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Goliath encounter requires stout gear

By ED WALKER
Published July 15, 2006

Thanks to a complete closure to harvest, goliath grouper have made a remarkable comeback over the past 10 years. In the mid 1980s, these giants were rare and almost never caught by rod-and-reel fishermen. Nowadays, they are common on nearly every wreck, reef and large ledge in the gulf. Over the past month I have seen both the largest and smallest goliath of my fishing career. The latter came drifting by the boat, floating belly up but still alive. Not realizing what it was, I brought it up with a baitwell net. This miniature goliath measured slightly less than 3 inches and had air trapped in its swim bladder, which kept it from submerging. I held him in the palm of my hand and vented his body cavity with a hypodermic needle before releasing him.

The encounter with the largest goliath was significantly different. While free diving at one of the Pasco artificial reefs last weekend I dropped onto a structure known as the Skeleton Barge. Only the frame, or skeleton, of this vessel remains, but it holds a variety of fish. As I reached the top of the structure I peered through. It looked dark ahead, so I pushed my face in for a closer look, then realized that the darkness was moving. Slowly, an enormous goliath grouper turned and looked back at me. I had chosen the same hunting spot that he was using, and he did not appear to want to share it. As he turned, I marveled at his size. This fish weighed well over 500 pounds and looked as big as a car. Then the situation changed. He squeezed throughthe cross beams and swam slowly toward me with his mouth open. Normally this territorial sign is no big deal since the fish usually back off when faced with a human carrying a pointy object. Mister Big, however, was not the everyday goliath. As he drew closer I realized that he could probably eat me if he wanted to, so I retreated. For the rest of the dive I kept looking over my shoulder, just in case. Back on the boat, several of the other divers also reported seeing the massive creature.

The resurgence in population has made goliath grouper a viable target for catch-and-release fishermen. To land one you need very heavy tackle. There are several methods currently being used by offshore anglers. The first is to anchor up current from a structure or tall ledge and chum with fresh cut fish. Once the chumline is deployed, cast or drift a large live bait into it. Those who catch goliaths regularly use 130- to 150-pound-test braided line, 8 to 16 ounces of weight, and 5 to 8 feet of heavy wire or cable leader. The leader keeps some of the fish from breaking off when they dive back into the structure. Ideally, the boat is put into gear right away and the fish is "towed" to open water for the fight. Most of the real big ones still break off no matter what you do, but 100- and 200-pounders can be caught with a little practice.

The other method to hauling up goliaths is via rope. Several charter captains now carry a rope, which is tied to a cleat at one end. The other is attached to a cable leader and the heaviest hook available. A big live bait is sent to the bottom, gloves are put on, and the tug-o-war soon ensues. I have seen goliath grouper of more than 300 pounds brought to the surface and released using this method.

Ed Walker charters out of Tarpon Springs. Call 727944-3474 or e-mail info@lighttacklecharters.com.

[Last modified July 14, 2006, 19:44:56]