Goliath Grouper bag limit?

[bman]

FWC is discussing allowing the harvest of Goliath Grouper.
http://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/l ... /97281234/

What is the collecting wisdom of the brain trust here?

[silverking]

Don't really encounter them in my own fishing but I know they are thick on reefs throughout the state.

Sounds like scoping meetings on tap. If the population can sustain it (and goliaths are very susceptible to over harvest by spearfishing), a smaller slot size and limited tag program like they have for tarpon would probably be the way to go.

[xXLoneBowmanXx]

We hook into them (or at least what I believe are goliath grouper) quite frequently. My question is, are they good to eat? It seems like a fish that big would not not be very good table fair.

[THOMAS CITY CURVE]

I think they should allow the harvest of however many juveniles of what ever size sound science says the " JEWFISH " can stand on rod and reel only. Just my opinion

[fishdux]

They have become a serious pain on just about all structures offshore. We can catch them up to 500 lbs whenever we want. They steal most of our game fish and have no fear of being caught. Most of the big ones we catch have old hooks all over there mouth. Please let us educate them a little bit.

[Can'tCatchAnything]

Aren't Goliaths one of the few fish that'll prey on a lionfish?

[UFBeef]

They need to start harvesting them, I'm from S. FL and when those things move into an area they eat everything and I mean everything, they are overly abundant. I would think there are some major concerns with ciguatera eating one of the larger ones.

[Juan]

I'm also from South Florida and can remember when it was legal to catch and keep "Jewfish" . I also remember that not many people ate them because their meat was usually full of flukes / worms. Most catches went to crab and lobster traps as bait. The open season back then reduced their numbers drastically and to my knowledge there were no adverse conditions on other species. Today, it's almost impossible to fish a reef or bridge without encountering a goliath grouper. I don't think they're the nuisance here in the panhandle they are in South Florida. IMO, open season south of Tampa and limited season North and leave it that way until they reach the endangered category again.

[DEMON]

I've fished and dived the keys at least once a year for many years. Just from my personal observations when I encounter a goliath on a reef patch I never see any other life there except for lionfish. They just devastate the area they live in and of course then they have to move on to devastate another area. I think it is time for a limited harvest.