Goliath grouper/jewfish?

Ruger#3

RAMBLIN ADMIN
Staff member
I had never heard of IUCN and had to google it.

They still list jewfish as decreasing in population.
Credibility lost.

Concur, but hundreds of thousands hear that perspective yearly.
 

diamondback

Senior Member
I think they should have a limited season or by permit harvest. But like some said if the bigger ones have worms and it wouldn’t be worth eating maybe a slot size limit. Here’s one we caught and release off the sgi pier this summer. First we’ve seen there in 40 years of fishing there
 

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Rabun

Senior Member
over populating goliaths here isn’t going to make a hill of beans anywhere else. What they should do is institute a sustainable harvest quota and tout to the rest of the world on how this species can be brought back and managed with some take. Gators, redfish, etc.
 

Robust Redhorse

Senior Member
My son and I had to leave the Everglades in June, because Jewfish destroyed everything.

We were trying to catch tarpon, but the jewfish ate tarpon flies, tarpon lures, live bait meant for tarpon, almost everything.

They are now a PEST.


If they allow keeping them, you will probably have to buy a tag that cost more than the value of the grouper meat, and have a slot limit that will be the most undesirable.


Maybe, in a decade, the fishery will get managed properly.







Will they now be changing the name of Jewfish Creek, between the mainland and Key Largo?
 

Lukikus2

Senior Member
They have taken over inland estuaries where the nurseries for snapper and other species grow up as fry and decimate the population. Even stating a fish that reaches 800 lbs and is slow growing is asinine.
 

Lukikus2

Senior Member
I wonder if those big rascals are as good as a normal size gag or black grouper. Probably full of worms.

Worked with a guy that had his own boat in the 60's that caught them and sold them to the fish market. What most of high end Miami restaurants served. He had pictures to prove it. No rod and reel. Rope, hook and winch.
 

pottydoc

Senior Member
The grouper grow real fast.

Each one will eat 20-30 slot sized snapper every day.

They are the reason for snapper decline.
No they don't. They actually grow much slower than pelagic fish. And if you are referring to ARS, they are not declining. They are a major pain, and I see no reason why hook and line rec guys aren't allowed to catch them.
 

pottydoc

Senior Member
You do realize they could be declining in other countries?

Not every country has the protections and enforcement of the US
It's not like they migrate. We can (and do) have a population that can very easily manage having fish caught by rev guys. And at the same time, another country's population can be very threatened. The fish here will never travel to another country. I've seen the same jewfish on wrecks for years while diving.
 

Snookpimpin

Senior Member
they should make it a lottery like gators apply/pay for your permit/ if you get it you can kill two. you couldn't have an open season they would be gone in two years. any reef you dive on in florida they are everywhere and they swim right up to you. would be like shooting fish in a barrel
 

cracker4112

Senior Member
they should make it a lottery like gators apply/pay for your permit/ if you get it you can kill two. you couldn't have an open season they would be gone in two years. any reef you dive on in florida they are everywhere and they swim right up to you. would be like shooting fish in a barrel

This. Someone mentioned it earlier as well, but they are very curious, which is the reason we almost wiped them out. Perhaps hook and line only with some sort of tag system. They certainly need thinning out.
 
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