Grouper Season About to Close. Get Out and Catch'em Quick!
Capt. Rod Roydhouse
December 23, 2016
Fort Lauderdale - Saltwater Fishing Report
We're into our last week of grouper fishing for the year. They close on January 1 and won't be open again until May 1. You know why they close them this time of year? Because they are biting so good! Black groupers, red groupers, gag groupers and scamp groupers all spawn over the next few months and during the spawning period, they have voracious appetites. They eat everything that comes their way... squid, sardines, ballyhoo, blue runners, goggle eyes, pinfish, etc. They aren't picky eaters, you just have to get the bait in front of their faces. Over the next few months, any of these shallow water groupers (and when I say shallow, I mean we catch them in 250ft deep or less), must be released. The deepwater groupers (Snowy, yellowedge and Warsaw) can be caught and kept during the whole year, so they aren't affected by the closure. But any of the shallow water groupers are out of season. Fear Not! We still have a week left in the season to go out and catch them! Fish with us any day between now and New Year's Eve and if you catch a big grouper, you can still keep it.
The closure is a bummer and it hurts to throw back a huge grouper. But I am actually glad for the closure. They have been closing the season for 4 months a year for the past 5 years. In the past 4 years, I have seen more and more grouper being caught, better than ever, so the closure is actually a really good thing. Groupers and one of the most sought after edible fish out there because not only are they great table fare, they are great fighters from the deep as well. My dad is one of the best bottom fishermen in all of Florida, there are few to match him. He has noticed a big increase in the grouper populations over the past couple years. It's a great thing because a few years ago, it was hard to go out and find a grouper. It's gotten a lot easier.
Groupers have a lot of tricks up their sleeve to get away during a fight. First thing they do is try to take you down into the wreck, rocks or other bottom structure. They wrap you up in the structure so that you can't pull them out and end up having to break the line. Groupers are highly intelligent. They also have razor sharp Operculum (the gill cover). They can cut the line easily if it rubs along this anatomical structure. In fact, you have to be careful when holding them to make sure you don't get cut by it when holding them. Also, they have a signature move where they 'clap' meaning they expel all the water from their mouths and then open their mouths wide, sucking in a huge amount of water into the vacuum and then shut their mouth again. It creates a big distortion in the water and makes a loud noise underwater. This move can put a lot of extra torsion on the line and it often causes the hook to shake loose or the line to break. Groupers are smart and they can get away sometimes whether you like it or not.
Groupers are open for one final week this year, so if you'd like to get some grouper filets for your freezer, this is your last chance to do it. Lots of other fish are biting too... wahoos, sailfish, amberjack, kingfish and tuna, so there's plenty to catch. We can fish for whatever you like. But this is your final chance to catch a grouper and keep it until Spring. Good luck to everyone fishing this week. Merry Christmas and I'll sea ya on the water!
Capt. Rod Roydhouse
www.NewLattitude.com
954-707-2147
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