Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico

A freshwater fisherman once said to me that fishing in the Gulf of Mexico is like fishing in a barrel...wrong!  You have to know what you are fishing for, where you will find those fish, what kind of rod and line to use, what kind of bait to use, and how to fish that bait.  Because of the size alone of the Gulf of Mexico, without knowing all of these things (unless your lucky enough to have an experienced guide) you probably won't catch a thing!

There are several different kinds of places to fish the Gulf of Mexico.  You can fish it by boat, you can shore cast, you can fish in the canals or you can fish in the mouths of the rivers that feed into the Gulf.  The one great thing about fishing the Gulf of Mexico is that in EACH of these places, if you know where and when to go, you can catch almost all of the areas game fish.

Some of the game fish that you can catch in any of these places include the Red Drum, Black Drum, Cobia, Sheepshead, Snook, Sea Trout (not the freshwater kind, not even a cousin, but instead is a member of the drum family though they look nearly identical to their freshwater namesake), Grouper (several types), Black-tipped Sharks, Lemon Sharks, and the list goes on and on.

Here's a little extra information on some of the above mentioned fish:

• The Cobia's fins are very sharp and can cut you up badly if you handle them incorrectly.  
• The Sea Trout's mouth is very soft and tender and must be hooked and landed gently as their mouths tear easily.  Use a light line for this fish.  6 to 8 lb. test is more than sufficient.
• You can hear the Drums (both Red and Black) before you'll ever see them.  Listen for the sound of drums early morning, and late afternoon...dum da-dum da-dum.  This will help you pinpoint their location especially of you are fishing around docks. If you are out in a boat listen as well because this fish will sometimes hang out under your boat.  In that case not only will you hear the Drum (dum da-dum da-dum) but if your boat is small enough you will feel the vibrations of the Drum's call.
• Yes Grouper do come inland on occasion.  Mostly during breeding or when the water temperatures cool.  They like live shrimp, pinfish, and grunts.  The pinfish and the grunt are to the Gulf of Mexico as the minnow is to rivers and streams.  To find locations to boat fish for Grouper you only have to get a good marine map that shows you where the reefs are.  Where there are reefs, there are Grouper.
• The Sharks are opportunistic feeders, they're pretty much everywhere and chances are if you're fishing the Gulf of Mexico you're going to catch one at some time or another.

These are only some of the amazing fish that make fishing the Gulf of Mexico a worthwhile experience but in no way is it like fishing in a barrel.  Take the time to learn about the fish and saltwater fishing techniques before you go fishing in the Gulf and you won't be disappointed.

Good luck and happy fishing...JD