Video footage surfaced Friday showing the voracious nature and explosive power of Florida’s massive goliath groupers.
But what stands out in the clip (posted below) is the angler’s hysterical reaction in the moments after a grouper devoured a bonito he had reeled to the surface on light-tackle spinning gear.
Josh Jorgensen, producer of extreme fishing videos for BlacktipH, told For The Win Outdoors that he and his crew had been fishing in the Atlantic over a sunken wreck when the scene unfolded.
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In the video Jorgensen says, “The dinner bell is ringing” as his hooked bonito languished at the surface. So it was clear they were anticipating a grouper strike.
Still, the strike occurred so quickly and suddenly that Jorgensen could not maintain his composure.
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“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!” he exclaims, before laughing uncontrollably as the grouper vanishes into the depths with the bonito.
“The grouper in the video definitely caught me off guard,” Jorgensen said. “The grouper broke me off in the wreck after it ate my bait.”
The footage was captured during an expedition several months ago, Jorgensen added.
Goliath groupers are the largest groupers in the Atlantic and can weigh up to 800 pounds.
They’re protected in state and federal waters off Florida, and anglers must release hooked fish as quickly and carefully as possible.