The Florida
Middle Grounds is considered by many to offer the ultimate
Florida Gulf of Mexico fishing experience. A typical trip
aboard the Florida Fisherman, Hubbard’s Marina, Madeira
Beach, Florida, begins at 3:00 p.m. Friday afternoon. It
takes 10 hours to reach our destination deep into the heart
of the Middle Grounds. Fishing time begins around 1:00 a.m.
Saturday morning. Night fishing on the Florida Middle
Grounds defies the imagination. Snapper of all kinds love to
feed at night. Even huge grouper love to feed before the sun
makes an appearance on the eastern horizon. More often than
not, by 5:00 a.m. most of us already have very respectable
catches of mangrove and American red snapper.
Snapper are not
only fun to catch, but offer meals fit for a king, they are
a real prize. It was 5:00 a.m. early Saturday morning. The
light breeze was perfect, just enough to keep us cool, with
gentle seas running one to two feet. The Florida Middle
Grounds, with calm seas, plenty of fish, and good friends
enjoying the adventure together is exactly what our Middle
Grounds fishing experience is all about. I was fortunate to
have Greg Chinault fishing next to me. The conversation was
wonderful. Only one problem, those darn fish showed no
respect what-so-ever. They were much more interested in our
Spanish sardines than our chit-chat. As the waning moon
broke from behind a cloud, Greg’s six ounce sinker hit the
rocky home of the obliging American red snapper. Greg reeled
up about five turns from the bottom, 125 feet straight down.
Instantly a monster slammed into his bait, and took off like
a run away freight train. Greg, holding on for dear life,
was pinned against the railing. We quickly reeled up to get
out of Greg’s way. We had no idea what species he was
fighting. All we knew was that this monster was big and
strong. After a grueling 15 minutes we finally saw color.
Greg was completely wiped out. Will, our first mate, gaffed
Greg’s 18.5-pound American red snapper. What a fight, what a
prize! Greg’s trophy of the deep easily won first prize in
the “big fish” snapper jackpot. What a trip! Bragging rights
for years to come, and compliments of the Florida Middle
Grounds, Red snapper filets fit for a king, along with
memories that will last a life time.
The Middle Grounds consist of underwater formations of stony
hard and soft coral growths which in turn provide a natural
home for a very abundant population of huge grouper,
fighting amberjack, snapper, as well as many other species
of fish. In addition, the Grounds are dotted with numerous
ship wrecks. These wrecks provide the angler with
outstanding opportunities for the fight of a lifetime. Many
classic battles are fought, won, and lost as sportsmen
challenge the inhabitants who call the wrecks of these once
proud ships home. Giant goliath grouper weighing hundreds of
pounds, amberjack in the 70-to 80-pound range, and the class
act of them all, huge American red snapper, are waiting to
prove that they are now the masters of this underwater
domain.
The Florida Middle Grounds is a very large area 100 miles
northwest of Madeira Beach. The Grounds, encompassing an
area of 330 square miles, is noted for limestone pinnacles
and ledges with shear drops of 20 to 30 feet. These ledges,
both top and bottom, hold vast numbers of Gulf reef fish.
They are easily found on a modern day fish finder. Often,
indicative of huge schools of fish, the entire screen is
lavished in colors of yellow, green and red. Grouper can
easily be seen on the ledges, and snapper higher in the
water column.
To challenge the Florida Middle Grounds, adequate
preparation is absolutely essential. Florida is a warm
tropical state, with hot days and nights. As such the
clothing required to cope with the heat centers around
shorts and a short sleeve shirt. In addition, due to the
abundant sunshine , a cap with a long bill is considered a
must. A good pair of polarized sun glasses will help to
protect ones eyes while enabling the fisherman to better see
his line. The Florida sunshine, even during the winter, is
very strong. Sun block lotion, with an SPF rating of at
least 45 is required. Shoes that dry quickly are also
needed. “Crock” rubber soled shoes provide a tremendous
cushion against a hard deck, and dry almost instantly.
Florida weather can change virtually within minutes. As
such, rain gear is a priority item. I have tested many
different brands. The best of the best is “Columbia.” This
state of the art clothing breathes, but keeps moisture out.
