Posted on 01/13/2020 8:15:58 AM PST by BenLurkin
The enormous fish, identified as a Warsaw grouper, was caught using a hook and line December 29 in about 600 feet of water, according to the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.
Otoliths are the hard structures located behind the brain of bony fishes, according to the FWC. They help fish hear, maintain balance and orient themselves. Scientists use the growth structure of otoliths to estimate a fish’s age.
Warsaw groupers can grow to a length of 7.5 feet and weight of 580 pounds. The record for the largest one caught in Florida is nearly 440 pounds.
(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...
You/re right about them getting wormy - even the 10 pounders are riddled with worms at times, especially in the summer.
BTW that's not a Goliath (Jewfish). It's a Warsaw and legal to to take.
I am a catch and release fisherman.
In the 60s the sport-fishing piers’ dumpsters were filled daily with the day’s catch - many took pictures with their trophies, then chucked them in the nearest dumpster - Jewfish, Grouper, Swordfish, varieties of Tuna, you name it.
Ahhh for the good old days ...
Right about barracuda, they hang out just at the edge of your vision and come and go like ghosts.
Got my NAUI card in 73, instructor was local AF recruiter, had been a para rescue guy out of Patrick AFB in the late 60’s and 70’s supporting the space program. Before that he worked over less friendly territory in Southeast Asia.
We stated class by treading water for 5 minutes holding our weight belts over our heads. By the third class we had to go to the bottom to don our gear, then swam laps buddy breathing. Our open water dive was on some rock ledges about 2 miles offshore of manasota key where there was a nice longshore current. We had to swim up current for about a mile after the dive to get back to the boat. He made sure that we were exposed to stupid things under controlled conditions. Learned a lot of lessons that I’m sure he picked up the hard way. Never had a dive as fun or as tough as that first one.
It makes me think that the fish the Apostles had could have been bigger than we realized to feed five thousand. Just kidding.
We ate what we caught. Once on the Indian River near Sebastian Inlet we caught way too many flounder. We ate fish 4 days a week for 3 months. The best fish is fresh caught, cooked on a driftwood fire.
A bunch of my friends and I would head to the Everglades. Travel out the Tamiami Trail and head into the glades. Only food we would take would be potatoes, corn on the cob, vegetable oil, and a skillet. Spend the weekend eating bass, home fries, and roasted corn. Oh, we did always seem to have a good beer supply with us.
“World’s Worst Fisherman”.
In the late 1960's, when I was in the Boy Scouts our troop visited a trout hatchery in the Blue Ridge. They let us fish there all day. The fish would strike sinkers without hooks the moment you dropped it in the water. You should try that.
We’re gonna need a bigger frying pan.
The best fish is fresh caught, cooked on a driftwood fire.
Fishing is a thinly veiled excuse for drinking.
We catch lots of reds in the Ches. Bay! Grouper ID link
http://www.fishtrack.com/features/grouper-identifier_136570
“...without hooks...”
Is that even fishing?
Memories of my time knowing the Ptnder Brothers!.
http://www.spearboard.com/showthread.php?t=158932
“Fishing is a thinly veiled excuse for drinking.”
Annnnnnnd that’s the post of the day for me!
Cheers, FRiend
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