How to catch Hogfish in the Gulf of Mexico

Fishing for Hogfish in the Gulf of Mexico is a lot of fun, especially for those that like to eat fish. Hogfish is one of the best eating fish around and you will see it on the menus in many restaurants throughout Florida. While hogfish are often caught spearfishing, they can also be caught on rod and reel. Fishing for Hogfish in the Gulf of Mexico is mostly done fishing light tackle over areas of patchy hard bottom and ledges. As the waters get cooler these fish move in closer to shore and invade many of the reefs and natural areas of hard bottom. Hogfish fishing is mostly done with shrimp and crabs as the bait of choice. I like using a light flourocarbon leader of 25 lb test with a 2 ounce weight set up as a knocker rig with a half of Shrimp hooked up through the tail. When we get to our spot we are going to fish, we start out by dicing a few shrimp into pieces and start the chumming process. Sometimes it can take 10 minutes or so to get these fish chummed up. There will be a lot of by catch so make sure to bring an ample amount of Shrimp. Once you get through the grunts, porgies and grouper, the Hogfish will tend to move in. Sometimes we will catch only a few keepers on a spot and move on to the next area. The hogfish bite is often very slow and sudden, you’ll feel them pick at it a little bit at first. I tell my anglers to just let them eat for a few seconds, then wind down slowly and give a solid hookset. Hogfish in the Gulf of Mexico have to be 14 inches long measured from the fork in the tail to harvest and no more than 5 per person per day bag limit. YACHTFISH Fishing Charters is out of Saint Petersburg and can be reached at 727.433.4200 to book a trip of a lifetime! #YACHTFISH #fishingcharters #gulfofmexico #howtocatchhogfish #hogfish #goodeats #stpetersburg