Herk wrote:
Most people wouldn't be caught dead trying to call that fishing. Those fish don't have a chance. There's no sport in that, especially using heavy rope and having a power boat drag you away from the cover. If you want to do something worth bragging about, get yourself a rod and reel and your kayak and catch one without assistance. What you are doing is getting real close to being against Florida statutes. Goliath grouper are a protected species and it's clear that you are clearly targeting them. Think about it. Video tapes make great evidence.
Normally I don't get on here and defend myself when it comes to my videos, because at the end of the day I'm out there to have a good time, which needs no defending, however when it has to do with accusing me of violating a Florida protected species regulation I will absolutely set the record straight. You are correct that it is illegal to harvest, possess or land a Goliath Grouper per FL Statutes. However there is an exception to the rule, for state research purposes. Before you accuse you may want to skip to the end of the video where the fish was tagged with a state issued research tag. All fish caught that day were tagged and released with tags issued by the State of Florida. That was the mission for the day, to tag and release Goliath Grouper. Hand lining is the fastest way to get them up, tagged and released. We could've used a rod and reel which would've taken 10x the amount of time and put way too much unnecessary stress on the fish, but thanks for your concern.