They inhabit waters 16 to 100 feet deep during the summer months.
How big is a grouper in the Gulf?
The Gulf Grouper is found within rocky reefs and in kelp beds with large adults being common in shallow water at depths between 8 m (25 feet) and 46 m (150 feet). They reach a maximum length of 1.98 m (6 feet 6 inches) and 91 kg (200 lbs) in weight.
Is grouper a deep sea fish?
While Goliaths can be found in shallower water, Warsaw Groupers are deep ocean fish. They can grow to seven feet and weigh around 600 pounds.
What is the best bait to catch grouper?
The best bait for grouper fishing are squid, chub mackerel, sardine, white crab, or octopus pieces, one of the favorite grouper food. But normally they bite any bait.
Where is most grouper caught?
The goliath grouper is found primarily in shallow tropical waters among coral and artificial reefs. Its range includes the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Keys in the United States, the Bahamas, most of the Caribbean, and most of the Brazilian coast.
Where is grouper in the Gulf of Mexico?
Gulf grouper are found throughout the Gulf of California, to Mazatlán, Sinaloa (Mexico). They are naturally rare north of Bahía Magdalena in southern Baja California. There are a few records from extreme southern California but these are considered waifs.
What is the biggest grouper ever caught?
680-pound
According to American Oceans, the world record Goliath grouper is a 680-pound monster caught in 1961. The fish was caught by an angler who fought the fish for over an hour. Not only was this fish approaching 700 pounds, it was seven feet in overall length.
What is the best grouper to eat?
Black Grouper is considered one of the best eating fish in the ocean.
Do sharks eat groupers?
Before the goliath grouper reaches full size it is preyed upon by barracuda, king mackerel and moray eels, as well as sandbar and hammerhead sharks. Once fully grown, humans and large sharks are the goliath grouper’s only predators.
What is the best month to catch grouper?
Generally speaking, the best time to catch grouper is from May to October. You’ll have the best chances fishing either in the early morning or late afternoon as these are the best times of the day for grouper in Florida.
How deep do you fish for grouper?
What’s hot: Grouper fishing is still good as long as you are in the right depth. Red and gag grouper have been active in 30 to 50 feet of water. Watch depth: Do not run too far offshore. On several occasions last week we did well in 35 feet then worked out to 70 feet only to encounter slower fishing.
What depth do you catch grouper?
When you’re grouper trolling, you should do it in water that is 30 to 60 feet deep. You’ll have no trouble setting the hook even though it’s that deep. The stretch is going to give your fish some leeway anytime it strikes your moving lure, so it’s not cutting the mouth of the fish.
Has a goliath grouper ever attacked a human?
For example, The New York Times reported in 1895 that a fisherman caught a 1,500-pound Goliath grouper in the Gulf of Mexico. In the 1950s, two children jumped off a bridge in the Florida Keys but only one came up; the other child was said to have been eaten by a Goliath grouper.
What eats grouper fish?
Predators of groupers include large fish such as barracuda, king mackerel and moray eels, as well as other groupers. The sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus) and the great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran) are also known to feed on groupers.
What size grouper is legal in Florida?
Grouper, Black – s u l X
Minimum Size Limits: Atlantic – 24″ Gulf – 24″
Are grouper hard to catch?
Their coloration and ability to change hues and shades to identify with their surroundings give them that ambush capability. It is this ambush ability that makes them relatively easy to hook, but difficult to land. Anglers find that medium heavy bottom fishing tackle is the best way to approach the grouper.
Where is the best fishing for grouper?
Grouper are relatively plentiful and can be found in most US coastal waters, but they are especially common around the waters of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico.
What pound leader is grouper?
Fishing Line
Smaller grouper, 30 to 40 pound line is fine with a 60 to 100 pound fluorocarbon leader. For bigger grouper, scale up to 50 to 80 pound line and you might be better off with braided line or some other type of super line with a 100 pound fluorocarbon leader.
What type of grouper are in the Gulf of Mexico?
The Gulf grouper (Mycteroperca jordani) is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is endemic to Mexico.
How do you rig for grouper fishing?
The rig consists of an egg sinker sliding on an 18-inch piece of 100-pound mono between two swivels. A 6-foot piece of 100-pound mono leads to a circle hook, with the size depending on the bait. “If I’m fishing for gags, my favorite bait is a live golden spot or a pinfish,” said Johnson.
How old is a 600 pound grouper?
Biologists with the FWC Research Institute estimate the fish is 50 years old. Warsaw groupers can grow to nearly eight feet long and can weigh up to nearly 600 pounds. The largest ever caught in Florida weighed nearly 440 pounds.