# Huge Gag Grouper



## oceanman350lx

I virtually never post but this fish is worth a look. We caught a gag grouper out of Destin that bottomed out our 50lb fish scale with at least 20 lbs of fish remaining on the deck of the boat. I believe it to be about 52 inches long based on the picture compared to my body. The world record Gag grouper is 80lbs 6oz. Unfortunately it was caught out of season and had to be released. We also caught an 18.5 lb red snapper that won the Legendary marine red snapper tournament but I don't have those pictures yet.

Edit at 8:08 pm: While I was the angler, the credit for finding the fish goes to Capt. Roger Fulford. Thanks Roger.


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## sniperpeeps

Hell of a fish!! Remember where he lives on July 1!


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## rocklobster

WOW!! Nice fish!!!


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## andrethegiant

Monster for sure


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## 706Z

Dang!


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## grey ghost

sho nuff nice gag!


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## cobe killer

thats a stud gag!!!!


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## sealark

Nice fish I remember 20 or so years ago I dove an airplane and shot 2 copper belly Gags the total weight for both of them was 98 lbs they looked like twins. Maybe they will make a comeback those fish are probably 30 or 40 years old. Maybe our resident fish lady will chime in on approximate age.


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## bigtallluke

Wow what a monster!! Did he eat a Big live bait, or jig? Congrats on a memorable fish! Hopefully you can find him again and convince him to eat your bait next month. Thanks for sharing this great catch


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## PorknBeans

holy heck!


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## Five Prongs Of Fury

That's a monster!!!! What's the details? Hard bottom or wreck? What kind of tackle/bait? A fish that size is almost impossible to turn unless you can drag her away from her hole.


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## Jason

DANG!!!!! Heck-uv-a-fish!!!!


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## captken

*I hope he survived*

Gags that size are rare even in good times. Now days that fish must be one in millions.

Probably more than 90% of the Grouper I have ever caught have been females. Now days these females become males at an earlier age. 

The biggest Gag I ever weighed was 73#. Biggest Black was 77, both caught off the same rock in 155' off Clearwater a couple of weeks apart. 

We caught some huge Grouper in Campeechee Bay when I was a kid. We didn't keep them back then. We kept nothing but Red Snapper.


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## oceanman350lx

Caught him on a live threadfin.


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## Fish N Tales

Awesome Fish!!! I bet that joker pulled!!!


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## redstripe

Those big ones are too chewy anyway. It's hard to do but we got one over 40 last year and after eating it I swore anymore that big are going back.


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## cobe killer

awesome fish guys!!!!


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## fish sticker

That's a big gag right there. You've got to be on your game to get that thing off the bottom. Congrats!!!!


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## my3nme

Wow, that's all


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## 192

very nice!!!


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## Yellowrivermudder

It knew it wasn't going on ice....yet. Hopefully when Gag season opens, ya'll will snag it again. I bet the fight was fuuun! YRM


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## Lexcore

sniperpeeps said:


> Hell of a fish!! Remember where he lives on July 1!


I know I would go back bearing gifts for him to come aboard once and for all July 1 :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


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## CRC

threadfin is the gag bait!!!


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## CRC

and oh yeah! helluva fish


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## Deckhand Deputy

Way to go Capt. Roge! Glad to see you getting the good publicity that you so well do deserve.


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## catdad100

Awesome fish.It really sucks we ended up having to throw back so really nice gags during snapper season the last couple years will the madness never end.


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## pilotkal

very nice


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## Captdroot

Well, I'm with Capt Ken; "I hope that fish is alive and well in two weeks". I have my doubts. I notice there is NO mention of the water depth, but these days, I doubt that fish was inside of 140 ft, more like 180+ ft. Heck of fish to feed to predators or crabs. 

I guess it was/is surely near it's life cycle..... did the fish lady ever tell us how old that fish was/is/supposed to be? 

And if a commercial boat caught 50 of them on any given day of the year, each one of them would positively be DOA............ and go for profit. 

IMHO, _today__,_ none of this makes good sense.......... *if* it's about protecting fish for tomorrow. Please correct me if I have something drastically wrong.


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## 2RC's II

good fish sir!


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