There was a time—not too long ago—when only a select few would consistently come home with grouper, not just “bottom fish.” There were several reasons for this. First and foremost, not everyone wanted to learn and spend the energy it took to learn to anchor. Anchoring accurately is an art form not mastered by all, but when mastered, it is the gateway to consistently catching grouper.

Rhodan trolling motors, with their GPS Anchor systems, have made it so anyone can have a shot at catching grouper and not just all the other species down on the bottom. It’s one thing to have a trolling motor with “Spot Lock” that will hold a position in a small bay boat, but Rhodan made the tool for serious offshore vessels to sit in the same place without using the anchor. Partner this Rhodan with a couple of 36-volt lithium deep-cycle batteries, like Dakota, Ionic, or Lithium Pros, on a battery switch, and you have the tools it takes to score.

Rhodan is just one aspect of what it takes to go grouper fishing, and not just “bottom fishing.” I set the dinner table for a grouper on every ledge to have everyone on the boat send down whole squid on the first five or six drops. I don’t care what they’re catching during this “chumming exercise” because chumming is precisely what we’re doing. We’re getting one spot on the bottom chummed up with little pieces of squid swirling around. The smell and sound of an ongoing feeding frenzy draw in the top of the food chain in no time.

Now is the point when we start to grouper fish. Yes, I’ve also caught a lot of grouper on the whole squid, but this part of the routine is strictly to get the party started. Once it’s going, we drop live baits that none of the grunts, pinkies, or sea bass can fit in their mouths. The smaller fish hang out, looking at these bigger baits and hoping for scraps.

This is when grouper see four or five live baits on the bottom attached to Squid or Crab Decoy Jigs. To them, it’s a no-brainer. The sight of a grass grunt, pinfish, or sailor’s choice struggling against the jig’s weight is more than a grouper can understand. They are hard-wired to eat these fish that eat their eggs. The live bait and Decoy Jig combo get the bite because a struggling bait is a “gimme.”

Also, while you’ve got those grouper lines on the bottom, don’t forget to send light out near the surface. Then, bait it with a live or frozen bait to catch pelagics like kingfish, dolphin, wahoo, or tuna that happen to be swimming past.

What does this all have to do with the Rhodan? Rhodan’s powerful and precise GPS anchoring eliminates drift without all the aggravation and hard work of anchoring. Let Rhodan change your game by allowing you to concentrate on the fish while it keeps the boat in place!

SALTWATER TACKLE YOU MAY WANT TO TRY:

7/0 and 11/0 J-Hook Chin Weights: Target fish include Tuna, Wahoo, Mahi or Common Dolphin, King Mackerel, Wahoo, and more. Easy to rig!

4 oz. Crab Decoy Jig: Target fish for Striped Bass, nearshore Drum, Snook, Grouper, west coast bottom fish, and more.

4 oz. Tuna Squid Decoy Jig: From the eastern, western, Alaskan, and gulf coasts, target fish include: Tuna, Dolphin, Wahoo, Fluke, Flounder, Striped Bass, Seabass, Amberjack (east coast), Yellow Tail (west coast), California White Sea Bass (west coast), Grouper, Snapper, Halibut, Ling cod, and all Alaskan bottom fish.

8 oz. - 12 oz. 10/0 Squid Decoy Jig: Catch BIG Grouper, Amberjack, Giant Stripers, and more.