what is the best way to target grouper. do you yo-yo iron like with deep yellowtail? does bait like squid strips work or live bait?
we're thinking of LA Bay since the tuna are not showing in Asuncion.
any suggestions appreciated.
[Edited on 9-25-2010 by woody with a view]Cypress - 9-25-2010 at 11:29 AM
Live bait.marv sherrill - 9-25-2010 at 05:49 PM
speargun..msteve1014 - 9-25-2010 at 08:03 PM
Keep heading south Woody. You know that tuna is what you really want.woody with a view - 9-25-2010 at 08:11 PM
i have 13 days (and a wake-up) to change my mind over and over, again! don't let a swell pop up cuz that will really throw a crip into the decision
making process.....Skipjack Joe - 9-25-2010 at 08:52 PM
Woody,
I don't think BOLA itself is a great leopard grouper destination because those are resident fish and there is fair pressure there (paved road leads
right to it). North and south of BOLA and the back side of La Guardia should be much better. I got nothing but pinto bass fishing deep in BOLA but
that's just my experience.
We fish for leopard grouper in shallow water, 0'-10' deep.
I think pompano trolls pink Mirrorlures for them.
You know... those tuna might still appear at Asuncion and, more likely, the yellowtail numbers might go up in the area.
I understand the position you're in. It's almost always like that. We make a educated decision but seldom reach a wide open bite. But with time we
figure it out and usually do ok.capt. mike - 9-26-2010 at 05:38 AM
simple, go out with Dale Pearson and kill some with guns.
yummm!!!!!!!Cypress - 9-26-2010 at 05:57 AM
Some species of grouper change sex during their life cycle. They start out as females but become males as they grow older and larger.woody with a view - 9-26-2010 at 06:50 AM
our fallback spotfin spot has calicos and sheepshead and, usually, yellowtail so all is not lost. worst case we just enjoy 10 days on the beach - and
prayforsurf.baitcast - 9-26-2010 at 07:19 AM
Remember our talks Woody if you head west and fish the spots don,t forget taken a couple of K/M,s,clams are fine but won,t work for the flat
ones,blue/chrome or orange/chrome.
Robwoody with a view - 9-26-2010 at 07:21 AM
i just spent $ at the tackle shop yesterday. i'm set, just need a destination.....woody with a view - 9-26-2010 at 07:29 AM
and don't forget the white scampi/swimbaits for the flat ones.....baitcast - 9-26-2010 at 07:42 AM
You can cast the K/Ms much much farther and will catch many other kinds my friend.
RobPescador - 9-26-2010 at 09:25 AM
Leopard Grouper or what are commonly called Cabrilla in Baja are available all the way down the coast. They range from right next to shore to down to
around 180 feet, and I very seldom catch them any deeper than that. Live bait works very well if it is small because they do not capture bait like a
yellowtail. Since they have teeth, they clamp on the the bait tail first and then move back to the rocks to finish off the bait fish and eat it. If
you are head hooked you will get a ton of short strikes and bring up a skinned or bruised baitfish. They are pretty sensitive to how the bait swims
so the idea of a stinger hook just sort of works. It is usually better to use smaller baits like sardinitas which they will gulp whole with abandon.
You want to leave a good distance of line between the slider sinker and the hook so that the bait can swim more naturally and give the fish a little
while to mouth and get the bait fully in the mouth. I do prefer circle hooks for this.
As far as jigs are concerned, chrome and purple, or chrome and green, seem to be the best yo-yo type jigs and they are very effective, but you have
to slow it down and only crank about 10 times and then allow the jig to go back to the bottom, start again, and keep this pattern up until you get
hit. They do show up well on the depthfinder since they are an air bladder bass type of fish.
Trolling, which is my least favorite method of fishing (because it is mind numbing boring) and does not really let you feel the take or any of the
process, is effective. We have a guy at San Lucas Cove who is the master of inshore trolling and he goes very close to shore at a fairly fast clip
and is constantly pumping the rod to impart varied action. Most of the fish he catches are reaction strikes which the poor stupid fish has an
automatic response to when he sees the lure swimming by and it suddenly speeds up and his genetics cause him to strike at the lure which looks like it
is getting away. With this type of fishing color is very important and you have to experiment with different color types until you find a color that
they will key in on with the available light conditions and water clarity. One day it will be firetiger and they will hit that 10 to 1, whereas the
next day it might be blazing pink or purple (what self respecting fish would strike a damn pink lure?) The other problem with trolling is that catch
and release is really difficult with a fish that has treble hooks hanging out of his mouth and the release may be more fatal than the initial hookup.
They often hit the middle of the lure and end up hooked in the head or other parts of the body with the trailing hook.dtbushpilot - 9-26-2010 at 10:31 AM
woody, you're not trying to get out of the Asuncion shore fishing tournament are you? The thought of going up against dt"halibut whisperer"bushpilot
got you scared?.....dtMike99km - 9-26-2010 at 11:02 AM
I've done this on the pacific side with some success. Round up some smaller bass about 1 to 2#. Nose hook them with dropper loop and about 12 ozs of
lead. Drop over high spot with 40# line or better. Let the party begin.
Mirrorlures do work, I use them mostly going from spot to spot and get hit as we show up or as we leave.
Sounds like you know the flat tricks We all could learn from you on on some of the near shore fish.
If your going to BOLA leave the bay and go south or around La Guarda for the best grouper fishing.
Check out the reports from Mag. Bay they might be a sign of something moving up the line.woody with a view - 9-26-2010 at 11:13 AM
thanks for the replies. i have tons of options, as always, which is optimal.
the hard part is picking the right one and not looking back.
DT - don't get all comfy just yet. i keep waiting for someone to start posting fotos of the tuna, i just hope they are from this year.dtbushpilot - 9-26-2010 at 11:59 AM
I'll run up there and catch a few from the beach and post the pictures....give me a couple of days.....dtboe4fun - 9-26-2010 at 12:16 PM
Woody, check your U2U. Pablitowoody with a view - 9-26-2010 at 12:20 PM
okay.Skipjack Joe - 9-26-2010 at 02:09 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by woody with a view
i keep waiting for someone to start posting fotos of the tuna, i just hope they are from this year.
Hah!
My granddad, I'm told, was like that. He never came home skunked. When the fish weren't biting he would stop at the fish market and then would later
try to pass them off as his catch. It's a matter of pride, you know.
Note: this was a half century ago when there was no refrigeration and the open markets sold fish that had been caught that same morning.woody with a view - 9-26-2010 at 06:06 PM
my grandpa was cool, but if he couldn't buy it, he didn't eat it......mcfez - 9-26-2010 at 06:42 PM
.