How to Fish for Grouper Off the Pier in Tampa, Florida

Found lurking in the deeper waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the grouper is a large sea bass prized for both its fighting ability and delicate fare. The grouper is commonly caught around large underwater structures, such as reefs and pilings, where the fish can lay in wait to ambush prey. Common to the waters of Tamp Bay, Florida grouper are readily taken off any of the area’s piers by slightly modifying the same strategies employed when deep sea fishing.

Things You'll Need

  • 5/0 swivel
  • 30-pound test braid fishing line
  • Medium-weight surf-casting rod
  • 20-pound test fluorocarbon leader line
  • 1-oz slip sinker
  • 8/0 circle hook
  • Live shrimp
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Instructions

    • 1

      Rig your rod. Tie a 5/0 size swivel to the end of 30-pound test braid fishing line on a medium-weight surf-casting rod. Tie a 5-foot leader, made from light colored 20-pound test fluorocarbon line, to the swivel. Slip a 1-ounce slip sinker over the leader. Tie an 8/0 circle hook to the end of the leader. Hook a large live shrimp with the circle hook, just under the shell at the back of the shrimp’s neck. Do not hook the shrimp too deeply or you will injure the shrimp, preventing it from swimming naturally. Turn the reel drag setting to maximum.

    • 2

      Cast the bait into the water adjacent to the pier pilings. Allow the bait to swim and drift freely in the water.

    • 3

      Set the hook hard and fast as soon as you feel a strike. Grouper are notorious for darting out, grabbing their prey, and rushing back to the safety of their lair. If you don’t set the hook quickly the line will almost always get tangled up on a piling, breaking off the line and causing you to lose the fish.