GOLIATH GROUPER

Peak Season: November – June

You haven’t seen anything until you’ve hooked your first Goliath Grouper. Setting out into open sea on a mission to catch one of these ‘Pelagic Monsters’ will shock you. These gigantic groupers reach sizes over 8 feet and can weigh as much as 600lbs. These are somewhat easy to catch because they are very inquisitive and consistently take the bait.

Goliath Groupers, as the name suggests, are huge. Goliaths can weigh in at over 600lbs, although ones that large are nearly impossible to bring in. These monsters put up a good fight in sprints but wear down quickly because they don’t have good stamina. That said, the initial burst of power you’ll feel hooking one of these will challenge even the strongest anglers.

Goliath Groupers are caught on live or dead bait. We set up near a reef, so that they come out from the shadows to take the bait. The key is positioning so that they come out from their hiding spot into the open, hook them, then keep them from retreating back to the rocks.

Once you get them on the line, they will put up a fight that you’ve never experienced. They head straight for the bottom and try to break you off in the rocks. We use the heaviest tackle and line to keep them from reaching bottom. Our captain is highly experienced and knows exactly how to bring these up so you can experience them up close and personal. Even the strongest rods and line may break so you need an experienced professional to make it happen.

Goliath Groupers are protected in these waters so strictly catch, swim with them if you want to, then release them.