Gag Grouper Disappearing too?

[NCHillbilly]

I fished a few miles off Wilmington, NC last spring, vertical jigging on reefs. We were catching lil gags right and left.

 

[NCHillbilly]

I love it when you catch one after another of some "endangered" fish that you can't keep, and turn it loose and watch sharks and dolphins eat it.

 

[notnksnemor]

Jewfish have taken over a lot of structure in the Big Bend/Panhandle and they are not selective in what they suck down.

Sea wall at the old St Joe paper mill in PSJ is or was loaded down with them. I believe a lot of concrete rubble during the tear down was dumped over the side.

Also lionfish put a hurting on brood stock in the same areas.

Where was the old paper mill?


Disregard, I found it.

 

[Swamprat]

In case anybody else was wondering

 

[Nicodemus]

In case anybody else was wondering

I remember that mill, back when it was running full wide open.

 

[notnksnemor]

I think it's Eastern Boatworks or something like that now.
BTW all the sheephead along that sea wall have disappeared.

 

[Swamprat]

Eastern Shipbuilding is probably who you are thinking of.

Kinda sucks about the sheepies being gone.

 

[notnksnemor]

Eastern Shipbuilding is probably who you are thinking of.

Kinda sucks about the sheepies being gone.

Yep.

Jewfish probably ate all of em.

 

[Swamprat]

More than likely. Think I read something that when a jewfish takes up residence on a structure it is reluctant to leave that structure even after their food sources start to dwindle.

I know 20 years or so ago there was not many reports of jewfish or lionfish. Seems like the warsaw dominated the structure, now it is reverse.

 

[notnksnemor]

More than likely. Think I read something that when a jewfish takes up residence on a structure it is reluctant to leave that structure even after their food sources start to dwindle.

I know 20 years or so ago there was not many reports of jewfish or lionfish. Seems like the warsaw dominated the structure, now it is reverse.

Yep.
I believe the jewfish ban to be one of the biggest fishery failures of Florida.

 

[doomtrpr_z71]

I think that's why sheep spots are good because they are too small to hold Jewfish

 

[Swamprat]

You would be suprised, jewfish can hole up in very little structure.

Know a few folks who have caught a sheepie off a bridge piling or dock, can see the fish coming up and wham. Jewfish came out of nowhere and suck it down. 2-300 pound jewfish is no match for 20lb test.

I know one current diver for FDOT and a few who use to inspect bridge pilings in the bays of Panama City and Pensacola and they have all said you would be surprised at the amount of jewfish along the pilings.

They all have run into sharks but one said the most he felt scared was inspecting the bridge going to St George Island and there was a jewfish he estimated at close to 6-7' long and 400 plus pounds. He said curious fish all up in his face but after a few minutes it settled down and sank back down to where he could not see it.

Ask any one who inspects bridge pilings, intakes or outflows for power plants, etc and most they will always tell you of monster fish you would never think would be there that make them nervous.

 

[MudDucker]

Lost a lot of rigs in about 20' of water bottom fishing for blacks and grunts. Finally had to know, so I put on my snorkel and dove. There he was, a 6' jewfish with so many lines hanging out of his mouth that he looked like he had whiskers.

 

[Michael F Sights]

Beautiful fish in your avatar. Gotta show my ignorance on billfish though. Is it a sail?


Maybe one day.

yes a Sail from West Palm Beach

 

[crackerdave]

At least we know they taste good no matter how big they get, nobody knows about goliaths.... yet.

In my experience,large (goliath) grouper meat is wormy.

Grouper are the lobster fisherman's enemy. I have Cuban friends who trap spiny lobster in the Keys for a living. Lobsters are a big grouper's favorite food.

 

[MudDucker]

yes a Sail from West Palm Beach

Used to go there in February. Sails were thick and they called the offshore cloud formation the elephant march.