# 359# Warsaw Grouper



## bluemarlin (Jan 30, 2008)

I received this email and wanted to share...

> > > November 13, 2007 THIBODAUX , La.--A medical student who blindfolds his friends to keep his favorite offshore fishing spot  secret has come up with a record-beating fish -- a warsaw  grouper weighing 359.1 pounds.  The giant hauled in by J.J. Tabor of Thibodauxis 12 ounces  above the previous Louisiana state record, a state biologist  confirmed.  It's been cut down to fillets. The first fillet weighed 53&nbs p; pounds, Tabor said.  He caught it near an oil rig 70 miles south of Fourchon, 
in  400 feet of water. He won't give a more specific description.  'It's J.J.'s secret,' said Jo e y Rodrigue, a friend from Baton  Rouge who joined Tabor and Tabor's father, Jo hn , on the  record-making trip Saturday. 'I don't even know where I  was. He blindfolds us on the way out.'  Tabor said he thought at first that his hook with a live  hardtail on it had hit the bottom 'until I felt the big head  shake.'  Rodrigue steered away from the rig.  'I put myself in a harness and just had to lay back and fight,' J.J. Tabor said. 'It was about a 15 or 20 minute  fight.' 

 Tabor cleaned the fish late Monday afternoon outside his father's auto repair shop in Thibodaux . 'We'll split it up,' 
he said. 'I'll make some phone calls and try to get rid of  it  fresh. The rest, we'll vacuum pack it and cook it later.' 

 Tabor says he believes the fish is about 33 years old. He  plans to send an inner-ear bone called the Goliath to a  university in Florida where researchers can help determine  the age of the fish. He hopes to get the results in about  four weeks. 
The world record, caught off Florida in 1985, is 436 
pounds,  12 ounces.


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## Nitro (Jan 30, 2008)

That's a pretty darn good day on the water.


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## JoeyWommack (Jan 30, 2008)

Forget the warsaw, how about them SCAMP!!


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## nickel back (Jan 30, 2008)

JoeyWommack said:


> Forget the warsaw, how about them SCAMP!!



AMEN ON THAT.......


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## Jim Thompson (Jan 30, 2008)

my lord that is a lotta fish


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## captbrian (Jan 30, 2008)

my boss' dad caught one back in the day off panama city that was 356#.  caught it on a  black-face 6/0 hand crank.  

the biggest one i've caught was 109 gutted weight. that was brutal, and i don't ever want to do it again.


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## Dixiesimpleman32 (Jan 30, 2008)

so thats a grouper like the ones hanging beside it?man thats a bigin are you sure its not a jew fish?


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## bluemarlin (Jan 30, 2008)

The ones beside it are mostly Scamp Grouper and some of the best tasting fish in the ocean. (The streamers off the tail give them away)
The size of the Warsaw is amazing and you would think it was a Jewfish. The jewfish has large round peck fins. I think they are way off on the age of that fish... I'd bet that fish is close to 100 years old. A true dinosaur.
There are soooo many different types of grouper. The Warsaw usually lives in deep water. The last one I caught was in 600 feet.
Tight lines.
Brad


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## dawg2 (Jan 30, 2008)

http://cbs11tv.com/video/?id=22870@ktvt.dayport.com

Here is the video!


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## larpyn (Jan 30, 2008)

Wow. what a fish.
those pics bring back memories of a warsaw that was posted on a spearfishing forum  that i am a member of. this warsaw was speared at 425' deep and weighed 405#'s i searched and found the pics. i like diving but i am not chasing fish at 425' deep. no way.


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## JoeyWommack (Jan 30, 2008)

I wander how the meat on an old pig like that fares?


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## meriwether john (Jan 30, 2008)

caught bunches in the 200lb.+ range when i worked offshore--was a deck hand for garber bros. out of berwick/morgan city. we ate 'em and they was tasty. sold some to fish markets but most was cooked on the boats.


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## Browning88 (Jan 30, 2008)

I know you can't keep a Jewfish.  What exactly is so different about them?


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## JasonF (Jan 30, 2008)

Simply Awesome!!


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## miller (Jan 31, 2008)

How many scamp and gags do you think that monster ate in his life?


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## redneckcamo (Jan 31, 2008)

whats all those other fish compared too that monster .???  bait ? what a haul ....


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## captbrian (Jan 31, 2008)

Browning88 said:


> I know you can't keep a Jewfish.  What exactly is so different about them?



they are 2 different species of fish. 

jewfish






warsaw


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## puredrenalin (Jan 31, 2008)

Great day on the water, and even better lookin rig...How long is the Contender, the 31, 33 or 35?  

Those grouper are absolutely huge!!!! Congrats man!!


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## Browning88 (Jan 31, 2008)

captbrian said:


> they are 2 different species of fish.
> 
> Ok, thats what I figured but wasn't all that clear.  The pictures really help to compare he 2 side by side and a noticeable difference was there. Thanks again.


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## JoeyWommack (Jan 31, 2008)

capt brian....is that warsaw pic from destin?  looks familiar..


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## larpyn (Jan 31, 2008)

Browning88 said:


> captbrian said:
> 
> 
> > they are 2 different species of fish.
> ...


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## captbrian (Jan 31, 2008)

JoeyWommack said:


> capt brian....is that warsaw pic from destin?  looks familiar..



came from anna maria island.  caught by team galati from galati yacht sales. 

http://www.galatiyachts.com/news.asp?nav=88101&chsid=12201&


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## Dixiesimpleman32 (Jan 31, 2008)

down in carrabelle youcan buy a order of grouper throats at restaraunts.i bet that grouper throat was huge.yeah we normally catch those scamp groupers when we go out and fish.we only go out 10 miles or less.


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## Rem 742 (Feb 3, 2008)

Uh. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## deadend (Feb 3, 2008)

larpyn said:


> Wow. what a fish.
> those pics bring back memories of a warsaw that was posted on a spearfishing forum  that i am a member of. this warsaw was speared at 425' deep and weighed 405#'s i searched and found the pics. i like diving but i am not chasing fish at 425' deep. no way.



That is Dan Macmahon from Tampa.  That fish was a project for him to spear that took several years of planning to execute.  Amazing what a single banded freeshaft can do with correct shot placement.  Dan is a legend and spearfishes for a living.


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## RJ0104 (Feb 15, 2008)

thats kinda scary that there are fish out there that are that big, and look, just a little guy like myself would be just a snack for him! thats crazy, BUT, awesome!


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## swamp hunter (Feb 16, 2008)

Dang Jewfish are killing us down south here. Every time we release a snook or red on the inshore reefs GULP, there they go. Had one try and snatch a 45 lb. cobia while I was fighting it. He was chasing that cobia around like it was a giant zara spook . Also got a problem with them tame dolphin They all act like flipper. come right up to the boat and wait for a handout. Anything you hook while they are around , they,ll snach right off your line .Anybody got a recipie for them!


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