State record is 113 pounds from the Dry Tortugas. In the Atlantic, it’s same size and one fish per day. Daily bag limit in the Gulf is four per person, with a 24-inch minimum size. Each winter, these fish move inshore near coral reefs, where they will readily attack trolled, diving plugs. Also known for carrying ciguatera poisoning, because of its affinity for eating smaller fish in the coral reefs where this toxin is produced. This is a big, aggressive, opportunistic fish that is known to follow boats and strike trolled baits on the surface in 100 feet of water. Goliath and Nassau were similarly favored, until designated no-harvest (1990 and ‘92, respectively).īLACK GROUPER: Smaller specimens grow up on the shallow coral reefs of Florida, The Bahamas and Caribbean, and then move into deeper water. Three of these-black, gag and red-are among the most popular eating fish in Florida. Again, my categories may or may not align with those of the fisheries managers. With this in mind, I’ve assembled a brief overview of 17 of the most important species, organized into three categories and ranked by preferred water depth though there is some crossover. In Gulf waters, there is a February 1 through March 31 closure beyond the 20-fathom curve for red, black, scamp, yellowfin and yellowmouth this spawning season closure overlies a longer, Gulf-wide seasonal closure for gag.īecoming familiar with the more common groupers is a good idea before leaving the dock. Gag- whose square tail immediately distinguishes it from the rounded-tail goliath-is sort of an in-betweener.Īs for shallow water grouper, keep in mind that term is nowadays used by fisheries managers as a regulatory collective describing a particular set of grouper species, depending on the coast.įor Atlantic waters, there is a “shallow water grouper” season closure from January 1 through April 30, and it applies to gag, red, black, yellowfin, yellowmouth, scamp, rock hind, red hind, coney and graysby. ![]() Some, like the goliath, thrive in water shallow enough to use mangrove tree roots for structure, while others prefer the frigid depths of 1,000 feet. Groupers comprise a wide-ranging clan of fish. To the man’s credit, it’s certainly not beyond the realm of possibility that a keeper-size gag might be landed from shore. When nearby anglers pointed out that it was a goliath (and protected from harvest), the old man would shout, “Grouper! Not goliath!” His efforts to drag the fish to his car sometimes yielded phone calls to law enforcement.įortunately, thanks to the wonders of cell phones, one can usually find an app that will help identify fish-Fish Rules is the one recommended by Florida state and federal fisheries authorities. I was reminded of this several years ago when a stubborn fisherman kept targeting goliath grouper at the Fort Pierce jetties, catching and then attempting to haul them home. With so many grouper species prowling off Florida’s 1,350 miles of coastline, there is lots of room for misidentification.
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