Sea bass as well as porgies, snappers and other reef fish will scatter, taking up residence on the small parcels of reef or live bottom habitat. This creates more fishable areas but usually much smaller schools. These deepwater fishes usually slow their feeding activity during the middle part of the day. Bottom fishermen frequently make over-night trips so they can fish from late evening through the night and into the early morning hours. The best fishing, however, is usually on ledges and live bottom areas in 50 to 70 feet of water.
Few fish are more aggressive feeders than sea bass.
The preferred bait is cut squid because it is tough and well liked by the fish. Snapper, porgies, triggerfish and grouper will inhabit water as shallow as 50 feet, but the largest concentrations occur in 90 to 180 feet of water, out to 300 feet of water. Like sea bass, these fish stray little from the protection of the reefs. Other than grouper, most reef fish run 1 to 4 pounds in size but will range up to 8 to 15 pounds. Groupers average 5 to 10 pounds, ranging up to 40 pounds.