Bottom fishing offshore report
The bottom bite at the Savannah Snapper Banks is good during this time. However, to catch big fish you have to use the right big bait. Larger fish such as grouper, red snapper, cubera snapper, amberjack, and cobia want live bait. Menhaden, sand perch, rock bass, scup, pin fish, and ruby red lips are best. It’s important to make sure that your live well circulation pump is working properly and that the filter is clean. You want your bait lively and not shocked (stressed with a white milky appearance). I suggest lip hooking any of these baits with a 13/0 circle hook rigged up on a Carolina style rig. I always use a three to eight-ounce egg weight and an eight to 30-foot 100 pound test monofilament leader. I also suggest sending this rig to the bottom, which anchors the line on the bottom. This type of rig, sometimes referred to as a “Carolina Style Rig,” allows the bait to seem to swim free, putting it right in the big fish’s strike zone. As far as where to put your bait, well, at this point it’s all about Location, Location, Location!
