Fishing hits bottom

Fishing hits bottom


By Mike Marsh,
Star-News Correspondent


Published: Thursday, May 8, 2008

Ask most fishermen who drop baits to the bottom of the ocean what they are fishing for, and they'll most likely say grouper. One such fisherman is Anthony Ng of Winterville, who specializes in bottom fishing. "Grouper fishing is so much fun," Ng said. "You drop baits on the bottom and never know what you're going to catch next."
Besides grouper, Ng catches sea bass, snapper, grunt, triggerfish and tilefish. But when it comes to playing tug-of-war, there's nothing that will put a bend in a rod quite like a grouper.

It's the thrill of the hunt driving Ng, who owns Fish-Ng Accessories (www.fish-ng.com). The company manufactures electric-assist devices called Precision Auto Reels. These devices replace the handles on conventional reels. Some anglers still prefer to catch grouper with manual reels, but considering the size of some grouper (which can top 30 pounds) and the number of times rigs are dropped or fish reeled in during a day of fishing, an automatic reel makes sense.

A grouper fisherman needs a stout, short boat rod and a conventional, 4/0 to 6/0 size reel. A battery or electrical connection in the boat's gunwale must be available for powering an automatic reel.

A seaworthy boat is also needed, although many anglers catch grouper on calm days from small center console boats. An anchor with lots of rope and a GPS unit and depthfinder are essential, whatever type of grouper you're after.

Red and gag grouper are the most common species fishermen encounter. These fish are caught from ledges as close as five miles to the beach. But there are many other species of grouper, from the scamp and red hind of nearshore waters to the snowy and misty grouper in 450-500 feet of water.

"There are lots of grouper areas shown on fishing charts," Ng said. "But once you get out there, it's a big ocean. Some people start with charts, then look around with their depthfinders to spot places to fish. Others might get a friend to furnish them a set of coordinates for a grouper ledge. The best fishermen find their own spots then guard them closely. You don't want to get out to your honey hole and find another boat already sitting there. Some of the best ledges are the smallest ones nobody else has found."
After arriving at a ledge, the angler circles the area while watching the depthfinder screen for telltale signs. Sometimes, large marks near the bottom may identify grouper. But more often, cloudy areas showing baitfish schools or live bottoms give clues that grouper may be there.

Once a likely spot is identified, the helmsman guesses at the anchor bearing. The wind and current compete for control of the boat, so experience plays a role in successful anchoring. Ng uses two-hook bottom rigs with sinkers weighing up to a pound or more and big circle hooks. He spools his reels with 130-pound test super braid lines.

"If he gets in a hole, he can break the line," Ng said. "I strum the line or bring the rod up and down to bounce the sinker around his head to run him out of his hole. If you lose a fish or have to break the line and re-tie the rig, it's a waste of fishing time."