New Grouper Regulation

[Joe Jenkins]

According to the intenet, the new Florida grouper regulations effective 1/1/2009 are still a max bag limit of five. However, that bag limit can contain no more than two reds, two gag, the remainder being black grouper. In otherwords, two gag and three black grouper is OK. The major difference between a black and a gag grouoper is one has a slightly less convex, almost concave, tail fin. Does anybody know of a more distinqishable difference between the two? Which type do to we predominatly catch in the Big Bend area? Sounds like a rule challenge may be appropriate.

[Tom Keels]

Chances are you aren't going to catch a true black in this area unless you go to the middlegrounds. Scamp is also included in the bag limit as well. If you have ever seen a true black, they look nothing like a gag.

Black


Gag

[DWilliams]

Here are a few pics of blacks with a scamp thrown in.

[captkeyser]

As Tom said, you won't be catching many, if any Blacks in our waters, and Reds aren't usually in shallow water either. If you like fishing for grouper in less than 30ft of water then your limit just went from 5 fish down to 2.