Grouper Rig

There are several different types of grouper rigs that you can use to succesfully catch grouper. One of the most common rigs is the sliding or egg sinker rig. The reason this rig is so effective for grouper fishing is because when the fish moves with your bait the weight of the sinker is not felt because the line slips through the weight. Grouper can be leery and if they catch on quicker than you do then they will have you rocked before you touch the rod. One disadvantage to this rig is that the sinker often slides down hitting your knot eventually wearing it down until it breaks, that is why it is a good idea to use shock leader. You can also place a bead in between the sinker and the knot, this will usally help. I will show you step by step how to create the basic, but highly effective rig.

Material Needed

You will need a 6/0 to 12/0 owner live bait hook ( depends on bait size ) a large bead, 50 to 80lb test leader, #9 or larger barrel swivel, and a 3oz to 6oz egg sinker ( depends on the depth and tidal flow)

Steps

Slide the egg sinker onto your main line, then add your bead ( the bead is important, not just for looks,  but it prevents damage to the knot which could ultimately lead to the loss of your fish). Then tie your main line to your #9 swivel using the knot of choice and tie your leader to the other end of the swivel. If using really heavy leader such as 80 to 100lb test you may want to use sleeves, it is really hard tieing heavy mono. Finally tie or sleeve your live bait with the owner hook to the leader.

I also use a small rubber bead and place it on the hook. This is one of my small techniques that has helped me greatly. The object of the bead is to prevent the hook from going through the nose of the fish and fowl hooking itself. Most game fish like frisky bait, they like to see it run when they come near, if it is fowl hooked and shows no reaction most game fish will ignore the life less bait. I hope these tips help you as much as they have helped me. If you have specific questions be sure to post them on the forum.