Fishing for grouper? So is everybody else. Around the world, the term “grouper” is applied to over one hundred different kinds of fish that generally fall into the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes.
World traveling anglers be advised: Fishing for grouper off the Carolina coast can be a lot different than fishing for grouper off the coast of Tanzania, where Shayne Keith Nelson caught a 295-pound giant in 2012. But don’t worry, proud American anglers, the world record was caught in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida in 1961- what do you suppose is the best tackle to use for a 680-pound goliath grouper? That record is likely to stand- the goliath is considered endangered now and harvest is prohibited in Florida waters.
Typically, grouper have big mouths and portly bodies. Fun fact: they don’t bite their prey, they swallow them whole, as this fisherman found out after he hooked a four-foot shark.
Around here, when we talk about grouper, we’re most often speaking of red grouper, scamp grouper, and gag grouper. No harvest is allowed from January 1st to April 30th due to spawning season, but the season is open now and this time of year, gag grouper is about as close to the shore as they like to get- 10 miles or so. But fishing for gag isn’t as simple as heading out ten miles and dropping a line. Grouper are structure-oriented- meaning they like to hang out around ledges, wrecks, live bottoms, and reefs. Ten miles out, a lot of ocean looks the same- you need a captain who’s familiar with the underwater topography. No structure means no grouper, unless you just happen to catch one on the move. There’s a real art to knowing where the structures are and positioning the boat right on top of it.
When you reach that perfect spot you can dead drift or anchor. Dead drifting has the distinct disadvantage of putting you at the mercy of the current and the wind- you’re likely to spend a lot of time moving the boat back into position. Anchoring will keep you in a prime spot but you’re going to need 300 feet of anchor rope, at least 15 feet of ¼” or ⅜” chain and a Danforth-style anchor.
For tackle, count on a fairly stout outfit with heavy drag settings- grouper don’t want to leave their structure areas and the first ten or fifteen feet is going to be the toughest tug-of-war of the day as you try to drag them out of hiding- it’s also when grouper are most likely to break your line on the structure.
Natural bait is often favored for grouper, with dead cigar minnows and sardines being the easiest route- you can just pick ‘em up at a bait shop. Using live pinfish, live cigar minnows, and sardines works too but you’re going to spend a lot of time catching your bait before you get a chance to go after the real prize. For artificial lures, there are some vertical jigs and larger bucktails that’ll work well- but you’ll want to tip them with a piece of squid to add some scent.
Off the coast of Wilmington, a lot of the grouper you catch (and keep) is going to weigh in at between 10 and 15 pounds, though you’ll certainly run into some undersized ones as well as larger ones- especially gags- that get up to 40 pounds. A fish like that will tire you out quickly!
Make sure you know your bag limits– each angler on the boat can have 3 grouper, but only one of them can be a gag. It’s an aggregate limit, though- that means if three people are fishing, one person can catch three gags as long as no one else has any. The minimum lengths are 24 inches for gag and 20 inches for red and scamp grouper.
Grouper aren’t hard to clean and unlike other fish like mackerel and tuna, they have a lot of cheek meat. There’s really no bad way to cook them either- it’s one of the most delicious fish you’ll sink your teeth into and they take well to grilling, broiling, and baking– though you might just want to bread them and fry them.
Grouper fight hard and taste great- and that sort of sums up a good day of fishing!
If you’re interested in learning more about grouper or how to catch them- and even some hot tips on where they’re biting lately- stop by and see Ben & Arlen at Intracoastal Angler on Oleander Dr. in Wilmington.
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