What time to catch Grouper? morning or evening fish

[Foxfishing]

Hi

I went fishing in Jervis bay recently and caught a grouper early in the morning around 5:30am with crab. 

just wondering if Grouper is also around during middle of the day (Full sun)  and if they are around at night time? 

I usually fish around Sydney- eastern suburbs in NSW

Cheers,

FoxFishing

[noelm]

Groper will feed almost anytime, but I find early morning, or late afternoon the has a high tide best, they will come right into gutters close to the rocks to hunt crabs. A fresh Red Crab is practically irresistible to a Groper, fished live, or cut in half and anywhere there is deeper water close to shore, no sinker, a strong 3-4/0 hook and hang on.......

Edited January 15, 2023 by noelm

[noelm]

Just to add, they are not fantastic eating, and very strict bag limits apply, so, unless you really need a feed of flavourless fish, that have armour like scales, best release them if possible, not saying don't keep one, but just think about it.

[Pickles]

A great fighting fish. As @noelmsays (black & red) crabs are the no1 bait. Can be collected off the rocks. If you can dive & collect purple urchins & crush them as burley they will go absolutely nuts. If you dive and crush them open underwater, you’ll have them eating from your hand BE CAREFUL WITH URCHINS THEIR SPINES BREAK OFF EASILY and seriously hurt.

[wazatherfisherman]

Welcome Foxfishing plenty of Groper along the eastern suburbs ledges and plenty throughout lower Sydney Harbour. Great advice from Noel and Pickles above especially the urchins as burley and Red Crabs for bait.

Groper are most active towards high tide when they can access crabs (their favourite food) and often come into really shallow areas searching for the crabs, low tide they are usually fished for on the bottom. Plenty of times over the years we've had them swim within a meter or so of us while fishing wave swept ledges where the Red Crabs are- time of day isn't really important in my opinion

[noelm]

I used to fish now and then for them during winter from a boat, some live Red Crabs (catch them yourself, observe any limits) and fish any offshore reef system, caught some rippers over the years. Rig is simple, about 30-40 pound hand line, a 4/0 suicide hook and a tiny bit of lead to just "get down", hook the crab about the middle of shell towards the back, let the line hit the bottom, then lift up a bit, and just hold the line or leave the hand spool on the floor. Strangely enough, Groper are very timid biters, you will feel just a bit of weight and the line will just move off. When hooked, they are extremely powerful, any ledge or hole nearby will see them break you off in no time, there is no time for gentle tactics, it's all out war, hang on and gain line when you can. I have eaten them many times, near impossible to scale, must be skinned, and they have firm, white flakey flesh, with no flavour what so ever......great for people who don't like fish! I never keep them now, somehow (and I know this sounds corny) but they look almost "sad" when caught.

Such  a grand fish to see diving, a big Blue Groper will often swim right up to you and can be hand fed, if you can find a crab or break open a Sea Urchin, that's why there was a ban put on spearing them years ago, they were "sitting ducks" at times, and I have speared them decades ago, looking back it was not something I consider a great moment, but, we have all done things in the past that on reflection we might not do now, but at the time........kind of like old time fishing competitions and stuff like that, it was just "how it was done" .

I know a spot at Bass Point that has some huge resident Blue Groper, a couple well in excess of 20kg, one has a few hooks in his mouth, but from the rocks, you would never land one that big. If you knew where it was, you can see them, late afternoon from the rocks.

[Rebel]

Welcome aboard.

I have only caught them early in the morning, rock fishing.

Always release them.

Cheers.

Edited January 16, 2023 by Rebel

[noelm]

Just talking about Groper, out the front of my place, in about 15m of water, there is a rocky depression in the bottom, it's almost just saucer shaped, and made out of rocks about 30cm across, there is bugger all there, just bare rock, no weed, nothing, yet there is about a dozen big Groper there, no idea why the choose to live there, maybe it's just close to a ready source of crabs? I see them all the time, maybe it's just a place they go to "play"?

[Pickles]

5 hours ago, noelm said:

I used to fish now and then for them during winter from a boat, some live Red Crabs (catch them yourself, observe any limits) and fish any offshore reef system, caught some rippers over the years. Rig is simple, about 30-40 pound hand line, a 4/0 suicide hook and a tiny bit of lead to just "get down", hook the crab about the middle of shell towards the back, let the line hit the bottom, then lift up a bit, and just hold the line or leave the hand spool on the floor. Strangely enough, Groper are very timid biters, you will feel just a bit of weight and the line will just move off. When hooked, they are extremely powerful, any ledge or hole nearby will see them break you off in no time, there is no time for gentle tactics, it's all out war, hang on and gain line when you can. I have eaten them many times, near impossible to scale, must be skinned, and they have firm, white flakey flesh, with no flavour what so ever......great for people who don't like fish! I never keep them now, somehow (and I know this sounds corny) but they look almost "sad" when caught.

Such  a grand fish to see diving, a big Blue Groper will often swim right up to you and can be hand fed, if you can find a crab or break open a Sea Urchin, that's why there was a ban put on spearing them years ago, they were "sitting ducks" at times, and I have speared them decades ago, looking back it was not something I consider a great moment, but, we have all done things in the past that on reflection we might not do now, but at the time........kind of like old time fishing competitions and stuff like that, it was just "how it was done" .

I know a spot at Bass Point that has some huge resident Blue Groper, a couple well in excess of 20kg, one has a few hooks in his mouth, but from the rocks, you would never land one that big. If you knew where it was, you can see them, late afternoon from the rocks.

Couldn’t agree more Noel, once hooked, you’re not sure if it’s a fish or the Manly ferry (or a submarine). I haven’t fished for them for years, but don’t go any lighter than 50lb mono on an Ugly stick out of the boat, never fished for them off the rocks.

Edited January 16, 2023 by Pickles

[Foxfishing]

Thanks all for the insight. 

Outside of work and family committments most of the time i only get to fish very early weekend or night time on weekdays. 

So was wondering if I should go fish for grouper at night time

 

Sea urchin as bait is interesting...  i might give that a go some time 

Cheers 

[noelm]

Never caught one at night, though I have seen them "sleeping" during night dives, so I am not too sure they are active at night. Early morning seems the best.

[Pickles]

8 hours ago, Foxfishing said:

Thanks all for the insight. 

Outside of work and family committments most of the time i only get to fish very early weekend or night time on weekdays. 

So was wondering if I should go fish for grouper at night time

 

Sea urchin as bait is interesting...  i might give that a go some time 

Cheers 

You can’t use sea urchin as bait, only burley - there is no way you could keep it on a hook and once crushed it filters (dissipates) in the water as fine particles.  If you could workout how to keep it on the hook you would have groper fishing wired.