Perhaps Terry Scroggins is attracted to Grouper fishing because they strongly resemble Largemouth Bass. Maybe it's because they taste so good on the grill. Or his enjoyment comes simply from having fun with his fellow Bassmaster Elite Series buddies during a winter break from tournament bass fishing.
For Scroggins, chasing Grouper along Florida's coast is attractive for all those reasons. "It's definitely fun to do with my buddies in the winter during the off-season when we're not fishing bass tournaments," said Scroggins, whose pursuit takes place in a Triton 2690 center console boat powered by twin 225 hp Mercury Verados.
"I've towed the big 27-foot Triton to the ocean with my Tundra about ten times since the Bassmaster Elite Series Season ended last August. I've played the role of charter captain to Peter T and Derek Remitz a few times, and this week Kelly Jordan is at my house. Kelly does a lot of saltwater fishing in Texas, but this week, ole K.J. might try it Florida style," said Scroggins.
"It's a lot like structure fishing for Smallmouth Bass on Lake Erie. You look for irregularities on the bottom and drop a Carolina rig-type setup. Maybe I should say it's like drop-shotting with a 130-pound braided line," explained Scroggins.
And what happens when one bites? "Well, they average about 15 pounds, and you're pulling them out of fairly deep water - so it's a pretty dang good fight," said Scroggins, who again finished in the Top 10 of the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race.
In Scroggins' world, every good day ends near a backyard grill. "My local buddies refer to Grouper fishing as 'grocery grabbin' because we eat our legal limit every time we go. Red Grouper are plentiful, so it's not hard to catch enough for dinner once you figure it out. I used to be a master steak griller, but this winter, I've become a grouper smoker. I smoke them over mesquite wood and serve the fillets next to some zucchini, squash, or potatoes. If I get ambitious, I might even fix a pasta dish to go with it," Scroggins explained.
"The biggest challenge to Grouper fishing is cutting-up octopus legs for bait. We usually give that job to the first-timers," laughed Scroggins.
