Video: Yo-Yo fishing for yellowtail

[Tunanorth]

[Brewcrafter]

Great information as always Steve! - john

[MarkT]

If the fish are at the bottom I let the jig hit the bottom, immediately go into gear and give it 10 fast cranks. Drop back down and repeat. At 40+" per crank that's over 3' per crank. 10 cranks is more than 30'!

[MACflyer]

Enjoyed the video. Will try this more on grouper. Thanks.

[jurelometer]

Enjoyed the video. Will try this more on grouper. Thanks.

My experience from fishing spots with both grouper and yellowtail (these are yellowtail jack BTW, and not yellowtail snapper) present is that the speed winding is really just for the yellowtail.  Unlike yellowtail, groupers are not built to be able to run down fast moving prey in open water.  The grouper bites usually come on the stop and start of the wind at end of the drop, usually tight to the bottom.  Once that jig gets moving fast and is away from the bottom, I don't get grouper bites.

Those SoCal style irons like the Tady and Salas yo-yos will work for grouper, but are not my first choice. Wind with a less than full speed retrieve, but otherwise using the method Mark suggested for yellowtail that are tight to the bottom.

-J

[MACflyer]

That makes sense J. Grouper are kind of lazy. I've heard a gag will go after a lure, but still have not caught a legal one, in season, yet.