Where'd the grouper go? Bonita Beach, FL

[fishbuster]

I fished Monday, starting out at the 240 Ledge, where we caught 25 mangrove snapper, porkfish, good-sized triggerfish, and released a small scamp. Other than the scamp, there wasn’t a grouper to be found out there. We moved in a little closer to a spot about 24 miles offshore, where we fished in 50 feet, and released lots of short gags, lots of mangrove snapper (we all ready had our limit), and hooked one keeper gag. Seems like the keeper grouper are way offshore recently, in depths of 80-100 feet.

Tuesday in 40 feet off New Pass, the bite was slow again, but we caught and released a hogfish, porgies, mangrove and lane snapper, grouper shorts and sheepshead.

I tried the reefs off Bonita Beach Wednesday. It was pretty slow there too. At least we caught dinner--mangrove snapper, grunts, porkfish-- and released gag shorts.

Thursday through Saturday brought a cold, windy front, with small craft advisories, so I stayed in port for yet another weekend.
The photo attached is of 3 gags we got on a recent offshore trip, before they disappeared.