Baits

[Incognito]

I mix it up.

Lately I have dropped to a 3 hook rig. I have been using squid on one hook. Either the head or the whole body. On the other a strip of Bonito, Mackerel or Cuda. and a Lobster body on the top hook. The lobster body gives off scent and small bits of chum as it bounces around. I have been catching everything on any of the baits. The octopus should work OK. You can also try shrimp. Sometimes I put a shrimp on each hook with the squid and strip bait. Dead frozen is fine. It gives off scent as well.

[Belize]

i'll give it a try. i have seen alot of octopus in snapper/grouper bellies....so this should work well also and is a tough bait.
i bought some little chum cages which i clip onto to line and fill with menhaden chunks or shrimp.
I am also going to try small lobsters live!

[miamiangler1]

[Hey guy`s ... how about trying this ... squid sometimes gets taken off the hook quick ... by small fish ... try adding from berkley Gulp ... pre-cut strips ... they come in everything from squid , shrimp and some that glow in the dark ... they let off a scent ... and not easy to get off the hook ... it is part of my secret bait.. has worked for me ... hope you can get it where you live Belize.. tight lines...




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drop where few fisherman have gone before :twisted:

[Boboe]

You want a grouper? Butterfly a boston mackerel and put him down there. There's not much stinkier than a big nasty boston. Put down a big chunk of bonita. Don't use less than 1/3 of the fillet if you want to target a grouper of any size. Hell, butterfly a small mingo(vermillion), grunt, or anything else. Run him down. Those deep water groupers will find him. And if you get your hands on some pig fish, tomtates (aka "ruby lips"), or pin fish <6" long, you're sending down candy to those boys. Fish them live. Hang on.

[poolman]

He aint lyin' guys. Saturday I sent down a live 8" seabass,and cranked in a 30" red grouper. They love the big baits.

[Belize]

dat is true....big bait = big fish
i started experimenting with small circles and small bait chunks to snag snappers when off bite and grouper catch went to nil. ( snapper experiment didnt work well)
thx for tips..

i just found supply of octopus and now squid off a shrimper as by catch so should be okay. plus will jig up some jacks and butterfly and send down.

when i was a dive instructor/guide i used to feed groupers live lobsters...pull a lobster out of hole and shove in my bc pocket. when i was doing deco stop above reef which was 60 ft below i would let the lobster go...he would swim like hell to make it to the bottom but rarely did..groupers would appear out of nowhere for a mid water interception. ( that was when we had lots of groupers on the reef!)

in the usa you cant do it but i am going to get a bunch of live 1/3 lb bugs and put in my baitwell and send them down with a big hook thru their tails...

correct on 3 hooks...i started with 5-6 hooks and rarely catch more than a fish at a time on the reef...

was thinking about 'vari hook rig'..... putting a big hook on top for big grouper - with a large bait such as whole butterfly fish or lobster...and then having 2 smaller hooks below ie 12-13's for reg grouper and snapper. anyone try this?

[Boboe]

Originally Posted by poolman

He aint lyin' guys. Saturday I sent down a live 8" seabass,and cranked in a 30" red grouper. They love the big baits.

30# red grouper is pushing the record. I think the record's 34 or something. That's a damn slob!

Red grouper make me laugh, because they'll eat anything. We call them "Slop Buckets." That one you caught was a whole damn slop TUB!

[Boboe]

Snappers will climb up your gear more readily than grouper will. They will suspend much higher in the water. Put your snapper baits on the top and your grouper bait at the bottom.

[billspilingup]

boboe is right. Our deep-drop rigs (been using the same design for 20+ years) have smaller hooks on the top and a big hook on the bottom. Put the big bait on the big hook.

[Gaitor]

Incognito ... check your PM's