Here’s a nice current summary link of Rec Grouper regs
Posted: January 21st, 2010, 10:21 am
No doubt it’s getting difficult to keep up with all the recent regulation changes (!!!). The link below is a nice summary of the current recreational grouper regulations (for both the shallow water & deep water grouper complex).
It’s been updated as of yesterday, January 19 2010 and it’s pretty concise:
http://www.myfwc.com/docs/RulesRegulati ... Tables.pdf
This doesn’t impact us Atlantic reef fishermen but I bet a lot of you bottom fishermen who fish the Federal Waters of the Gulf of Mexico will be surprised to learn that the only reef fish you can use for grouper bait is either a sand perch or dwarf sand perch (unless it’s a legal sized reef fish species).
Hope this helps you all keep things straight.
Before I moved to Ponte Vedra last year, when I fished the Gulf of Mexico (Cedar Key to Steinhatchee) my favorite grouper bait was a big sand perch. I called them grouper candy. The larger the better.

This large sand perch was directly responsible for bringing home an 18.2 lb gag out of Cedar Key
*** edited to make the link work
Brian
It’s been updated as of yesterday, January 19 2010 and it’s pretty concise:
http://www.myfwc.com/docs/RulesRegulati ... Tables.pdf
This doesn’t impact us Atlantic reef fishermen but I bet a lot of you bottom fishermen who fish the Federal Waters of the Gulf of Mexico will be surprised to learn that the only reef fish you can use for grouper bait is either a sand perch or dwarf sand perch (unless it’s a legal sized reef fish species).
Hope this helps you all keep things straight.
Before I moved to Ponte Vedra last year, when I fished the Gulf of Mexico (Cedar Key to Steinhatchee) my favorite grouper bait was a big sand perch. I called them grouper candy. The larger the better.

This large sand perch was directly responsible for bringing home an 18.2 lb gag out of Cedar Key
*** edited to make the link work
Brian