Grouper season is almost upon us. Starting Monday, May 1, groupers are in season until Dec. 31 in Monroe County waters. The season closes the rest of the year to protect them while they are spawning and allow for a sustainable fishery.
Several species are primarily targeted on the reefs of the Florida Keys, including black, red and gag grouper. There is a three-grouper aggregate regulation, which allows for the harvest of one gag or one black grouper, or up to three red groupers per angler per day. For example, you are allowed to harvest a black grouper and two red groupers, or a gag grouper and two red groupers, but no more than a combined three fish per person. The rules for most groupers vary based on species and your location, so make sure you read FWC regulations closely and use a trusted app like FishRules to fish within your limits.
The minimum size is 24 inches total length – from the snout to the tip of the tail – on black and gag grouper, and 20 inches for red grouper. The FWC requires anglers to possess a descending device or venting tool that is readily available onboard a vessel while targeting any species of grouper. These tools assist in the successful release and survivorship of undersized fish so they don’t expire due to barotrauma, a condition caused by quick changes in pressure as the fish travels up through the water column.
Now that we have covered all the regulations, let’s get to the fun part of how to catch these delicious, rod-bending fish and get some dinner.
We target these species on most reef habitats in 25 to 120 feet of water. Live bait, including pinfish, ballyhoo, blue runners and pilchards, is preferred, but if the sargassum and bay grass aren’t too thick, trolling plugs along the patch reefs is another successful tactic. One of my favorite plugs to troll is the Nomad DTX-Minnow, which is available in different sizes and dives to various depths depending on where you want your lure in the water column.
Since grouper species typically occupy holes in structure on reefs and wrecks, the bottom 20 feet of the water column are the most difficult part of catching these fish. Groupers have an enormous amount of strength, so getting “rocked up” or having your line chafed and broken on a sharp rock as the fish try to hide is a common occurrence if you don’t immediately recognize the bite. Make sure your fishing line and leader is fresh and your knots are tied well, because they will be put to the test when you hook into a quality grouper.
I typically move to several different spots while grouper fishing. If I don’t get a bite in 20 minutes, I move on to the next spot or I make a minor move to get my bait down to a different area of the reef, where hopefully it will fall right in front of the eyes of a hungry grouper.
In order to keep the bite going for another day, consider releasing the fish that won’t fit on your plate for dinner. Depending on the species, these fish take between 4 and 10 years to reach sexual maturity when they can repopulate the reef. Whether they are in season or just a lucky bite, these fish are a fun and hard-hitting fight from the reef to the boat.
Good luck and angling success this grouper season here in the beautiful Florida Keys!
To book a trip with Top Notch Sportfishing, call Captain Bill at 732-674-8323.
