In March, Susan and Beau Garot headed out with me aboard the Miss B. Haven for some Naples fishing. The mother and son, from Wisconsin, were excited and filled with anticipation about hauling in some nice fish, but they never expected to land a real monster. We cruised to a wreck just a few miles offshore and used light tackle. I also had a stout line out on the bottom to handle any surprise finned guests with real heft. Shortly after dropping anchor, we began hauling in small grouper and some Spanish. Amid the action, something huge hit the big rod, and Beau took charge. After a battle that lasted almost half an hour, the tired behemoth finally rose to the surface. Beau had caught a monstrous Goliath grouper! I estimated the fish to weigh in at around 500 pounds. I suggested to the young man that he get into the brine with his catch so that he could really appreciate its size. We took some photos and released the grouper to fight another day with other Naples charter fishing guests.
Menu