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Old 08-16-2018, 09:49 AM   #16
kmoose
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Re: I give you the endangered Goliath Grouper(s) !!

Just for shits and giggles, How many GGs do we think should be harvested on a limited basis? One guy told me he thinks everyone with a saltwater license should get to harvest one per year and believes there would be plenty left.
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Old 08-16-2018, 10:08 AM   #17
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Re: I give you the endangered Goliath Grouper(s) !!

I'm not convinced we should have an open season on them. Maybe a tag program. How many? Beyond me. Another option would be a slot. What size? Don't know. 24"-36"? I don't think I'd want to eat a 500 pounder.

I do find it funny FWC always looks to the South Florida population, yet ignores the Gulf Coast population. They are not on every bit of structure here, but they're getting there. It's pretty common for me to see them on ledges.
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Old 08-16-2018, 12:48 PM   #18
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Re: I give you the endangered Goliath Grouper(s) !!

Straight out of Steinhatchee there's an AR that had has huge concrete tanks and other rubble. Inside one of the tanks I counted ten jewfish. Around the area that's about the size of a small home, were numerous other Jews, probably close to fifteen to twenty. This is in thirty ft of water.
Never got bothered by them and we let them alone. Sometime soon, our big brother in the land of fishing regulations, needs to open up a short season on these guys. The mentality may not change until a diver is seriously hurt or killed.
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Old 08-16-2018, 02:04 PM   #19
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Re: I give you the endangered Goliath Grouper(s) !!

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Originally Posted by searaydiver View Post
Never got bothered by them and we let them alone. Sometime soon, our big brother in the land of fishing regulations, needs to open up a short season on these guys. The mentality may not change until a diver is seriously hurt or killed.
Even if there were a couple serious injuries or deaths I don't think it would make any difference on the regulatory side. Its just too hot/divisive of a topic for law enforcement or politicians to stick their noses in it. The reward just isn't worth the costs for either of those groups. I seriously doubt there will ever be any legal harvest.
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Old 08-16-2018, 04:41 PM   #20
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Re: I give you the endangered Goliath Grouper(s) !!

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Even if there were a couple serious injuries or deaths I don't think it would make any difference on the regulatory side. Its just too hot/divisive of a topic for law enforcement or politicians to stick their noses in it. The reward just isn't worth the costs for either of those groups. I seriously doubt there will ever be any legal harvest.
I agree. But honestly, as stated before, if they start getting aggressive with me, I WILL have to defend myself and "stand my ground" - and I doubt the ACLU or NAACP or NAAGG (National Association for the Advancement of Goliath Grouper - hey, I like that name!) would come after me, because any video of it would never get out.
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Old 08-16-2018, 08:54 PM   #21
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Re: I give you the endangered Goliath Grouper(s) !!

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I agree. But honestly, as stated before, if they start getting aggressive with me, I WILL have to defend myself and "stand my ground" - and I doubt the ACLU or NAACP or NAAGG (National Association for the Advancement of Goliath Grouper - hey, I like that name!) would come after me, because any video of it would never get out.
Rogers on that!
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Old 08-17-2018, 06:20 AM   #22
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Re: I give you the endangered Goliath Grouper(s) !!

I think there would be more reported injuries from inexperienced shooters dropping a line shaft into 400 lb toad and getting dragged into a wreck or getting wrapped up. It’s nothing the dive community needs to be involved with.
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Old 08-17-2018, 09:05 AM   #23
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Re: I give you the endangered Goliath Grouper(s) !!

I’d be a hero and use a pole spear.
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Old 08-17-2018, 05:25 PM   #24
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Re: I give you the endangered Goliath Grouper(s) !!

Lucky for us that only Hook and line fisherman ever kill off the GG!
If it was suspected that spearfisherman EVER killed a GG we would probably have even more restrictive legislations enacted against us all....
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Old 08-17-2018, 06:12 PM   #25
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Re: I give you the endangered Goliath Grouper(s) !!

Yeah the only shot will be for H&L harvest. I'd like to see a tag program for five thousand or so fish from this side of the state. IMO like every other animal that has no fear they are becoming a little to brave. Not sure about a slot bc some of those old big bastards are the ones with no fear. My dad was around when you could harvest them (or so he says) but he says they used to move off the structure when a diver dropped in. Now they come to welcome you.
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Old 08-17-2018, 06:18 PM   #26
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Re: I give you the endangered Goliath Grouper(s) !!

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Yeah the only shot will be for H&L harvest. I'd like to see a tag program for five thousand or so fish from this side of the state. IMO like every other animal that has no fear they are becoming a little to brave. Not sure about a slot bc some of those old big bastards are the ones with no fear. My dad was around when you could harvest them (or so he says) but he says they used to move off the structure when a diver dropped in. Now they come to welcome you.
Exactly, and that's why a couple years of open season, 1 per trip, kind of makes sense to me. The aggressive ones could be culled.
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Old 08-17-2018, 07:03 PM   #27
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Re: I give you the endangered Goliath Grouper(s) !!

The idea for a very limited GG harvest with a tag system using a slot size was extensively vetted by FWC over the last year. They must have spent 100k or more taking their dog and pony show around the state. The proposal was for hook and line harvest only.

The tree huggers showed up, the fisherman and divers did not (for the most part) and there is no harvest and I doubt it will even be considered for several years. Now add in the effects of the current Red Tide.. we are lucky there are any GG left in the Gulf.

I went to the one meeting and a lady got up pleading to the staff to not allow terrible fisherman to kill her favorite GG who she had named! The individual fish was now a pet, not a harvestable resource. The whole exercise looked like a joke to me.
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