UTER
Photo: Andrew David, NOAA/NMFS/SEFSC Panama City; Lance Horn, UNCW/NURC - Phantom II ROV operator., Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Hyporthodus niveatus
How to catch Snowy grouper in Florida
Snowy grouper feed in 46–62°F water and bite best at 50–58°F.
70 pts · trophy at 36"Feeds 46–62°FBest 50–58°FIn season nowLedge / hard bottomWreck
About
The white-spotted grouper of the deep ledges beyond 400 feet, the best-eating of the deep-water groupers, and a rare fish in the book because of where it lives.
How to fish it
Deep-drop rig on the ledges in 400 to 800 feet; squid and a big bait, big lead, and the reel does the work.
What it eats
squidcut baitwhole small fish
Live bait for it
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 itLeader80–150 lb mono
Hook8/0–14/0
Braid65–100 lb
The rule
not confirmed hereWithin the deep-water grouper aggregate; one per vessel in some waters — confirm at MyFWC.
The current rule at MyFWC →Month by month, water by water
When snowy grouper is the story
The Panhandle
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The Big Bend & Nature Coast
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Tampa Bay & Sarasota
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Charlotte Harbor & the Islands
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The Ten Thousand Islands & Everglades
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The Florida Keys
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Miami & Biscayne Bay
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Palm Beach & the Treasure Coast
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The Space Coast Lagoons
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The First Coast
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