still flippen

Had a good season on grouper this year on some natural bottom (spring and summer). Was curious to know how and what ways will get the winter bite. Live pin fish has been my bait of choice, but these will be hard to come by late Dec.-Feb. I'm guessing the next best thing would to catch your bait in the same area you are fishing for smaller reef fish. I have been thinking about tipping jigs with bobo strips...well this work or are winter fish to slow and non aggressive??

Just trying to expand my grouper horizon.

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Death From Above

Use the same techniques you used to catch your spring/summer fish. Use any live bait you can catch/find. Whole slabs of fresh (not frozen)mullet will work too. Puttwo slabs back to back on a jap hook and send it down. Don't let them get in the hole.

lobsterman

You can also slay the pin fish, just find a deep hole and use a bouy to mark your trap and you will have a trap full over night. Big Bonita strips also works great, big dead cigs,sardines. They eat well in the winter time.

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recess

You should have another couple weeks of the big pinfish around pickens and deep sandy holes around grass . I'm sorry if im giving this away for some of you but the pigfish will stack up and spawn in and around the pass they make the ultimate winter grouper bait. The best thing about them we get them all the way though febuary acording to my log from the past 2 years. If you can throw a net some mullet stay around for the winter, they are just harder to catch.I would suggest getting a bait pin and bait fishing a day or two before your big day. live bait is the most crucial part of fishing grouper in the winter these fish move from deep water and when i say load up on the edge i mean load up on the edge , the fish are there its all in the bait and how you present it . Catch them up TIM

Chris V

I second netting live mullet. Most of the back sloughs and creeks stay pretty full of them throughout the winter and grouper love them.

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Greenjeans

How big do the pigfish get and do you catch them on sabiki's or a just a small hook and some squid? I did have luck with the dead cigs on grouper when i was out Monday.

recess

Any size you can get them, smaller the better in my opinion.They are all over 3-mile bridge from what i have been told and the pass has had quite a few to.a dozen decent sized pigfish and you should get the chance to hook up to something big.

reelhappy

anything live will work grunts rubylips and anything off the oops bardge they are hungry i like to jig for them cheap $ 8. lure works well when live bait is hard to find always keep some in your tackle bag. they catch everything!!!!!! see my off shore post. we were catching yellowfin tuna with these things awsome.

scot