359# Warsaw Grouper

bluemarlin

Senior Member
I received this email and wanted to share...

> > > November 13, 2007 THIBODAUX , La.--A medical student who blindfolds his friends to keep his favorite offshore fishing spot secret has come up with a record-beating fish -- a warsaw grouper weighing 359.1 pounds. The giant hauled in by J.J. Tabor of Thibodauxis 12 ounces above the previous Louisiana state record, a state biologist confirmed. It's been cut down to fillets. The first fillet weighed 53&nbs p; pounds, Tabor said. He caught it near an oil rig 70 miles south of Fourchon,
in 400 feet of water. He won't give a more specific description. 'It's J.J.'s secret,' said Jo e y Rodrigue, a friend from Baton Rouge who joined Tabor and Tabor's father, Jo hn , on the record-making trip Saturday. 'I don't even know where I was. He blindfolds us on the way out.' Tabor said he thought at first that his hook with a live hardtail on it had hit the bottom 'until I felt the big head shake.' Rodrigue steered away from the rig. 'I put myself in a harness and just had to lay back and fight,' J.J. Tabor said. 'It was about a 15 or 20 minute fight.'

Tabor cleaned the fish late Monday afternoon outside his father's auto repair shop in Thibodaux . 'We'll split it up,'
he said. 'I'll make some phone calls and try to get rid of it fresh. The rest, we'll vacuum pack it and cook it later.'

Tabor says he believes the fish is about 33 years old. He plans to send an inner-ear bone called the Goliath to a university in Florida where researchers can help determine the age of the fish. He hopes to get the results in about four weeks.
The world record, caught off Florida in 1985, is 436
pounds, 12 ounces.
 

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captbrian

Senior Member
my boss' dad caught one back in the day off panama city that was 356#. caught it on a black-face 6/0 hand crank.

the biggest one i've caught was 109 gutted weight. that was brutal, and i don't ever want to do it again.
 

Dixiesimpleman32

GONetwork Member
so thats a grouper like the ones hanging beside it?man thats a bigin are you sure its not a jew fish?
 

bluemarlin

Senior Member
The ones beside it are mostly Scamp Grouper and some of the best tasting fish in the ocean. (The streamers off the tail give them away)
The size of the Warsaw is amazing and you would think it was a Jewfish. The jewfish has large round peck fins. I think they are way off on the age of that fish... I'd bet that fish is close to 100 years old. A true dinosaur.
There are soooo many different types of grouper. The Warsaw usually lives in deep water. The last one I caught was in 600 feet.
Tight lines.
Brad
 

larpyn

Senior Member
Wow. what a fish.:cool:
those pics bring back memories of a warsaw that was posted on a spearfishing forum that i am a member of. this warsaw was speared at 425' deep and weighed 405#'s i searched and found the pics. i like diving but i am not chasing fish at 425' deep. no way.
 

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meriwether john

Senior Member
caught bunches in the 200lb.+ range when i worked offshore--was a deck hand for garber bros. out of berwick/morgan city. we ate 'em and they was tasty. sold some to fish markets but most was cooked on the boats.
 

Browning88

Senior Member
I know you can't keep a Jewfish. What exactly is so different about them?
 

JasonF

Senior Member
Simply Awesome!!
 

miller

Senior Member
How many scamp and gags do you think that monster ate in his life?
 
R

redneckcamo

Guest
whats all those other fish compared too that monster .??? bait ? what a haul ....
 

captbrian

Senior Member
I know you can't keep a Jewfish. What exactly is so different about them?

they are 2 different species of fish.

jewfish
fishing038.jpg


warsaw
5Cboat_graphics5Cnwp_images5C107030.jpg
 

puredrenalin

Senior Member
Great day on the water, and even better lookin rig...How long is the Contender, the 31, 33 or 35?

Those grouper are absolutely huge!!!! Congrats man!!
 

Browning88

Senior Member
they are 2 different species of fish.

Ok, thats what I figured but wasn't all that clear. The pictures really help to compare he 2 side by side and a noticeable difference was there. Thanks again.
 
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