UTER
Photo: Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble, CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Epinephelus guttatus · also strawberry grouper
How to catch Red hind in Florida
Red hind feed in 70–88°F water and bite best at 74–84°F.
15 pts · trophy at 16"Feeds 70–88°FBest 74–84°FIn season nowArtificial reefLedge / hard bottom
About
The strawberry grouper: a small red-spotted grouper on every Keys patch reef that eats a shrimp on a knocker rig and makes an excellent sandwich. The rock hind is its cousin on the same rocks.
How to fish it
A knocker rig with a live shrimp tight to the patch reef in 15 to 60 feet.
What it eats
shrimpsquidsmall pinfish
Live bait for it
Live shrimpUnder a popping cork or free-lined, hooked under the horn on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook; on a jig head for the bottom. The universal inshore bait.
PinfishHooked through the back ahead of the dorsal on a 2/0 to 4/0 circle hook; the small ones free-lined, the big ones on a fish-finder rig.
SquidStrips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig.What to fish it with
the sizes that fish itLeader30–60 lb fluorocarbon
Hook2/0–7/0
Braid30–65 lb
The rule
not confirmed hereWithin the grouper aggregate; minimum size — confirm at MyFWC.
The current rule at MyFWC →Month by month, water by water
When red hind (strawberry grouper) is the story
The Ten Thousand Islands & Everglades
JFMAMJJASOND
The Florida Keys
JFMAMJJASOND
Miami & Biscayne Bay
JFMAMJJASOND
Palm Beach & the Treasure Coast
JFMAMJJASOND