When red grouper are here
Red grouper fishing out of Madeira Beach is a bottom-fishing day, 15 to 25 miles out from John’s Pass in 60 to 100 ft, per Hubbard’s 10-hour trip. This page turns the local fleet’s trip formats into run, depth and structure decisions for your own boat. The wider picture is in the red grouper fishing in the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico fishing guide.
Hubbard’s sells the 10-hour trip as a red grouper and gray snapper trip, which is the local answer to when the fish are around. For species biology and seasonality beyond this port, see the red grouper guide.
The full-day trip
The 10-hour trip is the fleet’s red grouper format, per Hubbard’s. It fishes 15 to 25 miles out in 60 to 100 ft, so that is the day to plan around from this port.
Caught alongside gray snapper
Hubbard’s markets the same trip for gray snapper, and Got One reports red grouper and snapper on its full-day trips.
Where boats run from John’s Pass
Hubbard’s 10-hour trip fishes 15 to 25 miles out in 60 to 100 ft, and the rest of this page builds on those two numbers.
15 to 25 miles, 60 to 100 ft
The grouper day from John’s Pass is a 15 to 25 mile run to the 60 to 100 ft band. Hubbard’s long trips go much farther: its 39-hour trip fishes 100 to 150 miles offshore, so the day grounds sit at a fraction of that distance.
| Trip | Distance offshore | Depth |
|---|---|---|
| Hubbard’s 10-hour | 15 to 25 miles | 60 to 100 ft |
| Hubbard’s 39-hour | 100 to 150 miles | 120 to 250 ft (trip range) |
The Elbow and Middle Grounds
Hubbard’s 39-hour trip runs 100 to 150 miles offshore to the Elbow and the Middle Grounds. The 120 to 250 ft figure is the range for the whole trip, not the depth of any one ground.
Grounds and structure
Got One describes limestone ledges and potholes off John’s Pass. Moving outward from the pass, the sequence runs from nearshore reefs to that ledge band.
Limestone ledges and potholes
Got One names limestone ledges and potholes as the structure off John’s Pass. They line up with the 60 to 100 ft band the full-day fleet targets, and Chart Contours shows that band off the pass. Chart layers are not for navigation.
Nearshore artificial reefs
The nearshore reefs sit at 25 to 33 ft, while the fleet’s grouper day sits at 60 to 100 ft, so the move from reef to ledge adds roughly 30 to 70 ft of depth. Positions below are FWC’s published values.
| Ground | Depth (ft) | Position (FWC) | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madeira Reef (Madeira Beach Reef) | 29 to 32 | 27 46.3 N, 82 54.9 W | concrete culverts |
| Treasure Island Reef | 29 to 33 | 27 44.5 N, 82 52.9 W | concrete culverts |
| St. Pete Beach Reef | 25 | 27 40.6 N, 82 51.8 W | |
| Clearwater Reef | 27 to 32 |
John’s Pass jetty and bridge
The jetty and bridge are the inshore structure at the pass itself, well inside the reefs.
How red grouper are fished here
The local method is bottom fishing on full-day trips. For general and regional technique, see the reef fish bottom-fishing guides.
Bottom fishing on full-day trips
Got One reports red grouper and snapper on its full-day trips. The method ties directly to the 60 to 100 ft ledges and potholes described above.
Who fishes red grouper out of Madeira Beach
Four operators list or market red grouper from this port.
- Hubbard’s Marina: Capt. Dylan Hubbard.
- Got One Sportfishing: Capt. Brian Simmons.
- Bent Charters Fishing: lists red grouper.
- Fintastic: markets a "grouper guarantee" on full-day trips.
Hubbard’s Marina
Capt. Dylan Hubbard is named on the pages of Hubbard’s Marina at John’s Pass. Its 10-hour trip fishes 15 to 25 miles out in 60 to 100 ft for red grouper and gray snapper, and its 39-hour trip runs 100 to 150 miles to the Elbow and Middle Grounds.
Got One Sportfishing
Capt. Brian Simmons runs Got One. Its Got One Sportfishing fishing reports describe limestone ledges and potholes off John’s Pass, and red grouper and snapper on full-day trips.
Bent Charters Fishing
Bent Charters Fishing lists red grouper.
Fintastic
Fintastic markets a "grouper guarantee" on full-day trips.
FAQ: red grouper fishing out of Madeira Beach
How far out do boats run for red grouper?
Hubbard’s 10-hour trip fishes 15 to 25 miles out of John’s Pass.
How deep do they fish?
Hubbard’s 10-hour trip fishes 60 to 100 ft. The FWC nearshore reefs sit much shallower, at 25 to 33 ft.
What structure holds them?
Got One describes limestone ledges and potholes off John’s Pass.
Which charters target red grouper here?
Hubbard’s Marina (Capt. Dylan Hubbard), Got One Sportfishing (Capt. Brian Simmons), Bent Charters Fishing and Fintastic.
How far is the Middle Grounds?
Hubbard’s 39-hour trip runs 100 to 150 miles offshore to the Middle Grounds and the Elbow. The 120 to 250 ft range is for the whole trip, not a depth for either ground.
