Fishing with Capt. George Tunison | Check the weather before heading offshore for grouper or snapper
The fish sizzled in the pan and soon was on my plate. A squeeze of lemon and a delicious forkful of black grouper awaited me. Not from the fish’s main body but from a better tasting part of its anatomy, its cheeks. It’s good to have friends that are expert bottom anglers.
To the uninitiated, the cheeks or round area of meat below the eye of larger fish is a true taste delight, with a sweet, lobster-like flavor good no matter the prep method. Not typically seen for sale in local markets, so you have to catch your own or rely on friends. Carefully cut it out with a sharp knife collecting as much “meat” as possible and do not overcook it.
December cold fronts usually brings wind, possibly making your upcoming weekend snapper and grouper trip a bad choice, although a quick scan of the weather news show temps in the low 80s with 5-10 mph winds Saturday increasing Sunday along with off-and-on showers and rain later in the day. If it looks right, head off to your best grouper and snapper numbers on Saturday and stay inshore on Sunday for a fish filled weekend. Please do not rely on my secondhand weather forecast.
This is a red snapper weekend (Dec. 5-7) and you’re allowed 2 per person with a 16-inch total length. The season finally ends on the holiday weekend of Dec. 25-28. Black grouper is open year-round in state waters and closed Feb. 1 to March 31 seaward of 20 fathoms (120 feet), four per person with a 24-inch total length. Another local favorite, red grouper is also open to harvest year-round in state waters with the same closure date restrictions as the black grouper seaward of 20 fathoms. The ever-popular, hard-fighting gag grouper is closed to harvest.
From nearshore GPS numbers to far offshore, the Lane and mangrove snapper are always top targets and both are open year-round to hungry anglers looking for a taste treat. A 10-inch limit on greys or mangrove snapper in state waters is upped to 12 inches in federal waters. Five per person are allowed compared to a 100-pound bag limit for Lane snapper with an 8-inch total length measurement to harvest.
The fish are out there looking for your bottom baits, but don’t challenge the weather when going offshore. Knowing when to not go and also when to leave are two huge keys to staying healthy when going deep out in the beautiful Gulf of America. Knowing when to back off the throttle due to heavy seas or windy conditions will also keep you out of trouble.
With most of the silver kings heading south leaving the resident fish behind, tarpon season is never really over for the true tarpon angler (fanatic) here in Southwest Florida. Like any successful angler, he adapts and moves his game to the river and local canals offering the fish food and warmth compared to the chilly wind-blown flats and Gulf. Juvenile tarpon are always around to tease you but I would start my winter tarpon hunt at the railroad trestle on the river and then keep working east keeping a close eye on my temperature gauge looking for the warmest water to fish where I’ll also find snook, redfish and jacks. Deep basins and heated discharges hold tarpon and other fish which often venture shallow on warming spells.
Think courtesy around our crowded winter boat ramps.
Capt. George Tunison is a Cape Coral resident fishing guide. You can contact him at 239-579-0461 or via email at captgeorget3@aol.com.