Black Sea bass in Florida

[icarussound]

I’ve been out in my outback off the SE Florida coast 6 times, first two limited fishing gear,  no problems, third was a wipe out and a painful one at that! The last three were good and I’m just beginning to find my way around here. My first fish was exactly not what I wanted - a spinner shark - but it was good to deal with an aggressive fish with no issues.

 

Yesterday and this morning I jigged for whatever and ended up with some Black Sea Bass. Didn’t expect these but after I went home and id’ed them I realized I could go back to the mark I made and fish for these for dinner...

 

So any tips would be welcome. I caught three on my own 1oz jig in white and chartreuse tipped with a gulp minnow in about 40’ of water. If I added a dropper (as in fluke rig) would I be more successful? 

 

I’ll be out in the morning as the conditions look very good till noon or so.

 

 

 

[Jon I]

Adding a dropper is worth a shot. When I target seabass I just go with jig only ...been successful with deadly dicks, AVAs, crippled herring. 

[buddha162]

Metal jigs (avas) and blade baits will weed out the smaller BSB. If you fish a teaser plain bucktail/feathered teasers do well, and also slim profile plastics like a fluke jr.

 

Gulp (or bait) will catch all sizes...but I'd start with plain metal and target the big ones first. Also, the biggest BSB in a school will often suspend high off the piece you're working. One of the tastiest fish around!

 

 

[oceanAddict]

Interesting. When I was fishing BSB  I almost always was getting smaller fish on metal - vs bucktail and minnow teaser on dropper loop.

[icarussound]

Well ... turns out these were grouper, black grouper or gag. Minimum length needs to be 24” - these were juveniles, 18-20”

 

 

[albacized]

On 8/13/2018 at 9:40 PM, oceanAddict said:

Interesting. When I was fishing BSB  I almost always was getting smaller fish on metal - vs bucktail and minnow teaser on dropper loop.

Last year, I was getting 4-5 lb sea bass on 5/8 oz sized epoxy jigs...was albie fishing and when nothing was showing, would jig the bottom just for kicks (would get these sea bass, scup, small fluke and sea robins)...ran into the same situation this weekend, except while bonito fishing. In outings (Fri, Sat, Sun), I had shots at (and caught 2) bonito during a 45 min period of time...the rest of the time was spent split between blind casting for bonito and jigging the bottom, and out of the 5 sea bass I caught, 2 of them were over 15 or 16 inches and the other three were under 10". 

[Pauleye]

Black Sea Bass are groupers, too and look very different from Gag Groupers and Black Groupers. The Gag has a resemblance to a smallmouth bass (at least I think so).

Edited August 16 by Pauleye

[BNickW]

3 hours ago, albacized said:

Last year, I was getting 4-5 lb sea bass on 5/8 oz sized epoxy jigs...was albie fishing and when nothing was showing, would jig the bottom just for kicks (would get these sea bass, scup, small fluke and sea robins)...ran into the same situation this weekend, except while bonito fishing. In outings (Fri, Sat, Sun), I had shots at (and caught 2) bonito during a 45 min period of time...the rest of the time was spent split between blind casting for bonito and jigging the bottom, and out of the 5 sea bass I caught, 2 of them were over 15 or 16 inches and the other three were under 10". 

Exactly how I fish. I like to keep two rods. Usually as soon as you drop to the bottom the funny fish start rolling on the surface feet way from me.

[Jon I]

5 mins ago, BNickW said:

Exactly how I fish. I like to keep two rods. Usually as soon as you drop to the bottom the funny fish start rolling on the surface feet way from me.

 

So true. Or how about when you got your finger on the trigger looking for signs of breaking fish. When you don't see them you make a random cast only to have them bust on the other side. 

[BNickW]

39 mins ago, Jon I said:

 

So true. Or how about when you got your finger on the trigger looking for signs of breaking fish. When you don't see them you make a random cast only to have them bust on the other side. 

Always. Hours spent finger on the line bail open waiting. Bonito I only catch after I have given up and started to head home.