Grouper Season in the Mediterranean
It’s Samuel from Israel.
Great catch my friend! It looks like Epinephelus akaara, one of the most expensive groupers in Japan. It habits in rocky bottom. It takes a lot of skills and luck to catch such a big one.
[highlight1 variation=”orange”]Rod[/highlight1] Evergreen Poseidon Slow Jerker 603-3
[highlight1 variation=”orange”]Reel[/highlight1] Shimano Ocea Jigger 1500HG
[highlight1 variation=”orange”]Line[/highlight1] Shimano Ocea EX8 PE1.5
[highlight1 variation=”orange”]Leader[/highlight1] Seaguar FXR fluoro #8
[highlight1 variation=”orange”]Jigs[/highlight1] Seafloor Control Rector 240g, Spunky 150g
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Hi Totos,
My friend said “the grouper’s have arrived!”
This sentence echoed in my head all week, and after 2 weeks without fishing, I found the time to go. Before departing I prepared Gawky and Crancky in every weight 180 to 300g. One of them would be the winner!
The basic 603-3 with gawky 180 was the one, this beautiful grouper followed my jig 10 m above the earth, which was probably my luck because I succeeding in lifting his head before he went back to his reef. After 30 minutes, followed a second grouper (2kg), sadly I lost him when I tried to pull him on the boat by hand, next time I will use the net.
To finish off on the way back to the marina, I stopped at a wreck with my friend and we each picked up 2 baby amberjack’s (there was a serious band), no big ones there, but an excellent sashimi on the menu…
I love that game my friend, but I have to tell you that I feel very lucky when I succeed in bringing back a nice fish like this. I have lost so many, that I didn’t manage to bring on to the boat … So I think I should change the line for PE3 at least. What do you think?
I went this Friday fishing in 120 m for the first time, it was exciting, especially when I had a bite, probably a monster grouper, that again I couldn’t bring onto the boat, and again it broke my line…
Totoooos! I need a solution…help me! You will tell me: rich peoples problem?!! No no no, it’s not the Caribbean here, each time I go fishing it’s a real battle to have a bite, it’s very competitive here.
Samuel
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I know exactly what you mean. How many times have I regreted that I was not using heavier tackle or when a big one contacted? But then again, it’s maybe because I was using finesse that the fish liked it. Using heavy tackle clearly gets less contacts.
I think you are playing a great game, my friend. If the fishing is so easy to catch many numbers and big in sizes, it would not be this fun.
See my follow-up on this post.
[fancy_link link=”http://anglers-secrets.com/v2020/slowpitchtactics/”]How can I catch a monster?[/fancy_link]
Hi Samuel nice catch!
well like Totos said. u win some and u lose some.
im not denigrating big catches of any fish on light line.. but most of the time it is luck.
it just so happens that the big fish didnt swim into any structure.
in fact at deeper water you have more chance of landing bigger fish as the structure in deeper water is often smaller(save for the occasional large sea mounts) than in shallow reefs.
but that being said if u hook up a big fish and he is close to the bottom, hit your reel into freespool or back off the drag.. this works very well for pelagics
but not so well for groupers..
groupers tend to instinctual head back to the nearest structure after getting food even in a natural situation.
But maybe u can consider loading PE 2 instead?
oh and Totos the link is not working 🙁
Hi Samuel
What a great fish it’s such a great feeling when it all comes together and finally a fish comes on board. I have had this problem with our WA Dhufish losing so many with the fine lines we use making it so hard to turn there heads away from the sharp reef that robs us of our beloved SFC jigs. I have come to the conclusion that as much as it hurts it’s just part of the game, I just wish it wasn’t so expensive. In fact I have just bought a lighter 1.5 pe outfit. I managed to get out fishing the other day and it was extremely hard to get any contacts so I used the 1.5 and caught a baldchin grouper. I think without going lighter I would have gone home empty handed and I persisted all day and only had this fish and a Bonito tuna but still returned home with a smile and the satisfaction of catching fish using jigs.