Red Grouper (Epinephelus morio) are a mainstay of the bottom fishery in the Florida keys. Nowhere else in the Florida Keys produce more Red Grouper than Key West. They may be found in shallow state waters, federal waters and the Gulf of Mexico.
For the fisherman that wants to take home a mess of good eating we suggest that you include Red Grouper in your request for the days fishing. We specialize in bottom fishing, see our Carts Full of Fish page, where we target all groupers and snappers as well as many of the pelagic species that frequent our waters.
The generous bag limits of the Red Grouper makes it a special target for the hungry fisherman. These fish are available during all months of the year however they may not be taken during the months of February and March. Red Grouper range in size up to the current I.G.F.A world record taken by Barbara Martin (Bersch), a whopping 26lb giant.
Red Grouper Eye
Red Grouper are known to be extremely aggressive, often taking bait before other nearby species have a chance. You can see in our Fishing Videos how curious and even outright fearless the Red Grouper is. We even managed to film a Red Grouper eating a Pinfish in our Dry Tortugas Underwater Part 1 fishing video.
Live bait is definitely not the only method to catch Red Grouper. Due to their aggressive nature it is very common to catch Red Grouper using Jigs. A Red Grouper will find it almost impossible to resist a well presented jig. Other methods, especially lures, will work as well.
Red Grouper are fine table-fare and may be prepared many different ways. Recipes for cooking Red Grouper as well as other types of fish can be found on our Weekly Recipes page.
Red Grouper Photo Gallery
Red Grouper Fishing Locations
Dry Tortugas
The Dry Tortugas is the last, great vestige of sportfishing in the northern hemisphere. This remote group of islands are surrounded by more than ten thousand square miles of fishing resources that have remained relatively untapped due to the time that it would take to cover this vast and remote area.
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico, for our purposes, begins at the North side of the flats, along the lower Florida Keys and includes a portion of the Florida Bay, continuing to the West and North of the Dry Tortugas, encompassing more than 5000 square miles of fishable water within range of our hi-tech, offshore boats.
Key West
Key West offers the sportfishing enthusiast the largest variety of gamefish in the world. Other locations will argue that they are the sportfishing capital of the world, or the best for this species or that particular fish. There are more “I.G.F.A. World Records” from the waters of Key West than the next closest, several locations combined.
Marquesas
Marquesas is a magical word that conjures thoughts of tropical breezes, emerald green water surrounding a tropical island paradise. A ring of islands surrounded by acres and acres of pristine water and shallow flats where giant Tarpon, Permit, Bonefish, Mutton Snappers, great Barracudas and monster Sharks of all kinds prowl the flats.
