Posted on 05/27/2015 7:49:36 AM PDT by JoeProBono
A man in Southwest Florida has quite a fish story to tell!
Jon Black from the Crazy Lure Tackle shop in Cape Coral caught what he says is "the largest bottom fish ever from a kayak" in Sanibel, Fla.
The YouTube post says the fish measured at 83 inches long and more than 73 inches in girth. They estimate it weighed 552 pounds.
Not a bad haul from a kayak with a small fishing pole!
Holy CARP!
Not good eating.
Ciguetera!
They were called Jewfish when I was growing up in Fla. :-)
Goliath is the PC term used today.
Looks like at the end of the vid the eyes of the rod actually pulled out. Not sure I’ve ever seen that.
We plan on retiring to somewhere in that area from NE Fla in a few years, can’t wait to wet a line down there as a permanent resident of that area.
About a month ago, also on Sanibel, a much smaller, but still impressive, Goliath Grouper was caught by a couple fishing from shore.
http://www.winknews.com/2015/04/22/goliath-grouper-caught-on-sanibel/
Ha landed nothing it got away
“They were called Jewfish when I was growing up in Fla.
Goliath is the PC term used today.”
We still call ‘em that here, ya just gotta be an evil Conservative though. lol
Just before you enter Key Largo is Jewfish creek. People will wonder years from now where that name came from. :-)
You are only allowed to take a pic while releasing jewfish.
“Just before you enter Key Largo is Jewfish creek. People will wonder years from now where that name came from”
Oh, I’m sure the pc crowd will get around to protesting that name eventually.......they just have bigger fish to fry right now. :)
Then how were they able to measure it?
About Ciguatera
Ciguatera fish poisoning (or ciguatera) is an illness caused by eating fish that contain toxins produced by a marine microalgae called Gambierdiscus toxicus. People who have ciguatera may experience nausea, vomiting, and neurologic symptoms such as tingling fingers or toes. They also may find that cold things feel hot and hot things feel cold. Ciguatera has no cure. Symptoms usually go away in days or weeks but can last for years. People who have ciguatera can be treated for their symptoms.
Basic Facts
Fish Identification
Barracuda, black grouper, blackfin snapper, cubera snapper, dog snapper, greater amberjack, hogfish, horse-eye jack, king mackerel, and yellowfin grouper have been known to carry ciguatoxins.
http://www.cdc.gov/NCEH/ciguatera/default.htm
The Atlantic goliath grouper has been referred to as the jewfish, but in 2001 the American Fisheries Society stopped using that term because they felt that it was “culturally insensitive”
The Atlantic goliath grouper or itajara (Epinephelus itajara) is a large saltwater fish of the grouper family found primarily in shallow tropical waters among coral and artificial reefs at depths from 5 to 50 m (16 to 164 ft). Its range includes the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, most of the Caribbean, and practically all of the Brazilian coast. On some occasions, it is caught in New England off Maine and Massachusetts. In the eastern Atlantic Ocean, it occurs from the Congo to Senegal.
Young Atlantic goliath grouper may live in brackish estuaries, oyster beds, canals, and mangrove swamps, which is unusual behavior among groupers.
Atlantic goliath grouper
They may reach extremely large sizes, growing to lengths of up to 2.5 m (8.2 ft) and can weigh as much as 360 kg (790 lb). The world record for a hook and line-captured specimen is 309 kg (681 lb), caught off Fernandina Beach, Florida, in 1961.[2] They are usually around 180 kg (400 lb) when mature. Considered of fine food quality, Atlantic goliath grouper were a highly sought-after quarry for fishermen. The grouper’s inquisitive and generally fearless nature makes it a relatively easy prey for spear fishermen. They also tend to spawn in large aggregations, returning like clockwork to the same locations, making them particularly vulnerable to mass harvesting.
Until a harvest ban was placed on the species, its population was in rapid decline. The fish is entirely protected from harvest and is recognized as a critically endangered species by the IUCN.[1] The US began protection in 1990, and the Caribbean in 1993. The species’ population has been recovering since the ban; with the fish’s slow growth rate, however, it will take some time for populations to return to their previous levels.
Goliath grouper eat crustaceans, other fish, octopuses, young sea turtles, sharks, and barracudas. It is known to attack divers, and has even been seen attacking large lemon sharks.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_goliath_grouper
LOL! I grew up in Jax and they were Jewfish there too.
LOL!! The Jewish people should demand that the name be restored!
Just before you enter the causeway to Sanibel Island, where this fish was hooked, there used to be a road to the left, leading to Nigger Beach. It’s been renamed Bunche Beach.
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