Where did all the gag grouper go? ‘Bittersweet’ opening to season in Tampa Bay, Gulf

With the start of red snapper season on federally permitted for-hire vessels and gag grouper for all anglers, the Gulf of Mexico was a fairly busy place on June 1.

For those who ventured in search of meat for the freezer, one species seems to be the dominant catch on a consistent basis.

Most competent Gulf of Mexico offshore anglers will tell you red snapper fishing is fairly easy. After years of strict management and short seasons, their population is at record highs.

If you can get to a spot of hard bottom, rocks, ledges or most structure past 120-feet deep, red snapper will likely be there. They’re aggressive and not picky, so fishing dead baits like squid or sardines to live baits like pilchards and pinfish often result in quick hook ups.

A limit of two per person of fish over 16 inches can be accomplished in a short time, and most captains who went out mid week did just that.

But their rocky loving neighbors gag grouper have become a different story. Our once-fertile gag grouper grounds are now spotty, and only the occasional gag grouper seems to be taken home by anglers these days instead of two-per person limits.

“This year, it’s bittersweet because the most recent stock assessment determined that gag is both overfished and experiencing overfishing,” wrote the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council on social media.

“Additionally, there aren’t enough males in the population. This negatively impacts the stocks ability to reproduce. Management changes can be expected in the next few years. So please, stay tuned because we will be asking for your help to determine the best way to conserve the resource while minimizing impacts to anglers.”

On a personal level, I have noticed the lack of gag grouper catches on historically producing spots. Many of those are now red snapper spots and that has made targeting gag grouper more difficult.

To get them you either need to fish giant baits or catch your way through the red snapper.

In response to the social media post, some gave their personal takes on gag grouper fishing varying from commercial boats getting too much of a portion to more saying red snapper are being too aggressive.

“You guys have allowed red snapper to become so overpopulated that they have taken over the reefs,” writes Blake in Texas. “I’m sure every other fish population is down due to being starved out by the snapper. We’ve been trying to tell you this for years!”

“Overfished? Can’t get past the snapper to even get to the grouper!” replied angler Doyle.

Of the nearly 200 comments, there are some blaming the resurgence of sharks which have been causing anglers more and more headaches for the past few year.

“Sharks eating a bunch of them while hooked not to mention red snappers. Between the almost extinct triggerfish and endangered sandbar and dusky its ruined fishing at many of my favorite reefs,” wrote a Florida charter captain.

With recreational American red snapper season opening June 17 it will no doubt be “ARS” limits for those heading deep. But who will find gag grouper?