SW FL-Bonita Beach: Near-shore Grouper

[fishbuster]

Monday, 11/5, was predicted to be calm offshore. I headed out with Mike & Lea Connealy, Mike’s dad, and friend, Karen, but as we got a way offshore conditions got pretty sloppy and a little tough on the ladies’ stomachs. We decided to head in closer top shore and fish MAY reef. There, we caught a couple of keeper Spanish mackerel, large triggerfish, and released grunts, ladyfish and grouper shorts, fishing with live shrimp.

The Troutmann family, who fished in Estero Bay with me Thursday (see inshore forum report), fished offshore with me on Saturday. This time another son, Phillip, joined the family, and the five of them had a good time catching a variety of fish, using live shrimp in 35 feet out of New Pass. Phillip landed a nice 23 ½ inch gag grouper, Pat caught and released a 30 inch cobia (those must be 33 inches to the fork of the tail to be keepers), and Elvira caught a 15 inch hogfish. The group also kept one 13 inch mangrove snapper, two 15 inch Spanish mackerel and four of many whitebone porgies caught. They also released lots of grouper shorts to 21 inches and porkfish.

The photo for this week is on the inshore forunm report.