# Goliath from the beach?



## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

My son and his buddy were beach sharking last night and right after they released a small Blacktip, the 6/0 went off. Josh grabbed the rod and 15 minutes later this Goliath was his prize. Got it all on video.


----------



## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

Released quickly. Swam off strong and healthy.


----------



## FishinSpot (Oct 16, 2007)

Wow.


----------



## Wood Guy (Jul 6, 2019)

FishinSpot said:


> Wow.


Wow, indeed! Didn't think you could catch a Blackfin from the beach, let alone a Goliath! Awesome!! Without giving away any private info, what general part of Fl did you catch it?


----------



## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

The look on that young mans face says it all, bet he never forgets that.


----------



## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

Wood Guy said:


> Wow, indeed! Didn't think you could catch a Blackfin from the beach, let alone a Goliath! Awesome!! Without giving away any private info, what general part of Fl did you catch it?


Sorry, Blacktip. I didn’t read what I wrote well enough. Corrected.


----------



## welldoya (Oct 5, 2007)

Amazing !


----------



## grouper1963 (Feb 28, 2008)

Awesome! That's massive! Could it be a Warsaw?


----------



## KPTN (May 21, 2009)

Wow!


----------



## finfever61 (Oct 5, 2007)

grouper1963 said:


> Awesome! That's massive! Could it be a Warsaw?


The color does looks off a bit for a Goliath but great catch.


----------



## FishnLane (Oct 1, 2007)

Very impressive Spooney. I know your son is stoked!! And great on the quick release.


----------



## jaster (Oct 7, 2007)

Saw it on FB the other day, awesome catch, congratulations Josh


----------



## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

What a historical event, Josh must be so happy. I bet the Gulf Coast Shark Chasers are envious of this catch.

Congratulations Josh!!!!


----------



## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

On Facebook Josh Spooneybarger says it was just a buddy and I shark fishing the normal spot when we got a run on the 50. Landed that small blacktip on the 50 and as soon as we released my 6/0 starting going. It didn’t make any initial hard runs so we thought it was a small guy. I flipped the bail and tightened down on em and she didn’t like that. We are always letting other people get turns on the rod so this time I wanted to land one all by myself. I had max drag on the fish and fought for about 15 mins as drug me down the beach. We got her within a few yards of the beach and it took off for another run( we thought it was a nurse shark as it looked strange). Got back on her and saw what it was and started going crazy as I have never heard of catching one from the beach around here. Dehooked the fish, got a few quick pics, and walked her out to revive her. Swam off strong!


----------



## Corpsman (Oct 3, 2007)

BananaTom said:


> What a historical event, Josh must be so happy. I bet the Gulf Coast Shark Chasers are envious of this catch.
> 
> Congratulations Josh!!!!


That is not an understatement, Tom. I saw the FB post as well but didn't know it was your son, Spooney. Congratulations to Josh on the catch of a lifetime.


----------



## O-SEA-D (Jun 28, 2016)

What a once in a lifetime experience. I thought I was privileged to just see one a few weeks ago. Congrats to him!


----------



## Boardfeet (Sep 27, 2007)

That is awesome!


----------



## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

WEAR-TV 
PENSACOLA BEACH, Fla. -- A man sent Channel 3 video of his son catching and releasing a goliath grouper fish Thursday night onshore at Pensacola Beach.

Video shows the goliath grouper being reeled in:
He then releases it back into the ocean: 

Emily Abellera, the public information specialist for Florida Fish and Wildlife's Division of Marine Fisheries Management, says the catch is "a sign of the health of the [goliath grouper] population increasing and becoming more abundant."

Abellera explains that while goliath grouper catches onshore are not exactly rare for the state of Florida, it could be considered just that for Pensacola Beach.

"Goliath grouper populations were overfished during the last half of the 20th century to the point where a complete moratorium on harvest was declared," she said. "Since then, the goliath grouper population has increased and we are seeing catches of goliath groupers again in places where they historically were often found but may not have been for decades. This may be the case with your resident’s catch. It is likely that goliath grouper haven’t been caught on shore at Pensacola Beach for a generation."

Click here to read more about goliath groupers.

Remember, you can always submit your Big Catch pictures at weartv.com/chimein.




WATCH: Goliath grouper caught onshore at Pensacola Beach


----------



## Catchemall (May 8, 2018)

Heck of a catch off the beach.


----------



## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

Brant Peacher - Eat your heart out !!!!!


----------



## markw4321 (Oct 4, 2007)

grouper1963 said:


> Awesome! That's massive! Could it be a Warsaw?


Rounded caudal fins definitely a goliath


----------



## ST1300rider (Apr 27, 2017)

WEAR 3 just had some video on the news broadcast.


----------



## Boardfeet (Sep 27, 2007)

Video on channel 3 link.









WATCH: Goliath grouper caught onshore at Pensacola Beach


PENSACOLA BEACH, Fla. -- A man sent Channel 3 video of his son catching and releasing a goliath grouper fish onshore at Pensacola Beach this week. Video shows thegoliath grouper being reeled in: Caption: Courtesy Josh Spooneybarger via ChimeIn. He then releases it back into the ocean: Caption...




weartv.com


----------



## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

grouper1963 said:


> Awesome! That's massive! Could it be a Warsaw?


Na Warsaw look more like a over grown snowy with no spots and they live in deep water when they get big.


----------



## grouper1963 (Feb 28, 2008)

markw4321 said:


> Rounded caudal fins definitely a goliath





jwilson1978 said:


> Na Warsaw look more like a over grown snowy with no spots and they live in deep water when they get big.


Thanks - interesting a goliath was nearshore - wonder if he got lost from structure, or had been following dinner.


----------



## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

grouper1963 said:


> Thanks - interesting a goliath was nearshore - wonder if he got lost from structure, or had been following dinner.


Goliath's don't mind shallow water and will get way up inshore if the water is right(salinity). That's how they got endangered. I saw one caught late one night at Fort Morgen around Late 90's from the beach while we were fishing for Sharks, Redfish and whiting. No where near that beast maybe 45lbs. Only one I have ever put my hands on. Landed for the guy .And I will not lie the Guy left with it. And before anyone gets pissed. It was not me that took it home. And did not know the guy or his friends.


----------



## O-SEA-D (Jun 28, 2016)

grouper1963 said:


> Thanks - interesting a goliath was nearshore - wonder if he got lost from structure, or had been following dinner.


The one I saw was at the bridge going into the front gate of NAS. In about 12 feet of water. It came near the surface along side a bridge piling and went back down. I wouldn’t believe it had I not seen it myself.


----------



## Boardfeet (Sep 27, 2007)

I remember someone caught one on the three mile bridge a few years ago.
Recent video of some on the Mass. That is pretty close to shore.


----------



## webekillingum (May 25, 2019)

nice


----------



## Catchemall (May 8, 2018)

I snook fished with some guys down at Captiva Island in the 70's and they would set a handline (3/8" rope) with a chain leader and a really big hook baited with a jack or a big ladyfish in the passes at night. They'd tie it off to an Australian pine and they wrestled in big jewfish every year. I never did try any of it, curious if any of y'all have.


----------



## FishinSpot (Oct 16, 2007)

I fished Sanibel/Captiva and all round there in the late 70’s early 80. I loved it. Great fishing. I Fished for everything down there and mostly enjoyed the shark fishing. We caught many large shark in the sound and around the causeway. we did occasionally catch jewfish around there but we never did it the way you described. Sounds like fun 😄.


----------



## finfever61 (Oct 5, 2007)

Killed quite a few in the keys in the 70s. Cost too much if you weren’t a good shot….


----------



## Yakcraz (Sep 19, 2017)

Awesome!!!


----------



## JSpooney junior (Aug 26, 2020)

Wood Guy said:


> Wow, indeed! Didn't think you could catch a Blackfin from the beach, let alone a Goliath! Awesome!! Without giving away any private info, what general part of Fl did you catch it?


Pensacola beach


----------



## JSpooney junior (Aug 26, 2020)

Thank y’all for the congrats! Definitely a fish of a lifetime.


----------



## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

JSpooney junior said:


> Thank y’all for the congrats! Definitely a fish of a lifetime.


Pretty dang awesome just to catch one. Done from the beach in the panhandle. Trophy catch! More than a Marlin or any tuna. How many can say I did that?


----------



## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

jwilson1978 said:


> Pretty dang awesome just to catch one. Done from the beach in the panhandle. Trophy catch! More than a Marlin or any tuna. How many can say I did that?


According to the comments on WEAR3, it happens all the time because the bay is overrun with them. I wonder if any of those guys actually fish.


----------



## FishnLane (Oct 1, 2007)

Another "Great" example of Fact Reporting by WEAR....Not!


----------



## murfpcola (Aug 28, 2012)

BananaTom said:


> WEAR-TV
> PENSACOLA BEACH, Fla. -- A man sent Channel 3 video of his son catching and releasing a goliath grouper fish Thursday night onshore at Pensacola Beach.
> 
> Video shows the goliath grouper being reeled in:
> ...


Why didn’t they release it in the gulf? Seems closer than the ocean


----------



## Mac1528 (Mar 24, 2012)

Had plenty of those when I was a kid in the keys, not the big ones like that, mostly juvies up to 80lbs, usually in the shallows to 25-30ft. When they got bigger they went deeper. That was in the mid-late '60s. Nice catch there, congrats! Memories forever! 

Sent from my moto e5 supra using Tapatalk


----------



## ebrown (Mar 11, 2019)

Amazing catch. Congratulations.


----------



## pjmitan (8 mo ago)

Unbelievable! last year there was a Great White caught off Pensacola beach now a Goliath Grouper.
Thanks for sharing.


----------

