Grouper Season Restricted

Red grouper from behind Big Pine Key

sportfishingmag.com From what I understand, the grouper fishing in Florida isn't what it used to be, so it's not surprising regulations have cropped up to try and rebuild the fishery for gag groupers. Charters have lost bookings due to the restrictions on seasonal closures, but there're more fish inshore and offshore.

I'm all for better fisheries in Florida, where my son, Matt, and I have caught some groupers. As I remember, my first was a 16-inch black grouper I caught from the bridge to No Name Key while fishing a jig at night. That was 2007 and an interesting memory to entertain. I certainly made sure not to miss out on trying for them after dark as well much of the days we spent during a week there. The fish fought as if I had hooked a bull. A 16-inch fish. Almost as hard as a tog fights. Tog you have to horse away from rocks. I remember hooking another grouper, I believed, which I lost. Had to have been four pounds, I figured. 

Matt caught a grouper of unknown kind while trolling from a sailboat in the Keys. He was on a Boy Scouts adventure. Estimated the fish at seven pounds. The two of us are very interested in the grouper family of fishes, although Matt is even more interested in catching a mutton snapper. 

I'd rather catch a keeper grouper. My biggest red grouper during our 2020 trip, 19 inches, missed the legal mark by an inch. They all fight very hard.

Grouper  I caught at Ocracoke NC, possibly a gag grouper.

Matt's black grouper trolled in Bahia Honda.

Not sure which species, but feel free to comment, if you know. We had been catching snappers under legal size and other small fish on shrimp. I got the idea of trying cut bait, which a few grunts supplied. Right away we started catching small groupers like this one.