When do the Grey's come in?

[Capt.Gene]

I've been off West Palm/ Jupiter in January when there were lots of stupid grouper.
Cannot remember if it was after the full moon or after a cold front.
When does the hunting there make it worth the trip?
I already know about the pretty. Don't care about pretty.

[Dive4Blood]

Greys? Trying to build rappor using the native fish speak! Do you mean Mycteroperca microlepis, the dreaded gag grouper? ;)

[FredT]

They migrate to the south of WPB to breed, then moves back north.

Decades ago the greys came by "just off the wall" offshore WPB in an apparent river several hundred feet thick and at least that high, for about 3 days both ways. The commercial guys found where they bred about '80. It's not even a heavy line of fish now.

FT

[ScottCarullo]

Hey Fred,

I wouldn't think of Gags as free-swimming open ocean migrating fish like sails, dolphin, kings etc.

They are here year around and simply move around during the year congregating in certain areas for spawning. During the spawn they are most active and 'stupid' and are vulnerable to steel, both in the mouth and in the head.

Commercial fisheries are cut early in the year to avoid over harvest during the spawning time which I'd put at Jan-March based on what I've seen.

Scott

[Dive4Blood]

I was joking with Capt. Gene. Yes, "grey" is the nickname for gag grouper on the East coast.

[Demere]

Greys move around quite a bit. In the summer they tend to go deeper(cooler water). They move inshore just after the 1st cold fronts in the fall. There are always some around(residents) but usually only if they have a place to stay away from divers(eg deep inside wrecks/culverts etc where we can't get at them). Greys do move north and south. The story of a big spawning migration south of WPB is true. Many grouper species congregate to spawn-many well known spawning areas in the Bahamas.

[swathdiver]

Haven't been out in a while but I remember 71 degrees being the magic number. If it was 72 until 3 feet off the bottom that's where you'd find them.