(Yesterday, 10:37 PM)FCD Wrote: Bally,
I do love pelicans as birds, but boy can they be pests when it comes to fishing! Especially with small(er) fish.
edit - Regarding Grouper, you have a lot of big honkin' Grouper in your part of the world too. The ones around Oz and NZ are the Giant Grouper variety. The one I caught was a different sub-species (genus or whatever') called a "Goliath Grouper". And despite their name (i.e. Goliath), I believe the Giant Grouper (which you have) are actually bigger than the Goliath variety. I've seen reports of them reaching 400 kg (800+ lbs). They say the Goliath's can approach those weights, but I've never heard of one being caught. Mine was a 'medium' sized one (hard to believe, I know!)
Pronounced Groper here. Have seen pics of record fish. Old mate and I used to trek to some cliffs off the Pacific near Jervis Bay on the coast. His specialty was Groper. He'd catch a reasonable crab, big hook, some steel trace at the end of his heavy nylon line and heft that lot with a heavy lead into the nearest deep hole. He'd catch one, generally 15 to 20 lb. And that was his take home back up the cliff. Me, I'd fish the surface for a kingy or 2. Some other take homes might be a good red snapper or a reasonable Australian Salmon.
Back then you could fish that whole are. Now it's a fish sanctuary and Groper are a protected species in some parts.
Bally)