Grouper on the menu

[george]

We had to run 60 miles into the gulf to reach the 100 deep home of red grouper. With trip 300's we made the run in like an hour and a half. This was my first time grouper fishing and it was a blast. I would compare it to deep tog fishing. Although the initial hook up is tougher with these guys. All day action left us one short of our limit. We fished aboard The Fishy Business out of Naples.

This one was 18 pounds.

 

[Roccus7]

Depths of Gulf of Mexico never cease to amaze me in terms of distance one has to travel to find deep water. I can literally cast into 100' deep water thanks to the Laurentide Ice Sheet and bedrock

 

[cany]

Yummy love me some Grouper been a long time since I had it

 

[BennyV]

We had to run 60 miles into the gulf to reach the 100 deep home of red grouper. With trip 300's we made the run in like an hour and a half. This was my first time grouper fishing and it was a blast. I would compare it to deep tog fishing. Although the initial hook up is tougher with these guys. All day action left us one short of our limit. We fished aboard The Fishy Business out of Naples.

This one was 18 pounds.

View attachment 31507

look at that smile LOL. Ear to ear. I’d have the same. Super jealous. I used to fish out of Tarpon Springs when I was a kid.

 

[Chinacat]

Nice?
Fished for grouper a few years back closer to shore in the Gulf out of St. Pete. Caught red's and gag's...
I agree 100% that its very similar to tog. you have a small window of opportunity to pull it out the structure or you are hung up

 

[longcast]

Nice fish, George!! Hope you enjoyed the meal!!

 

[captmike28]

Beauty, George. I agree they are tough as Tog...Tog on Steroids!!! Since they attain much greater weights than our Tog when you hook one over 20# and they are determined to get back to their home wreck there is little one can do to stop them. I have been lucky enough to catch one or two in the 30# plus class over 30 years ago when my folks were alive and it was truly a memorable battle and a lot of good fortune that allowed me to land those fish.

My Dad used to take the overnight trips from time to time out of Key West to the Tortugas in the 70's and tell me stories about some of the Goliath Grouper caught on those trips. He said the first time he saw one over 300# coming to the surface it looked like a "VW" bus was on the hook!

I'm sure you also know they are one of the best eating fish in our southern waters. I fondly recall going to some of the local waterfront restaurants with Dad during those days, my mouth watering while waiting for my Grouper sandwich to arrive.

 

[george]

Yummy love me some Grouper been a long time since I had it

I wish I could send you some. It's an excellent eating fish

 

[george]

That was my first saltwater fishing I've done here this time and man did I need it. I enjoyed every part of it. From catching the bait, to be running at like 45 knots on flat blue water and having non stop action if was great.

It was funny though when the Capt informed us "We will be fishing deep" Only to find out it was 100 feet.

 

[Chinacat]

Beauty, George. I agree they are tough as Tog...Tog on Steroids!!! Since they attain much greater weights than our Tog when you hook one over 20# and they are determined to get back to their home wreck there is little one can do to stop them. I have been lucky enough to catch one or two in the 30# plus class over 30 years ago when my folks were alive and it was truly a memorable battle and a lot of good fortune that allowed me to land those fish.

My Dad used to take the overnight trips from time to time out of Key West to the Tortugas in the 70's and tell me stories about some of the Goliath Grouper caught on those trips. He said the first time he saw one over 300# coming to the surface it looked like a "VW" bus was on the hook!

I'm sure you also know they are one of the best eating fish in our southern waters. I fondly recall going to some of the local waterfront restaurants with Dad during those days, my mouth watering while waiting for my Grouper sandwich to arrive.

I agree Mike, definitely a great eating fish.
We too would always hit those out of the way waterside cafe's while visiting my parents in FLA and a grouper sandwich of some sort is always a must!!!

Key West style smoked fish dip is also a must at those places and that inspired us to make our own that way which we have gotten pretty good at.

 

[captmike28]

"Fishing Deep" is certainly a matter of perspective, George. Heck, we routinely fish drops of 100' or more for Sea Bass, Fluke, Cod, etc. in our home waters. If your Gulf Coast Capt. ever had to fish the canyons he would probably have a heart attack!

Key West style smoked fish dip sounds killer, Chinacat. You are the king of smoked foods!!

 

[Chinacat]

"Fishing Deep" is certainly a matter of perspective, George. Heck, we routinely fish drops of 100' or more for Sea Bass, Fluke, Cod, etc. in our home waters. If your Gulf Coast Capt. ever had to fish the canyons he would probably have a heart attack!

Key West style smoked fish dip sounds killer, Chinacat. You are the king of smoked foods!!

Will gladly hook you up with some fish dip this season Capt Mike!!
Will also gladly accept and run any of your catch thru the smoker
Over the years I've done Bluefish, Bass, Porgie's, Fluke, even Sea Scallops.
If George wants to send some FLA Grouper this way, even better

 

[captmike28]

Wow, thanks for the generous offer, Mitch. I'm getting hungry already!!

 

[Matts]

Depths of Gulf of Mexico never cease to amaze me in terms of distance one has to travel to find deep water. I can literally cast into 100' deep water thanks to the Laurentide Ice Sheet and bedrock

But at low tide, you can see bottom there!

 

[Roccus7]

But at low tide, you can see bottom there!

With a 2’ tide differential, you probably saw bottom at high tide too.

 

[Matts]

With a 2’ tide differential, you probably saw bottom at high tide too.

i was referring to the crazy tides you get in some parts of Maine

 

[Roccus7]

i was referring to the crazy tides you get in some parts of Maine

Even LI boys "don't know from tides"!

Up in Lubec Maine which is almost the most northern part of the state, sitting in the Bay of Fundy, you can literally watch the tide come in. On severe moon tides we're talking over 20' in tide differential!!

 

[Matts]

Even LI boys "don't know from tides"!

Up in Lubec Maine which is almost the most northern part of the state, sitting in the Bay of Fundy, you can literally watch the tide come in. On severe moon tides we're talking over 20' in tide differential!!

As a child, we would often take boats out of Eastport, Jonesport and New Brunswick.
I was always confused by the ramps, because after the trip, the walk from the floating dock to the pier was never the way I remembered it.
I also wondered about all the boats lying in the mud.