Goliath Groupers

Cutbait for jewfish. Fresh mullet if you can get it...Whole mullet if you're fishing for big ones.

I found them to be a PITA when fishing near mangroves - dashing in and taking my bait when sight fishing for other fish,then heading back into the roots before I could horse them away.

When fishing deepwater wrecks for other species I knew I had a big goliath grouper 'cuz it pulled hard,then stopped. I compared it to hooking a volkswagon bus that then drove into the garage and closed the door. There was no muscling that SOB out of the wreck...big ones around bridges know how to wrap the line around abutments and break you off.

It's easier to get a big fish by shark fishing. You don't need to fish around structure.

When spearfishing/lobster diving,it's clear some folks take them illegally. They avoid divers with spears but are attracted to divers with a net and tickle stick. They hang right behind you waiting for the diver to nurse a bug out of the hole. If it scoots,they get it. If you net it and measure it - and release it as too small - they try to eat it. If you break a leg or antenna off while catching it they eat it...all the while making a loud clicking noise....right behind you. It can be unnerving.

Or so I hear. lol

Huge Grouper Fish Caught by Cape Coral Fisherman On Kayak


https://youtu.be/F2CCZzQ-Qes?si=NumNkPi1dFLUDaGj  

They taste amazing but there's a very small number of permits available each year. FWC is experimenting with harvest regs. The trouble is that they're so predictable at times that overharvest, (like what happened in the past), is very easy to do.

Regarding how they taste, the one I caught was cut up and smoked with the rest of our catch, but from what I remember it was pretty decent. 

After you guys mentioned it, that’s definitely right. 
I’ve seen vids with them coming up from the bottom and taking a decent sized shark 6-8ft that someone was pulling in. 
They have been aggressive towards divers also on occasion.

They’re protected.   Not only that they will probably give you Citrugurea sp poisoning.

I believe GG are still protected. Did read an article talking about a potential harvest down the road due to a healthy population. 

Idk, Snake, I too have enjoyed regular grouper, but would ya not think more people would target those Goliaths if they tasted as good as the small ones? I mean they catch those huge one off of marina docks on you tube…

Regular Grouper is really good, so I would assume a big one is too.

Hey probably dumb as ?,  but are they any good to eat?

Thanks for all the input! 

They're not overly hard to catch provided that you find a spot and have the proper tackle. They like to hang out by filet tables, bridges, inlets, piers etc and will eat just about anything they can fit in their mouths. A big circle hook plus a heavy egg sinker on cable leader or really heavy mono will help you avoid getting cut off on structure. 

Not to change the subject but when I first read the title I thought it  said Goliath groupies. Made me think of in the 80s when me and my friends were at a concert and there was some heavyset groupies after us.

Fish X,lot of You tubr videos out there on catching humongous ones under piers in Florida.
Indeed quite a beast of a fish, Jurrasic Park  Smallie

Caught a Pacific grouper while living in California. Was around 40#, not one of the monsters. Still the biggest fish I ever caught and a h.. of a fight.