Bottom Fishing for Grouper
If you are looking for a great fight and even better table fare, when in season, grouper bottom fishing can fit the bill and then some. Known for their hardnosed fights, gag grouper, red grouper, scamp, and black grouper will put the ultimate test on your tackle with powerful bursts of energy in attempt to get back inside their structure or hole and break you off. To help prevent getting broken off, make sure you are ready to fish a nearly locked drag reel and do whatever you can to get them up off of the bottom. Both conventional and spinning gear can be used, however conventional tackle is the norm for straight up bottom fishing with live or dead bait, while spinning tackle tends to be the go to when jigging for grouper.
When looking for the best grouper bottom fishing reels, you will want to prioritize drag, line capacity, and most importantly gear ratio. Since you have to quickly lift a grouper up and away from any structure that it can get into you may think that a fast gear ratio would be best, however the faster the gear ratio the lower the torque and power. A gear ratio in the range of 4-5.5:1 is generally where you will want to be, providing the best blend of speed and torque to break the will of a bruising grouper. Something that most overlook is the width of the spool on a reel for this type of fishing, which is important because a wide spooled reel will tend to roll over on your wrists on the retrieve under load. A narrow spooled reel will remain truer, resulting in a more consistent and powerful retrieve. Some of the best options on the market currently are the Talica 12 and 16 single and two speed reels, Avet JX and HXJ G2 or Raptor Models, Accurate Boss Valiant 500PN and 600PN. The Penn 113H2 4/0 has also been a solid option for decades that does not have any of the modern features found in the reels above but continues to get the job done.
As far as the best grouper bottom fishing rods, some like to use standup conventional rods with all open ring guides due to their power, but with the ever growing trend towards lighter reels with more power there are more options becoming available that can keep up. Some prefer longer lengths around 7'6" to 8' in order to get a solid hookset, while the longer length also can lift the grouper farther away from his rock on each lift of the rod tip. Great options exist from Phenix within their Axis and Black Diamond Conventional Rod Series, Seeker Hercules, and Blackfin Bottom Fishing Rods.
While monofilament was the line of choice for years when bottom fishing, braided line is the only way to go nowadays with options from. Braid offers little to no stretch, 3-4 times the line capacity, and greatly reduces the scope in your line, as the more vertical you are with your bait the better your chances of hooking up and getting the fish to the boat. The only downside to braid will be its lack of abrasion resistance when compared to monofilament line, however a long fluorocarbon or mono leader will easily help you avoid that from becoming an issue. This may also help you add a few fish to your box during grouper season, especially if you end up getting rocked up. When this happens, give the fish some slack in hopes that he will come out of hiding. Wouldn't recommend backing off the drag, as you will have to be ready to get the fish away from structure for good if he gives you a second shot.