Snowy grouper

Are these fish in the same Genus as the black or red grouper. Should the musculature be basically the same? In short should the flesh on the dinner plate be very similar?

Snowys are VERY good food! But the limits are ridiculous

If limits are restrictive how do they show up in a high end Charleston restaurant as a special fresh catch? you know where I am going with this!

quote:
Originally posted by RLS

If limits are restrictive how do they show up in a high end Charleston restaurant as a special fresh catch? you know where I am going with this!


Commercial and recreational limits are usually very different.

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16’ Bentz-Craft Flats Boat

[quote]Originally posted by RLS

If limits are restrictive how do they show up in a high end Charleston restaurant as a special fresh catch? you know where I am going with this!

That is one of those fish that get sold out side of the “grouper” bulk category and is sold as snowy grouper, it costs more to purchase whole sale as well. They don’t bring in " catch" a bunch of it and it goes quickly. Last week they caught a bluefin tuna off the coast and that thing was sold before it hit the dock.The battle for fresh seafood in this town is fierce when it comes to the good stuff.
A high end restaurant isn’t going to sell falsely labeled seafood the extra 6 bucks they can get for is isn’t worth the risk and with all the social media the risk is high . Now if it is on a menu all the time I would be inclined to call B.S.

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Key West Stealth 150 V-max (SOLD)

lots of snowys also come from the gulf. The SAFMC was kissing up to the enviro lobby that wanted to completely close deep water fishing. They settled for stingy 1 fish per boat limit with Warsaws and speckled hinds completely closed. The idea was that in order to protect warsaws & specks from bycatch. Nothing survives the pressure change from 350’ + to the surface. The interesting thing about all this is there was never any data to prove that any of the deepwater species was or is endangered. The SAFMC should be disbanded and or start over

To answer your question. Snowy is much better than red grouper or black. Snowy is the best. Commercial sector for South Atlantic has a ridiculously high catch allowance of snowy vs recreational and the main issue the SAFMC claims here is lack of catch data from the rec side…yet that have made a very mediocre effort to create an acceptable catch data platforms for recs to use without it appearing to exist to hurt us rather than help us. States like SC have a huge disadvantage with 70-80 mile runs to snowy spots vs S Fl 3-4 mile runs or less. It is a species that can be easily overharvested and they basically don’t trust the rec quota without accurate recording. Many of the commercially caught snowys here are quite small as well. This is a prime example of the age old rec vs commercial limits argument. My main issue here is the exponential yearly increase in snowy catch allowance for commercial side. It is is really bad.

Well Charles we agree on most things, but I believe you are wrong on a few points on this one. Black grouper and scamp both sell for more money than snowy’s. They are a much better quality than snowy . They are allowed 500 pounds per trip while the season is open for snowy grouper. I do agree that the recreational catch one fish is absolutely ridiculous. Then again you know my feelings on the SAFMC. Remember these are the same. Think red snapper are in short supply

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PROUD YANKEE

Oyster Baron

NMFS = No More Fishing Season

“Back home we got a taxidermy man. He gonna have a heart attack when he see what I brung him”

Black grouper and scamp do bring more money at market than snowy’s. But I think its because they are more available and many just don’t know the difference. I have eaten snowy on the same plate with black grouper , and to my tastes snowy’s were much better. Just my opinion.

There are lots of new and exciting fun things coming from the SAFMC soon - like rec reporting and a special rec snapper grouper permit. more grouper restriction, The idea of a VMS ( ankle bracelets) is returning. Freedoms are going away

Restaurants often substitute fish on the menu with other fish that are similar. Some of the managers will admit to it if you pin them down about it. As long as they don’t use tilapia:dizzy_face:.

I’d rather fish than eat.

A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone.

In God We Trust

I really dislike being lied to about the food I’m putting into my body. The Hospitality lobby has made sure that SC restaurants have every right to lie to the public about seafood. I have written letters to the editor about this , and they refuse to publish.

The spousal unit and I went out the other night for dinner. We were meeting some friends at a local Beaufort eatery. We got there first and as soon as I opened the menu I was ready to leave. The wife asked me to stay and not disappoint our friends. The first item on the sea food section was “FRESH LOCAL RED SNAPPER”. There needs to be a law to prevent this type of false advertising. Because that’s what it is, FALSE ADVERTIZING!

ZX

this substitution thing is why I started this discussion. The High End Restaurant was having a snowy grouper special. It was so covered in sauce that it looked like SOS. Good restaurants don’t try to hide grouper nor serve it in pieces that are the size of chicken nuggets. I said nothing for fear of a kick under the table the table for showing my butt but I will not return to that downtown establishment. Hanks on the other hand was upfront before ordering with the fact that there was a substitution for grouper due to season closure.

Sellsfish and,

It will always be eater opinion on grouper quality, and snowy is hands down the best to me.
The more important point I was making that Sellsfish and others failed to comment on or research is the total weight catch allowance for snowy grouper vs rec. The commerical ACL increases at an alarming percentage and is incomparably higher than the rec. The rec season is now also a whopping 3 months long rather than all year. These were significant changes made at the same time as the ACL changes.

quote:
Originally posted by FishnBarrels

Sellsfish and,

It will always be eater opinion on grouper quality, and snowy is hands down the best to me.
The more important point I was making that Sellsfish and others failed to comment on or research is the total weight catch allowance for snowy grouper vs rec. The commerical ACL increases at an alarming percentage and is incomparably higher than the rec. The rec season is now also a whopping 3 months long rather than all year. These were significant changes made at the same time as the ACL changes.


I believe Paul hit it. Follow the money and you’ll have to agree the SAFMC and our Commercial fishery are in bed together. While they (SAFMC) complain about not knowing the Rec fishing harvest they use this as an excuse to shut us down and cator to the Commercial Side. We (rec fishers) don’t have the money ties or lobbyist that the Commercial guys do. Look and see just how related many members of the safmc are to commercial fishing.

I’d bet if SC would make it illegal for Restaurants to lie about the food they serve and start losing business the Commercial limits would increase and then they would have a hard time keeping the Rec limits down like they are. IMO.

Grouper cheeks are where its at!

I like a smaller snowy better than the larger ones. But I also enjoy eating about at 26in scamp the best, large enough to a thick filet, but not so thick its difficult to cook through.

Its not 500 its 200 pounds per trip