Some fishermen have been known to exaggerate their catches, but no embellishment was needed after a fisherman landed a 350-pound Warsaw grouper off the Florida coast, according to the FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.
That is a “big old fish,” according to the group’s Facebook post.
The grouper reportedly was caught by hook and line Dec. 29 off southwest Florida in 600 feet of water, according to the FWC.
Biologists associated with FWRI’s Age & Growth Lab believe the grouper was 50 years old.
The status of the Warsaw grouper population in the Gulf of Mexico is unknown, according to the Facebook post, so the FWC does not encourage targeting the species.
The record for the largest grouper caught in Florida is about 440 pounds.
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