There is just something very tempting about catching groupers. Not only are these fish very intriguing to tackle and catch, their meat is always soft, fluffy and very tasty. They is also a huge chunk which could feed many more people than just those who helped to fish. The most popular breeds of groupers among anglers are the juicy, succulent and giant Nassau, black, gag, scamp, and yellow mouth groupers. Groupers are giant fish and anglers need to make sure they fish them properly. They require special types of bait to lure, and very hard tackles to secure them, and to pull out of the waters. These fish make their habitats in tropical and subtropical waters, and summer times present very fun and fulfilling sporting and economically elevating opportunities to go head to head with them. They can be very elusive to catch for rookies and for inattentive grouper catching veterans. This is because they instinctively dash for cover whenever they feel the hook entangling them. The dive can make a really hard tag and let them lose even though they always go to die. However, you also stand to lose your bait, your hard earned grouper game and you will definitely feel some pain if your rod finds itself hitting your gut.

With that said, you should know that the next time you go in to catch your much-coveted groupers, you will need specialized and easy-to-get equipment. You will also need to go hard on them and keep your attention on the target always. Other than that, you will just need to use some very alluring bait to catch those groupers.

Five of the Best Fish Baits for Catching Groupers

1.  The Mullet

This breed of fish feeds groupers all the time even when they are not bait. They travel and live in schools, but they can be elusive for groupers because they are fast. Groupers like to just engulf them because they are predatory giants with huge mouths. That is why the mullet fish is such great bait for catching groupers. Even though you can use frozen mullets from local bait shops, it would be even more fun and practice to catch some on your way to fishing groupers. Live and hooked mullets provide an even more attractive allure to groupers, especially when they look slow due to injuries. This type of bait is great for bottom fishing just as well as slow trolling. Since they are succulent and slightly bigger than other smaller fish, their oily chunks of meat can also function as chunk baits around coral reefs and shipwrecks where groupers like to lounge.

2.  Squid

Squid are some of the greatest fish food in the ocean. Fish love to eat squid, and grouper are definitely not an exception. Fishing pros attribute the impressive bait qualities of squid to their smelly and oily nature. Anglers absolutely adore using squid to catch red groupers, and they always cut the squid into four parts when they find themselves in apparent grouper habitats. However, you should use whole squids for some trolling action if you would like to track grouper hideouts.

The great thing about squid as bait is that they always catch other bigger fish as well. You might find that you could be lazy and fail to go to the exact spots where groupers lounge and breed, but you will still catch some other tasty giant fish. Squid can also be caught easily or bought at local bait shops at very affordable rates.

3.  Sardines

Who does not love to devour sardines: those shiny, oily and lovely sea creatures that make absolutely stunning and tasty meals. Some people have choosy taste buds that reject sardine meals but groupers love sardine meals indiscriminately. They love no other sight better than that of helpless sardines because they always make meals out of them.

Because of their shiny and lively visibility, and of course their tasty and oily fleshy, sardines make very great grouper baits. They are especially great for luring groupers out of their hideouts, and into your trap. Even when dead and frozen, sardines will still do the trick of luring groupers out because of their shiny bodies. The catch about using sardines as bait, however, is that you must use sardines that are big enough to attract and hook giant groupers with large mouths.

4.  Pinfish

Pinfish are great bait for catching giant fish in shallow waters. They are some of the most used bait fish for catching grouper species like the black or gag groupers. Pinfish are great bait because they really hate being on hooks and complain a lot by making grunts. The grunts and their average size of about 7 inches make groupers eager to just swallow them whole in feeding anticipation. Their eagerness to live is what makes them such great bait, and the fact that they are really easy to trap. You can fish them out with traps as you go out on the deep waters to catch groupers, or you can buy them cheaply at local bait shops.

5.  Blue runner

These fish baits are great because they are big enough to catch goliath groupers and small enough not to be wasted food. They are most popular as bait among kingfish fishermen. They are great for trolling because they are fast swimmers. They will be very helpful to you, especially if you would like to isolate giant groupers and tackle them hard when they are distracted with their own hunting success.