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bottom fishing
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2026, Mangrove Snapper - Offshore Reef Fishing with Chris Wilkins
1:23:12 · Chris WilkinsOffshore mangrove snapper fishing is a game of position and presentation. Capt. Chris Wilkins shows how he sets up on hard bottom, tightens spread-out summer fish with chum, and keeps a jighead in the strike zone when layered current tries to lift it.
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2025, Bottom Fishing Shallow Waters
28:46 · Mike HennessyHard bottom and rock piles at the mouth of Golfo Dulce, along Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula, hold cubera and other Pacific snappers and African pompano in about 50 feet of water. Captain Mike Hennessy fishes live goggle eyes, threadfin herring and blue runners over the rock, and the African pompano that came up shows what this shallow Pacific bottom holds when a live bait gets down into it.
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2025, Bottom Fishing Deep Water Ledges
34:34 · Mike HennessyDeep water ledges off Costa Rica's Pacific coast hold Pacific sierra, African pompano and amberjack where current brings bait to the structure. Captain Mike Hennessy shows why setting up within ten feet up-current of the mark decides whether a bait ever reaches the fish, when power drifting holds position because the anchor will not, and how braid lets you feel the bite at depth.
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2024, Mutton Snapper Bottom Fishing with Ryan Van Fleet
1:19:40 · Ryan Van FleetPower drifting for mutton snapper in Florida Keys maintains boat positioning over productive bottom while presentations work through strike zones systematically. Ryan Van Fleet's expertise reveals when long versus short leaders create natural bait presentations, bait variety importance as feeding preferences shift with tides, and recognizing subtle bites requiring differentiation between current movement and actual strikes.
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2023, Bottom Fishing with Baits and Vertical Jigs
29:57 · Shawn RotellaDeep structure off Kona at 75 to 80 fathoms, roughly 450 to 480 feet, holds amberjack (kahala) around ledges, wrecks and rock piles, and finding them is a drift problem before it is a bait problem. Captain Shawn Rotella sets up systematic drifts over that structure, drops baits and vertical jigs at the same time, and reads where in the water column the bites come so every drop that follows goes to the depth where the fish are feeding.
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2022, Bottom Fishing Techniques for Golden Tilefish
41:02 · Chad RaneyGolden tilefish create burrows in soft clay bottom hundreds of feet deep where they live in colonies, creating advantages for anglers because fewer snags occur and multiple fish concentrate in areas. However, contending with current while maintaining bottom contact and keeping bait on hooks demands specific techniques Captain Chad Raney developed for drift management and presentation in low current environments.
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2021, Bottom Fishing Red Snapper with Kevin Adney
22:20 · Kevin AdneyRed snapper concentrate around Gulf Coast structure rather than dispersing across open bottom, making hard bottom location the foundation for success. Kevin Adney's approach develops the game of feel needed to detect subtle bites and position baits where fish feed, using rig construction and hook sizing that handles structure-heavy environments while understanding regulations and preservation techniques for quality catch.
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2021, Bottom Fishing Grouper with Kevin Adney
1:14:21 · Kevin AdneyGrouper bottom fishing productivity depends on targeting natural reefs and wrecks where fish concentrate rather than random bottom. Kevin Adney's drift management approach keeps baits working productive structure zones systematically, but success requires understanding how current affects drift speed and positioning presentations where grouper ambush prey rather than sweeping past strike zones or hanging in barren areas between structure features.
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2019, Bottom Fishing for Golden Tilefish in South Florida
24:46 · Mike DumasDepth sounders reveal whether bottom at 600 to 800 feet contains the soft mud golden tilefish require for burrows or harder substrates holding no fish. Learn identifying proper bottom composition, what Gulf Stream current does to bait presentation at extreme depth, and how rigging must account for detecting subtle bites occurring hundreds of feet below the boat.
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2018, Bottom Fishing for Muskie with Live Suckers
42:04 · Cory AllenCasting dominates modern muskie fishing, but traditional live sucker methods your grandfather used still produce trophy fish. Joe Murphy explains why stationary ambush tactics along traverse lines intercept fall muskies moving predictably between zones, when patient hunting outperforms aggressive casting, and what bottom topography positions baits where fish travel.
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2018, Grouper Fishing Shallow Water with Dan Clymer
39:49 · Dan ClymerCaptain Dan Clymer reveals shallow water gag grouper tactics for Florida reefs. This video covers live bait selection, artificial lure techniques, boat positioning strategies, bottom fishing methods, trolling approaches, and casting techniques for catching grouper in 20 to 60 feet of water.
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2026, Reading Bottom Structure to Predict Where Species Hold
Seth HorneWhy does a ledge hold scamp while flat rock holds red porgy? Survey data and In The Spread captains explain how bottom structure sorts reef fish through relief, hole size, current and edges, and how to pick the depth, bottom type and spot for your target species.
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2025, How to Position a Boat for Bottom Fishing
Seth HorneWhether targeting grouper on offshore wrecks or snapper along coastal reefs, your boat's position relative to structure and current determines catch success. This technical breakdown covers anchoring systems, drift fishing methods, electronic positioning, species-specific strategies, and safety protocols that professional charter captains use daily to consistently locate and land bottom-dwelling gamefish.
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2025, Red Snapper Fishing Across the Gulf and Atlantic
Seth HorneRed snapper fishing across the Gulf and Atlantic involves more moving parts than most offshore species. Seasons vary by state, gear requirements are written into federal code, and several states require electronic catch reporting before you clean a fish. Here is the full picture, plus how to find and catch them once the season opens.
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2024, Learning Offshore Big Game Fishing from Top Captains
Seth HorneBig game fishing offshore runs across some of the most demanding techniques in saltwater: building a trolling spread for blue marlin, running high-speed lures for wahoo, chunking for yellowfin tuna, and deep dropping for swordfish. In The Spread video courses teach every one of those disciplines from the working captains who fish them professionally.
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2024, Bottom Fishing Mutton Snapper in the Florida Keys
Seth HorneFew reef fish demand as much from an angler as mutton snapper. They are selective about what they eat, wary of anything that feels off, and fast enough to end the fight before it starts. Understanding their habitat, reading the bite, and matching the right bait to the conditions are what separate consistent results from occasional luck.
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2023, Bottom Fishing Reefs, Wrecks, and Hard Bottom
Seth HorneBottom fishing is the most predictable way to put fish in the box offshore. Find the structure on electronics, get bait to depth, and execute. This breakdown covers species-specific tactics for red snapper, grouper, vermilion snapper, mangrove snapper, mutton snapper, and golden tilefish, alongside rigs, baits, and the fighting technique that keeps fish out of the reef.
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2021, Golden Tilefish: Mud Bottom and Lobster Flavor
Seth HorneGolden tilefish are one of the most systematic deep drop fisheries in the ocean. Find soft mud on the continental slope, drop a chicken rig, and bring up firm white flesh that tastes like lobster. The hard part is reading the bottom, managing current at 800 feet, and feeling a bite from that far below the boat.
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