GROUPER
There are many grouper species along the coast. The most commonly caught grouper are the red and gag because these species occur nearest the beaches.

Grouper lurk along offshore ledges and hard-bottom areas. They can be caught all year long, but most anglers fish for them in warm weather months on days when the wind is not blowing.

To catch grouper takes electronics. A GPS or Loran unit coupled with a good color depthfinder is a critical combination for grouper anglers. Any fishing chart has well-known hard bottoms for catching grouper marked. But once an angler arrives, he must fine-tune his search.

Light-colored echoes usually show baitfish concentrations on the bottom. Grouper are less likely to show on the screen because they swim close to the structure.

Most grouper are caught with heavy-action boat rods with 4/0- to 6/0-sized reels and line weights of 50 pounds or more. The rig is a two-hook bottom rig tied with 130-pound mono or greater and large circle hooks.

Any cut fresh or frozen baitfish will catch grouper. But to guarantee strikes will be more likely the result of grouper more than other bottom fish, the best grouper fishermen use live pinfish or live blue crabs. These baits can be caught in traps set from a dock and kept alive in a livewell.

Some anglers fish for grouper from party boats and go to the extra trouble of wheeling along an aerated cooler with a 12-volt battery to keep the water aerated for pinfish. However, blue crabs can be kept alive on ice for use as grouper bait.

GUIDES AND CHARTER INFORMATION
Capt. Carl Snow, Capt. Shane Snow, Fish Witch II Charters, Carolina Beach, offshore trolling for dolphin and other big-game fish, as well as inshore fishing, (910) 458-5855.

Capt. Butch Foster, Yeah Right Charters, Southport, trolling or light tackle fishing for dolphin and other game fish, (910) 845-2004.

Capt. Dave Dietzler, Cape Lookout Charters, Morehead City, red drum, speckled trout, flounder and other inshore and nearshore fishing, (252) 240-2850.

Capt. Fisher Culbreth, Capture Charters, Carolina Beach, sight-fishing for red drum, and fishing for speckled trout, (910) 262-1450.

Capt. Ray Massengill, Capt. Greg Voliva, Down East Guide Service, Morehead City, grouper and nearshore fishing, (252) 249-3101.

Party boat fishing for grouper and other bottom fish, Capt. Stacy Fishing Center, Morehead City, (800) 533-9417.

Find more about North Carolina fishing and hunting at: NCgameandfish.com