on the structure where you are, you will have a hook up fairly quickly. This is why heavy leader is required. You can bet on one thing; if you want to catch a few grouper, you are going to go through some tackle.

Watch the water for fish next time you head out; be aware of what is going on in the water. Bait fish attract predator fish, and there is no reason for not fishing the area around a big baitfish school.

So trolling their dinner behind the boat will be our way of catching & hooking up these fish. If the fish don't strike your bait while you're trolling fast, slow down, and let the bait sink a little.

When a fish hits, Let go of the line, count to five, snap the bail closed, and start cranking.

When you've hooked your fish, work on him so he gets tired. You don't want to get a 40 lb fish back to the boat until he's quieted down a bit.

Tight Lines & enjoy your fishing,

Marilyn Davis

By: Marilyn Davis
Thank you for choosing our Grouper Fishing article!
Free Fishing Ebooks Download at our Key West fishing report page:
http://www.flkinfo.com/fishing-reports/fishkw.htm.

Instructional DVDs on "How to Throw a Cast Net", "Yellowtail & Mutton Snapper fishing",
"Live Bait Seminar", and more!! flkinfo.com/vp.htm.
For more Florida Keys information, fishing reports & fishing charters,
Visit us at http://www.flkinfo.com

Over the years I have been asked how you know when you have a hit while drift fishing for Steelhead. The true answer is you really never know for sure! When bouncing along the bottom of the river every time you bump a rock it feels something like a strike. There is a difference but until you feel it it's hard to explain.

Some times your line will just stop this is always a good sign that there is a steelhead taking your line. Other times you will feel your line and it feels like it's rolling over gravel (this happens quit often when the water is cold) This to is a good sign that you are having a steelhead strike. There are times when a steelhead will leave no doubt they have taken your line as they nearly jerk the rod out of your hand. Most of the time however it is just a slight difference in the feel of the line and the longer you fish for steelhead the better you become at feeling these minor differences.

There are times where you will not feel anything at all and this probably happens more then any of us know. I like to watch my line where it meets the water most of the time it leaves a small wake much like a miniature boat. Watching this when a steelhead is toying with your bait it will look like this wake is swaying back and forth in the same spot when ever I see this I will set the hook and more times then not it will be a steelhead.

There are times when you will be watching your line as it drifts through the hole and you notice that the speed at which it was drifting has slowed this may be a sign that you need to set the hook. I believe that when this happens the steelhead has been following you lure down stream and has just decided to pick it up to see what it is.

The bottom line is you never really know if it is a Steelhead strike or just bumping down the river. The best advice I can give is if you feel something different set the hook, if your line stops set the hook, if your line is not drifting as fast as it was set the hook, and when in doubt set the hook!!!

Steelhead, Salmon and Trout Fishing has been a passion of mine since I was a young boy. Most of my free time was spent on lakes and streams here in the northwest, and I have picked up on some interesting facts about fishing for these species over the last 45 years. I would like to share them with you through articles and at my websites I hope you find them helpful and enjoyable. So please stop by check out some information or just stock up on your fishing gear. Hope to see you on the river!

By: Robert R Smith
Steelhead, Salmon and Trout Fishing has been a passion of mine since I was a young boy. Most of my free time was spent on lakes and streams here in the northwest, and I have picked up on some interesting facts about fishing for these species over the last 45 years. I would like to share them with you through articles and at my websites I hope you find them helpful and enjoyable. So please stop by check out some information or just stock up on your fishing gear. Hope to see you on the river!
RR Smith
http://www.steelhead-gear.com for all your fishing needs
steelhead-gear.com/wordpress/ Stellhead, Salmon and Trout Fishing blog.

A great place to go after sailfish is not too hard if you pay attention to many of the great anglers. Of course, finding them for yourself requires a keen eye for the habitat in which the sailfish strive. One such place is located of the Florida coastline near Fort Pierce, where in 65 feet of water, you can find the breeding grounds for a great number of predators as well as bait fish along the series of reefs.

By November however, the waters become too chilly for the sailfish since the temp can drop below 70 degrees with ease. But do not fear; just go out a little further to where the water get between 150 and 120 feet deep and there is another great set of reefs which is known to have one of the largest concentrations of sailfish in the area.

It is in this area, which is located roughly 8 miles off from Fort Pierce in which you will find the locale that is known as the 8 mile. Here, the warm Gulf Streams push a great number of not only sails and other predators, but bait fish as well right up into the reefline. Since the sailfish is more of a pack hunter, looking for the bait balls along this reefline, will put you in perfect location to catch yourself some sailfish.

From that point, you will need a trained eye to catch the surface activity of the sailfish tailing the swells just on the shore-side of the Gulf Stream. If you can find these tailers, you are in a good position to hook yourself a sailfish. Now there are two major, as well as proven methods to catching these sailfish. The first method is by tossing some pitch bait in front of the fish, while the second is to use a drag bait situated in front of the sailfish's bill.

Many local family fishermen use a ballyhoo rigging in order to catch the sailfish, but with a little time and practice you can pick up on the local techniques. The whole goal of course is to make your own artificial bait pod to attract the sailfish right to your rigging.

By: John Old
John Old Webmaster of: Best Fishing Club Writer of: Sailfish Fishing
Visit us at www.bestfishingclub.net

Ontario is Canada's number one fishing destination. Ontario is an "Iriquoian" word meaning beautiful or shining waters. As Ontario has some 250,000 lakes there is plenty of beautiful shiny water about. Most people know it as a fisherman's paradise in summer but don't forget it has a great winter season too. Why not consider ice fishing in Ontario this winter?

Fishing in winter is more of an adventure holiday. For the Canadians it is an everyday event and no big deal to cut a hole in the ice and start fishing or to haul out an ice fishing hut and in comfort. For everyone reading who is not from North America you probably won't know much about ice fishing or ever have considered it for a winter holiday. But for all you keen fishermen and women out there it is a fantastic experience that you should not miss.

You can chose literally any type of holiday you want and combine it with some ice fishing. The lakes and rivers are so numerous that wherever you chose to stay you are going to be in reach of a days fishing.

If you are traveling with the family and you are staying in the city you can still arrange a guide, an ice hut and fishing equipment for a day out on the lake fishing and enjoying the wonderful scenery.

If you are on a skiing holiday you can bet you can fit in a days fishing. These trips may also be featured as a sideline during snowmobiling, dog sledding, Native Cultural experiences or adventure lodge trip holidays.

There are hotels, motels cabins and B&B's all dedicated to the winter fisherman. You can rough it or stay in five star luxury. You can get a guide to show you the best fishing spots and you can sit out on the ice or have the comfort of a basic hut which will keep you warm and keep the wind off or a luxury ice fishing hut complete with heating and kitchen.

There are basic safety rules, the main one being make sure the ice is at least four inches thick, but a skilled ice fishing guide will see you have everything you need and update you on safety rules. You will also need warm, water proof clothing. Everything you need can be hired.

There are a number of ways to get to fishing spots. The easiest, you just drive up, get out of the car, tramp out across the lake and start fishing. But for the more adventurous you can snowmobile out to a more secluded spot or really go for it and hire a light plane to take you to the more remote areas of Ontario. Whatever you do you will see beautiful winter scenery and have some of the best fishing of your life.

This will be a unique fishing experience and it gives you the chance to potentially catch some very big fish. Depending where you chose to fish you might catch, lake trout, northern pike, walleye, whitefish or rainbow trout. There are 180 varieties of fish in Canada and 144 of them are found in Ontario! Of course after catching your fish You will want to eat it and what could be better than an open fire out by the frozen lake and the smell of fish cooking while you enjoy all that beautiful winter white Ontario scenery.

By: Sunny Jones
Sunny Jones is the owner and writer of the popular online travel guide and community, Travel Advice Pages, which dispenses invaluable travel advice for worldwide travelers.

Contributed by:
Stan Warner
Attorney Directories - Attorney Locate

Trolling reels are typically used for offshore big-game trolling in open water. Trolling is the process of dragging both bait and lures behind a moving vessel, which is a productive way to locate schools of migratory fish. The reason being, when a boat trolls over a school of fish, the wake and commotion on the surface emulates a ball of bait. This triggers the feeding instincts of many offshore species and immediately sends the leading edge of the school towards the commotion to investigate, with the rest of the pack following. As the most aggressive fish in the school frantically try and chase down this commotion, the trolling lures, jigs and baits are the first hint of a meal that they come across. They charge at them with reckless abandon, inhaling what appears to the fish as vulnerable stragglers, desperately trying to catch up with the rest of the pack.

As soon as one of the trolling lures or baits is inhaled, the trolling reel begins to sing, with the clicker of the reel creating a loud noise that notifies the angler to get ready. This sends the anglers into a dash for their gear, yelling "hook-up", which immediately causes the captain to throw the vessel into neutral to stop the boat. As the momentum of the vessel carries the boat forward, the crew begins to throw live bait, either by pieces or in full scoops. By now, the rest of the migrating school has caught up to the commotion and is met with the temptation of live bait, sending them into a feeding frenzy.

However, a wide-open bite is not always the result of a hook-up while trolling. When the fish are down, or when the conditions are far from ideal, trolling will produce the majority of the catch, with no feeding frenzy following the trolled up fish. On these days, it is essential to land every troll fish and having the right equipment is critical in accomplishing this. Trolling rod and reel combos are the most expensive combos on the market today. Due to their importance in locating roaming schools of open water fish, manufacturers like Shimano®, Penn®, Daiwa®, Okuma® and Accurate® incorporate the finest materials and technologies to ensure strength and durability in producing the best fishing reel capable of handling record-breaking trophies.

Trolling reels are typically found in the lever drag system. On these types of fishing reels, the drag pressure adjusts with the slide of a lever, which is located on the top of the reel to the right. Designated markings of, or similar to freespool, strike and full are found on reels like the Penn® International series, Shimano Tiagra® and the Acurrate Twin Drag® saltwater trolling reels. Most later models come in a two- speed version, with two separate gear ratios that serve different purposes. The high gear is to gain as much line as possible with every turn of the handle, sacrificing torque and power. Low gear, on the other hand, provides tremendous torque and in return, sacrifices the ability to retrieve a substantial amount of line per crank. When properly utilized, both gears are designed to maximize the chances of quickly and efficiently landing scale-busting size fish.

The most noticeable difference in a trolling reel are the two rings that sit atop all trolling fishing reels. These rings are part of the frame and hold an enormous amount of strength. Trolling straps are attached through these rings, as well as big game harnesses and on some occasions, a back-up rod and reel combo, a common practice when fishing on long range boats out of San Diego for huge bluefin and yellowfin tuna. Trolling reels are so strong and powerful, I have even seen anglers cut these rings off and even go so far as to make custom frames to readily access the spool and use trolling reels as live bait reels. I do not recommend this practice, as many of the latest star-drag conventional reels will serve the same purpose.

With the high prices of fuel, trolling around in offshore waters can be very costly. That is why every serious big-game angler should consider having the best saltwater tackle available when it comes to their arsenal. The properly maintained saltwater combo can mean the difference in coming home with a trophy of a lifetime, or coming home skunked, carrying an empty sack.

By: Henry Yoo
I have been fishing for over 20 years of my life and hope to continue to do so for the next 30. I have dedicated myself to sharing what I have learned through those years in the hopes of promoting this popular outdoor recreational activity by providing commentaries and reviews, video tutorials, fishing tips and more. Come visit my site at http://spinningreels.com for freshwater and saltwater fishing information.

Submitted by:
George Snedrow
Are you looking for someone, people search tools like Free Reverse Directories can help you by providing reverse address, phone, email, cell phone and domain name information.

Having fished the sport fishing boats based in Southern California for many years, I have learned that bait selection and presentation are probably the two most critical, yet often overlooked, steps in fishing with live bait that can ultimately lead to a successful fishing trip. Anglers who have the good fortune of fishing live bait such as anchovies, sardines, mackerel and squid, can easily better their chances of landing more fish with these simple measures that begin at the bait well or bait tank.

When selecting a bait from the well, spend some time choosing the hottest, or liveliest bait in the well. The bait should not be missing any scales and check to see if the nose of the bait is red. The nose should always be a natural color and not red. Baits with red noses and missing scales are normally stressed from improper handling, overcrowded tank conditions or disease and do not look or swim in a natural behavior, the key to enticing fish to feed.

After selecting the best bait, bait scoops should be used to remove it from the others. If a baits coop is not available, the angler should carefully slide his hand under the bait and slowly grab the bait with light pressure by the head, so as to not remove the slime or any of the scales on the body. Quickly bait the hook and fluidly cast it as far from the boat as possible, landing the bait softly in the bite zone. Make sure that your tackle, rods and reels, match the appropriate bait and creates as little excess drag on the bait as possible.

Anglers should always be aware of the fishing conditions that surround them. This includes tides, moon phases, currents, patterns and more. Knowing what the fish and the fishing conditions are doing should determine how the angler should bait their hook. Baits can be hooked in the nose, collar, shoulder and butt, depending on how the angler wants the bait to react. I like to nose hook my baits because I move them around as much as possible, including when I retrieve them. Nose hooking is the only way to retrieve the bait with a natural swimming motion, head pointed towards the angler. When you collar, shoulder or butt hook a bait, they usually get ripped off, fall off or come back in an awkward spinning motion. I only hook my bait in the collar or shoulder when the surface fishing is good and when I know the bait will be inhaled before I need to wind it in. On the other hand, butt hooking is used when the bite zone is deeper and not on the surface. Normally, butt hooking a bait will force it to swim down and away, the ideal scenario for many fishing applications. The price you pay is that you sacrifice the ability to wind the bait back through the bite zone if it did not get bit in the first pass. When butt hooked, the bait will usually spin and come in backwards, not a very appealing appetizer for a finicky fish.

Also, make sure your tackle matches in size and weight to your bait. Sometimes, fishing conditions demand heavy tackle for small baits and on other occasions, light gear for big baits. Other than these times, your rods, reels, bait hooks, fishing line, weight and sinkers should not create any excess drag on the bait. Spinning and conventional casting combos come in a wide range of actions and line classes in both freshwater and saltwater versions and carefully selecting the proper live bait rod and reel is essential.

With these bait selection and presentation tips, I hope you will someday be able to enjoy the thrill of being picked up by a trophy size fish. There is nothing more exciting than fishing with live bait, the heart stopping sensation when you feel that familiar thump on the end of the line, followed by a thumb burning grab of your line from the now, rapidly spinning spool waiting to be engaged with a flip of a button, turn of a handle or a slide of a lever with the familiar call of "hook up".

By: Henry Yoo
I have been fishing for over 20 years of my life and hope to continue to do so for the next 30. I have dedicated myself to sharing what I have learned through those years in the hopes of promoting this popular outdoor recreational activity by providing commentaries and reviews, video tutorials, fishing tips and more. Come visit my site at http://spinningreels.com for freshwater and saltwater fishing information.

Submitted by:
Tim Langdorn
Pasadena Restaurant Reviews