# Goliath Grouper????



## fishermandan (Mar 15, 2013)

Does anyone target Goliath Groupers from the surf in the Panhandle area? If so what are your tactics?


----------



## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

I don't think many do north of cedar key or so. The population just isn't the same here


----------



## fishermandan (Mar 15, 2013)

I Just read up on the regs. for GG and it says it requires an immediate release if caught. It states that taking the time to snap a photo is not considered an immediate release. I don't think its worth it if I cant take a trophy pic after.


----------



## Charlie2 (Oct 2, 2007)

*Goliath Grouper*

I have been thrashing the surf with a fly for many moons and have never caught, or seen any caught.

I'm with ChrisV on this. Too far North! JMHO C2


----------



## JoshH (Sep 28, 2007)

Ive caught a couple in the pass. less than 15 pounds though.


----------



## Mullethead (Oct 4, 2007)

They are a rare catch up here... I talked to old timers who said they caugh a jew fish or two in Pensacola Pass - back in the 40's and 50's 

Seen photos of one caught every now and then off off the edge- misatake n for a black, gag or warsaw ... I even here fish stories about a jewfish or two hanging out around the 3-mile bridge a few years back ...


----------



## Charlie2 (Oct 2, 2007)

*Goliath Grouper*



Mullethead said:


> They are a rare catch up here... I talked to old timers who said they caugh a jew fish or two in Pensacola Pass - back in the 40's and 50's
> 
> Seen photos of one caught every now and then off off the edge- misatake n for a black, gag or warsaw ... I even here fish stories about a jewfish or two hanging out around the 3-mile bridge a few years back ...


I think the question was: In the surf?

I remember something BIG! many moons ago that people said was a J...Goliath Grouper under the Old 3MB Fishing Pier.

It would steal White Trout on your line, then head back under the bridge. There was no way that you could have possibly landed that monster! 

It did give you a thrilling moment! Something to talk about! C2


----------



## jaster (Oct 7, 2007)

I have a photo of my wifes grandmother standing next to one they caught. Had to hoist it with a tow truck boom! Said the neighborhood ate on it for 3 days!! I have never seen one till we vacatiomed to Ket West last month. Had one in an aquarium and you could feed it. Back to question, I have never attempted it around here!


----------



## floater1 (Oct 31, 2007)

there is one that lives on the three mile bridge caught him once while shark fishing


----------



## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

*Surfing with Goliath*

There was a guy who posted on here, not too long ago, in maybe early March, that caught one in the surf near Ft. Pickens and included photos. They are a structure oriented specie but they probably move from one structure to the other during certain months and they have to eat during their travels. The 3MB sighting may be the answer to another poster who says he gets bit there and the fish just hammers him every time and the same story about the Mass also. I do remember when I was growing up we dove the Mass and there was a massive resident GG there then.


----------



## Mullethead (Oct 4, 2007)

:thumbsup:


Charlie2 said:


> I think the question was: In the surf?
> 
> I remember something BIG! many moons ago that people said was a J...Goliath Grouper under the Old 3MB Fishing Pier.
> 
> ...


 
I think Panhandle slim completed my response ... the old timers that got jewfish near McRee were not surf fishing as much as 'pass fishing' near the jettys and deep holes in the pass ...

And OBTW - I refuse to use the new politically name - .. I will not bow down to the PC police 

(Edit - no one is really sure why its called jew fish - but this one early reference http://www.englishforums.com/English/FormerlyKnownAsJewfish/klzxv/post.htm

"The earliest reference I could find is from 1697. This quote from an English explorer is found in the Oxford English Dictionary: "The Jew-Fish is a very good fish and, I judge, so called by the English because it hath scales and fins, therefore a clean fish, according to Levitical law.")
In other words, jewfish are kosher.


----------



## Charlie2 (Oct 2, 2007)

*Goliath Grouper*



Mullethead said:


> :thumbsup:
> 
> I think Panhandle slim completed my response ... the old timers that got jewfish near McRee were not surf fishing as much as 'pass fishing' near the jettys and deep holes in the pass ...
> 
> ...


Maybe we should refer to them as 'Kosher Fish' ? :thumbup: C2


----------



## Wugitus (Oct 16, 2008)

*Big Fish*

There was one caught off Panama City 2-4 years back, off shore 20 miles? or so, angles brought in in thinking it was a Warsaw posted pics on Florida Sportsman. The state tracked him down in ALa or Mississippi did a DNA of froxen fillets. Confirmed it was Jewfish, conficiated the rst, he was fined, but not nearly as much as he could have been. And this is why we do not take pictures. True story,mostly as I remember.


----------

