Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 30, 2002
There's no shortage of goliath grouper, and they can be found on every wreck. Many years ago overfishing for these giants forced the state to ban their harvest. Now the goliath has become a nuisance when fishing near structures. Amberjack, grouper, snapper, kingfish, bonito and anything else that wiggles get devoured by their never-ending appetites. This week my clients witnessed at least 15 of these monsters inhale every fish we hooked. About 300 pounds of reef fish were stolen off our lines. After hours of helplessly watching precious grouper and snapper get ripped from our grasp, there was only one thing to do: catch the mighty sea monsters who owned the wreck.
A 9/0 reel spooled with 150-pound line combined with a rod comparable to a broomstick was no match for the goliath. Free-lining a bonito under the boat took about 10 seconds to get their interest. Already this week, 12 goliath grouper have been yanked up, some reaching 7 feet and more than 500 pounds. This is a great opportunity for clients to have bragging rights with photographs of "the big one that didn't get away."
Because the goliath still protected, use care once the fish is beside the boat. All photos should be taken with the fish in the water. Sometimes reviving is needed to ensure a safe return to the deep, but overall the grouper is hardy. In fact, we've caught the same fish twice this week.
-- Dave Mistretta captains the Jaws Too out of Indian Rocks Beach. Call (727) 595-3276, or e-mail sales@jawstoo.com.