Going out Sunday for a 1/2 day with 2 buddies. Wondering how to do well. Should I use some type of bait other than what they furnish? Any other suggestions welcome! I know it will be smaller fish but hopefully we'll get something. Thanks Freaky

I used to take my son on those half day trips when he was young. One strategy that will at least get you a good dinner is to downsize your hooks, use a light leader, and fish with tiny pieces of squid (trim them down to just cover the hook). You can really get a lot of grunts this way and if they are there you might get into the mangos. Longer leaders help with mangos, but they might get you into more tangles with your neighbors depending on the currents and how full the boat is.

I used to go down to a number 1 or 2 hook (not 1/0 or 2/0) and 20 or 30 lb leader to target the grunts. Seems like with a smaller peice or bait they are more likely to take it all on the first bite instead of just pecking at it.

Grunts are excellent eating, it just takes a lot of them to make a meal.

I think SM's advice is excellent considering the half day trip - they won't be able to get you out very far in 5 hours so targeting Grunts is a good way to go. I'm picky about which fish I enjoy eating and grunts are one of the sweetest tasting fish IMO. And its fun to get the action even if they are smaller. Same w/ mangos and sea bass.

Thinking back to the recent TOF / Hubbards 12 hour trip - I can tell you that what netted me my only keepers (a red grouper and a red snapper) all day was putting both squid and dead sardine (with both head and tail pinched off) on the same hook. I didn't try that until the end of the day and it worked so I thought it was at least worth mentioning. I didn't catch anything that trip using the live pins we had plenty of but Sideshow was killing the grouper with live pins all day. So maybe getting a Dz pins to have live bait as an option to try would be a good idea and net you a keeper grouper or 2. Of course everything I just mentioned happened 30-40 miles out so may not be applicable at all.

Good Luck freaky - hope to see a good report from you when you get back.

Now that Pickgrin brings it up, I have seen quite a few red grouper caught on squid and sardine on the same hook. I always thought it looked a little funny, but I've seen it work more than a few times.

You'll have 3 people fishing, maybe have two guys cranking in grunts and one guy trying for grouper. Two guys should be able to catch more than enough grunts and if you get a red grouper that'll be one heck of a bonus. Odds are pretty low on getting a keeper grouper on a half day trip, but it's not out of the realm of possibilites.

Welcome back, Mike! Good luck on Sunday. :)

When we went out I caught 7 grouper. I caught 4 with cut up live pinfish and 4 ewith squid/sardine combo.

Here’s some more fishy advice.

I spent a lot of years as a mate, fishing, or running head boats; the first thing we would do is as soon as the anchor is set head up to the forward beam of the boat. If it’s not packed, there should be plenty of room to cast your spinner out as far as you can.

Instead of using a small piece of squid, use a whole piece without the head and tentacles. Hook the tail end of the squid and place a stinger hook toward the fat part.

Depending upon the current; use a one or two ounce weight, above the swivel in a slip style fashion. Cast this out as far as you can off the side of the boat and let it sink close to the bottom, then reel it in slowly like a swimming lure, keeping it off the bottom to avoid a rock up.

Remember where there are grunts there are predators, amber jack, and snapper; most predators move away from the boat as it maneuvers to anchor, and your best bet is to get the bait away from the boat's prop wash.

I’ve found that this works more that not; after you’ve run your bait a few time, hit the bottom with the rest of the guys, unless you like free lining off the stern where you have the same opportunities for top and mid depth fish.

This works especially good in the keys where the ½ day boats fish the patch reefs, same theory.

Good luck, wish I was going with you!

Squid or dead sardine have been producing keeper red grouper in 30' of water this year.

Rig with a bead on the line like Vance Tice does. Just above the lead. And think about pinning the lead with a split shot, so the bait can't be pulled far from the lead.

And DO NOT SET THE HOOK!

Just start reeling. More fish are lost offshore on circles by people jerking up -- even just two inches -- when the fish first hits. Feel the bump, lift and start reeling.

Dead squid and sardines. And we've been fishing 160' of water and they're fine. Definitely in skinny water they're gonna work just as well or better than livies sometimes. Live bait is wonderful offshore, but it is NOT always more productive, like it seems to be inshore. Not nearly as much difference.