Video: Florida Couple Reels In Giant Grouper from Shore

A lucky couple fishing at the beach in Sanibel, Florida got a shock when they hooked a massive 300-pound goliath grouper last month. Catching such a large grouper from shore is a relatively rare occurrence, and witnesses said it took the anglers about an hour to reel the beast in.

“You would never expect that in a surf situation. You don’t catch fish like that by casting in to the surf,” Taylor Buckley, a local angler who watched the catch, told WRAL TV.

The fish was eventually released safely, but some criticized the anglers for allegedly keeping the grouper out of water for too long.

According to Florida regulations, goliath groupers must be returned to the water as soon as possible. Groupers should never be brought out of the water since their skeletal structure cannot adequately support their weight in a non-fluid environment. Measurements and photographs of the fish are allowed, but only when the fish is already returned to the water.

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