# Jewper on fly



## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

> Off and on for a few years now there's been talk of how well the goliath grouper (jewfish for us older guys) population has recovered.  I'm finding them up on the flats in lots of places where you'd normally find snook and reds in Whitewater and Oyster Bays out of Flamingo.  It's gotten to the point where we're sightfishing them in less than two feet of crystal clear water.  Here's a photo of one taken on a purple and black tarpon fly last week.  It weighed 11lbs on the Boga before being carefully released...
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We've been seeing them all over flamingo as well. On Monday, one of my friends caught 2 on a Rapala X-rap, and another friend caught another one.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Do we go with a catch and slot limit....along the lines of 1 per boat
                   30 to 40 inches make that pounds.

                                                

                           Be plenty of fillet for everyone.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Here's my take on it and I said this in open session in front of the FWC a year or two ago....

I never want to see any commercial fishery for them. I never want to see the big ones killed again since that's what almost wiped them the last time (and if there was any legal market anywhere, there'd be a huge illegal market generated to restaurants and fish houses...). The big ones are just too easy to kill. They're absolutely fearless, very territorial, that's how divers with power heads and commercials with heavy gear were able to hammer them in relatively shallow waters. When it was last legal to kill one and bring it to market they were only fetching $.50 (that's fifty cents...) per pound. A one hundred pound fish was worth $50.00. Take a half dozen off of one wreck and you can see just why it occurred...

After careful research and the fisheries biologists giving the thumbs up, I'd like to see a modest slot limit, say 10 to 20 or 30 lbs, with only one allowed per vessel or per angler, whichever is the smaller amount. If the fishery was ever re-opened there should be on-going research to verify that the population continues to grow (although at a slower rate...).

Now for the bad news, they're also protected under federal statute (I believe). So whatever the state does we'll have to wait until the federal types concur, which might be long in coming.


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## REELKEEN (Mar 24, 2009)

I scubadive and spearfish on a regular basis at least twice a month over in the north gulf. There are sooooooooooo many jewfish out there.

I would like to see a alligator tag type system for them. Limited harvest that is easily trackable by the FWC. just my .02 cent.


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## REELKEEN (Mar 24, 2009)

> Now for the bad news, they're also protected under federal statute (I believe).  So whatever the state does we'll have to wait until the federal types concur, which might be long in coming.


Not sure if I agree with that statement. 

Within state waters (less than 9 miles) on the gulf side. I'm not so sure the federal statutes apply here. Federal waters are greater than that distance.

Kind of similar to Tarpon in Lousiana. They are legal to spear there but are considered a sportfish in Florida and are against the law to take. One of those federal vs state things.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

And like all things in the food chain,
the little ones are much better tasting than the big ones.
And much less toxic.


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## tom_in_orl (Dec 9, 2006)

> I would like to see a alligator tag type system for them.  Limited harvest that is easily trackable by the FWC.  just my .02 cent.


X2

Deer
Gators
Tarpon
Jewfish


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## telltail (Mar 11, 2007)

Cool stuff Capt Bob. We've been also been having fun taking the 12 wt. out for em in the Gulf. Tight lines...


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Since I'm mostly fishing in a National Park the problem about a federal closure is very real for me...

At any rate they've come back strong but it will take a regulators a while to come to any action... No good bureaucrat ever takes a chance. They'll dot the I's, cross the T's, listen to every argument.... then reach the conclusion that "more study/research is needed before any decision is reached". I may not live long enough to see any change....


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## HaMm3r (Dec 11, 2006)

I bet that was fun on fly!


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## BigAlPachecko (Nov 27, 2008)

How was the fight?


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## OSWLD (Apr 20, 2008)

Yeah they have become a bit of a pain. Everytime we go offshore and dive ledges to spearfish and lobster, we always end up on a ledge with one huge jewfish on it. And thats it. No lobster, no snapper, nothin. just a big fat jewfish that ate everything you were after.

I'm not sayin kill 'em all by no means. i definitely agree with the gator tag idea, just control the population a little.


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## billhempel (Oct 9, 2008)

I've caught several small one's (5-8lbs) in my limited fishing in the Ten Thousand Islands. These were on a plastic bait resembling a baby Mullet. This was while casting edges in moving water for Snook. I go along with Bob about opening up some sort of season for them.


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## Canoeman (Jul 23, 2008)

Regardless of the outcome of opening a fishery, I think it's extremely cool that the next time that fish is caught, it may outweigh and out pull my boat.


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## billhempel (Oct 9, 2008)

Like that photo in the grass. My daughter's family lives up in Jax. too


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