The Best Black Grouper Charters

Our Damn Good Guides currently offer 131 black grouper trips, and the most popular trips are Open Ocean Big Game - 42' Sea Ray guided by Bryan, Freeport Run - 38' Luhrs guided by JT, and Going Deep - 35' Sea Hunter guided by Michael.

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Deep Sea fishing is the most popular for black grouper as well as nearshore fishing, inshore fishing, and flats fishing.

The most common fishing techniques are bottom fishing, trolling, and light tackle fishing but heavy tackle fishing and live bait fishing are popular as well.

for black grouper prices can range anywhere from $300 to $3,000 and up, but the average price for a half day for black grouper is $1,241. The average price for a full day for black grouper is $2,787.

The most popular season for black grouper fishing is spring, and most anglers book their trips 38 days in advance.

See here for more information on black grouper fishing licenses, black grouper bag limits, and fishing season regulations for black grouper. When in doubt, your fishing guide will always know the right black grouper rules and regulations.

Black grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci), also known as black or marbled rockfish, is a marine member of the grouper subfamily. It is often confused with the gag, misty, and Warsaw grouper. They are the largest keep-able member of the groupers, and are known for their strength and fast reflexes, giving them the nickname the “freight train”

They have a meaty, oblong body, with spiny dorsal and anal fins that have dark blue or black borders. They range from olive to gray in coloration and have dark, brassy spots on their head and sides. Their tiny eyes sit on a large, blocky head, with their lower jaw extending out.

Black grouper are protogynous hermaphrodites, which means that they are all born female. Once they reach the size and age of sexual maturity, at around ten years, some will turn into males for reproduction purposes.

Some rumors say black grouper can grow to over 50 inches long, and over 170 pounds, but the average catch is usually only a little over two feet in length, and between five to 20 pounds.

According to the IGFA, the world record for black grouper is 124 pounds. This monster was pulled out of the Gulf of Mexico near Texas, on January 11th, 2003 by Tim Oestreich II.

There are reports of a man named Alex Newman, who caught a black grouper weighing 124.18 pounds near Fort Myers, during a charity fishing tournament. However, it was not recognized by the IGFA.

Black grouper can only be found in the western Atlantic Ocean. Juveniles can be found as far north as Massachusetts, and as far south as Brazil. The best places to catch adults are in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and near the Bahamas.

No matter where you go, black grouper will tend to gather near offshore wrecks and reefs, coming into shallower water between 30 and 120 feet deep during spawning, and 120 and 250 feet year-round.

The best chance you will have at catching a black grouper is between May and August. This is when they come into shallower waters to spawn. Having them congregate in bigger groups, and lower water levels will help you to target and catch them.

However, the big trophy black grouper tend to stay in deeper water. Heading towards water 120-250 feet deep in the spring and winter will be the ticket, especially during a cold front, which is when they become their most active and hungry.

Grouper are well known for their impressive strength. This makes it important to come prepared with some heavy-duty gear. A reel that can withstand a minimum of 20 pounds of drag, an 80-pound braided line, or 100-pound leader is necessary.

When it comes to bait, grouper aren’t very picky. Their biggest preference is the smellier, the better. Some options include baitfish like speedo mackerel, tinker mackerel, and yellowtail snapper, alive or dead. Keep in mind that persistent chumming, as well as keeping the depth of the hook in the bait shallow, can make all the difference.

Once you have prepared your bait, drop it right to the bottom where grouper like to hide among the coral ledges, rocks, and wrecks. Then get ready, as grouper are known to suck their food in whole. As soon as you feel that tug, get ready for a fight.

It is important to muscle up these tough old fish as quickly as possible. Allowing for slack, or time for them to swim off only gives them the means to get away into their hidey-hole among the sharp rocks and corals. The longer it takes, the more you’re increasing the odds of a cut line.

Black grouper is highly revered as one of the best fish to eat out of the ocean. It can be described as a mix of bass and halibut in taste. The meat is firm, with large flakes, and is very juicy.

There are many ways to prepare and serve grouper, for example in a sandwich, or served as the main with greens, potatoes, and hollandaise sauce. However, the resounding winner is to serve black grouper with lobster and shrimp. It pairs well due to the grouper’s natural diet of shellfish.