Goliath Grouper, as the name suggests, are a very large species of Grouper. They are so large that
they require specialized techniques and therefore get their own section on this site. Goliaths can
achieve weights of over 800 lb although specimens that large are almost impossible to catch. These
behemoths do not have a lot of stamina and fights are often fairly brief on the super heavy tackle
they require, but the first power run they take to the bottom will strain the arms of even the
strongest anglers. If you can fish these guys with 90 lb of drag in standup gear without a chair or
harness you should probably call ESPN about the World's Strongest Man contest.
The largest Goliath Grouper I hooked broke the boat off the anchor, towed us around, and snapped an
impossibly thick rod. We didn't have another rod that heavy so we had to resort to handlining after
that. They will engulf almost any reef fish you hook in certain parts of Florida, including
Snappers, Permit, rays, sharks, etc. In some parts of Florida their primary food source is stealing
fish that have been hooked by fishermen.
Goliaths are protected in the United States and must be released. Good luck finding many of them in
places they aren't protected.
Tackle
This is one of the most specialized fisheries there is in terms of tackle. You need a large reel
capable of 90 lb of drag and loaded with 400 lb+ monofilament if you want to consistently land the
big ones. You can land some with lesser tackle but you will break a lot off and that is not good for
you or the fish. Luckily you don't need a lot of line because you either win or lose the battle with
the first 25 or so yards of line. This is one of the few fish where monofilament is preferable to
braid because the stretch is the only "drag" you use. Whatever rod you use will eventually snap
after a few large fish with that amount of drag. I highly recommend you find one of the few guides
who really specializes in this type of fishing and use their gear. That being said, I was able to
land a 175 lber on heavy spinning gear (100 lb braid on a Daiwa Saltiga Dogfight reel) when we were
fortunate enough to hook it far from a reef. It's always better to be lucky than good.
Smaller Goliaths hang around docks and pilings and can be landed on lighter tackle. However, I still
recommend a minimum of 100 lb test. Too many fish get hooked on overly light gear and then have to
swim around with hooks in their mouths.
Large circle hooks are the way to go to avoid gut hooking and facilitate release.
Techniques
Large Goliath Grouper are almost exclusively caught on live or dead bait. The key to successful
Goliath Grouper fishing is anchoring close enough to the reef or wreck so that they will come out to
eat your bait, but far enough away that you have a chance of pulling them away before they get back
and break you off. One tip to help them find the bait is to bounce it off the bottom to create some
commotion. These fish have no predators and are not shy.
Lures
No lures that I know of are effective on large Goliath Grouper.
Baits
Various types of rays caught in the area you are fishing work well. They give off a lot of scent and
work even when dead. Any type of 1-15 lb live fish should work well but many are illegal to use for
bait in Florida.
Where to get the big ones
The only place I know of to really pursue these guys is South Florida. Because of the ban on keeping
them their numbers have increased significantly, and this is one of the few places you can find a
guide who specializes in them. If you have the tackle it would not be too difficult to target them
on your own as they are not shy. In most of the rest of their range that I know of they are pretty
fished out and not available in sufficient numbers to target successfully.
For more specific helpful information on how to catch many other species of fish, as well as
unbiased tackle recommendations and high quality fishing photos, go to
http://www.howtocatchanyfish.com.
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