MIAMI GROUPER FISHING

MIAMI BEACH OVERVIEW

Miami Grouper fishing is one of the most popular types of fish to catch in South Beach fishing charters. Grouper come from the Serranidae family, which also includes sea bass. Grouper have a very large mouth, a stout body. Grouper typically eat smaller fish, crustaceans, and even octopi, by using a powerful suction system and extremely strong jaws. Many types of grouper catch their pray by ambush, preferring to hide and wait for an unsuspecting meal to swim within striking distance.

There are many different types of grouper which typically range in size from 10 to 100 pounds. Goliath grouper are the largest type of grouper, the Florida record is 680 pounds. Unfortunately, Goliath grouper populations are not as popular in Miami and therefore Goliath Grouper fishing in Miami for food is prohibited. If you catch a Goliath grouper you must return it to the water unharmed by state law…but the fight is amazing.

EATING GROUPER

Grouper are a delicious fish to eat, which helps explain why they are a fish commonly targeted when fishing in Miami. Many Miami Beach restaurants feature grouper on their menu, with fried grouper, grilled grouper, grouper fingers, and grouper sandwiches being the most popular.

BEST TIME FOR GROUPER FISHING IN MIAMI

Grouper can be caught in Miami any time of the year, but most of our Miami Grouper fishing captains agree that winter is the best time to catch grouper in quantity on our Miami Deep Sea Charters.

GROUPER FISHING TECHNIQUES

Fish for grouper on reefs or wrecks of any depth. We typically fishing for Miami grouper in 80 – 120 feet, but they can be found in a variety of depths.

Miami grouper fishing is like any other kind of fishing when it comes to bait: the kind of bait you use as well as the size can largely affect the size of the fish you are targeting  Live bait seems to work best when fishing for grouper and many of our Miami fishing captains recommend using crabs, but you can also use other types of live bait such as fish or worms. You can use jigs or lures to catch grouper, but in Miami we have found that they are not as effective as live bait.

Tide can play a large roll when fishing for grouper in Miami. As the tide moves in and out smaller baitfish tend to move with it. The bigger fish like grouper tend to follow the smaller fish and therefore as a general rule of thumb, we recommend fishing in shallower water at low tide and deeper water at high tide. Bye catch for grouper are snapper, shark and yellow tail.

For more on Miami Grouper Fishing Laws and Regulations click here!