Gag Grouper are most popular species of grouper that is caught by anglers in the U.S. Goliath grouper have been getting all of the attention in the press and from the fishing shows, but the gag grouper is what most anglers target when they head offshore to fish the reefs and wrecks. Gag grouper are also found inshore, but these fish are much smaller on average than what you can catch offshore. Average catches inshore usually range from 5 to 10 pounds, which is still a really nice fish and they taste great. Offshore, you can find good numbers of gag grouper in the 10 to 20 pound range and they can grow to over 50 pounds.
Inshore, anglers target gag grouper along the mangroves, around docks, near bridges, around oyster beds, in deep water holes and along ledges. Moving water is key, so make sure to fish during the tidal changes to experience some of the best fishing.
Offshore, you will find gag grouper on the many reefs and wrecks anywhere from 20 feet deep to over 500 feet deep. Heavy tackle is required to keep these fish from getting you snagged up in all of the bottom structure that you will be fishing.
Some of the live baits that work well for gag grouper are crabs, pinfish, sand perch, shrimp and squid. Artificials can also be productive. Anglers use deep-diving crankbaits, jigs and soft plastics.
