The marine
game fish record for a red grouper, standing for over 32 years, was
recently defeated by a veteran S.C. angler.
Michael Jenkins, of Little River, SC, was fishing offshore when he
hooked into and caught a 31 pound red grouper on Friday August 15th
off the South Carolina coast to claim the new state record by only
14 ounces.
Jenkins, 50, pushed out from Little River aboard the "Fish Screamer
III" with Captain Danny Juel at the helm, and accompanied by his
son, Thomas Jenkins and a few friends. The boat, a 40 foot charter
sportfishing vessel, anchored up in about 100 feet of water, 50
miles offshore to do a little bottom fishing. Jenkins was fishing
with his personal 6-foot Penn rod and reel combo, and using a small
grunt called a tomtate for bait rigged on a circle hook with a 16
ounce sinker. He landed the 36 and a ¼-inch (fork length) record red
grouper catch in about 10 minutes. Jenkins’ catch tops the previous
marine game fish state record holder for a red grouper by 14 ounces,
which was set over 32 years ago in 1976, by Gary Frost just offshore
of Charleston. S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) biologist
Amy Dukes certified the new state record fish weight at Eugene
Platt’s Seafood Market in North Myrtle Beach.
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