Tech Box: Hook, Lures and Setup for Targeting Juvenile Goliath Grouper
What should people look for?
When I’m out searching for goliath grouper, the first thing I look for is tight structure like bridges, docks and even inlets. The grouper feel safe around the tight structure; it will also hold the prey they feed on. Moving water is also a good sign, combining this with spots where these fish can ambush prey is a good starting point in targeting juvenile goliath grouper.
What is the standard bait set up, line test?
40-60 lb. braided line is highly recommended. Set up-wise I rock an 8-9 foot heavy to extra-heavy rod paired with a 5k- to 10k-sized reel. The key here is having a set up that has the backbone to pull grouper out of the tight structure.
Braid or mono?
Although mono can get the job done, braided line has no stretch and provides the pulling power to really put the heat on these fish when trying to extract them off tight structure. Braided line also has a thinner diameter that allows you to hold more line on your spool and is significantly stronger at these smaller diameters than your traditional monofilament fishing line.
Hook size?
When it comes down to the jig hooks. I generally run 8/0 jig-heads on the plastics; for bait, a 2/0-6/0 circle hook is good, especially when using big live or dead baits. These grouper are aggressive by nature and they really like a big bait. While it may not seem logical, in many situations it’s “bigger the better.” As such, there’s no need to shy away from using a big hook.
What are some effective lures for juvenile goliath grouper?
General go-to artificial lures are 5” and 8” paddle tails on 1-3 oz. jig heads. NLBN (no live bait needed) makes a great variety of colors and styles, as do Vudu Shad and a few other brands. Flair-hawk jigs are also very effective when grouper fishing. Depending on how deep the water is as well as how fast the tide is moving, you’re going to want to use whatever weight is needed to get the jig down on the bottom. A 1 to 3 oz. size jig-head is a good range to keep handy, then be prepared to adjust your size according to the current and depth.
What’s your standard juvenile grouper set up?
I prefer a 9-foot custom Batson blank 20-40 lb. class, paired with a Van Staal vsx/vsb 150-200 size, which I will run 40-60 lb. braid and 80-100 lb. fluorocarbon leader. When tying braid to the fluorocarbon. I use the FJ knot. For the line-to-lure knot, I will go with a either the loop knot or uni-knot.
