UTER
Photo: R Vasconcellos, CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Mycteroperca bonaci
How to catch Black grouper in Florida
Black grouper feed in 66–86°F water and bite best at 72–82°F. Fish Scouter's season calendar follows them in 3 waters; in October they are at their peak in The Florida Keys, Miami & Biscayne Bay, Palm Beach & the Treasure Coast.
60 pts · trophy at 40"Feeds 66–86°FBest 72–82°FIn season nowArtificial reefWreckLedge / hard bottom
About
The big grouper of the Keys and the South Florida reefs: dark, brassy-spotted, up to a hundred pounds, on the reef edge and the wrecks. Rare enough now that a big one is a story.
How to fish it
Anchor on the reef edge, drop a big live bait on a heavy leader, and don't give it an inch when it eats — it lives in the rocks.
What it eats
live pinfish and gruntslive blue runnersbig jigstrolled plugs
Live bait for it
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.
Blue runners (hardtails)Nose-hooked and slow-trolled on a wire stinger rig for kings; bridled for sailfish and cobia.
PigfishFree-lined or under a cork on a 2/0 circle hook for gator trout; on the bottom for grouper.What to fish it with
the sizes that fish itLeader30–60 lb fluorocarbon
Hook2/0–7/0
Braid30–65 lb
The rule
not confirmed hereMinimum 24" total length; seasons and bag within the grouper aggregate — confirm at MyFWC.
The current rule at MyFWC →Where it is, month by month
PPeakSSpawningAArriving·AroundLLeaving
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