Catch Goliath Grouper

• 1). Decide whether you will use a private boat or charter a commercial boat. Most mature goliath grouper like crevices, rock formations and artificial or natural reefs. If you don't know where to find these types of structures, or if you don't have a boat suitable for water a few miles offshore, find a Boca Grande sportfish to charter. Check the Pine Island Marina in St. James City for charters.
  
  
• 2). Get a fishing license. Florida law requires all anglers to have a license. If you're going on a public charter, it's likely that the charter boat company has taken care of this for you. Always check; most bait and tackle shops will sell licenses, and you can also purchase one online from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
  
  
• 3). Find underwater structure. Again, if you're chartering a boat, the captain will take care of this. If you're in your own boat, use your boat's GPS to locate the structures in the Boca Grande area.
  
  
• 4). Cast using live or fresh bait. The largest shrimp you can find or 6-inch strips of freshly dead squid work well; you can also use smaller bait to attract smaller fish and, in turn, use them for bait.
  
  
• 5). Set the hook, play the fish and reel it in. Make sure you're using 30-pound line (or heavier) and a large enough hook. Grouper are notorious for twisting line around rocks and other objects, so if you're paying out a lot of line, that may be what's happening. In most cases that will mean you're going to lose the fish - along with your bait, hook and a good chunk of line. Practice and repetition is the only thing that works to land a goliath grouper.
  
  

Bringing The Fish Aboard

• 1). A goliath grouper will not, as they say, "go gently into that good night." Rather, it will fight you at every turn. Use your gaff to spear the fish before you try to bring it aboard.
  
  
• 2). Hoist the fish over the gunwales. You may need a second person for this; enlist the aid of a fishing buddy or, on a charter trip, a crew member. Don't worry about this too much. If you land a fish large enough to require two people to bring it aboard, you'll have an audience and the crew will be there, ready to help.
  
  
• 3). Use the hook puller to get your fish out. The hook may or may not have bait attached.
  
  
• 4). Put the grouper in the cooler.