IGFA World Record Broomtail Grouper Confirmed!
June 24, 2016
Several triple digit fish, mainly Blue Fin Tuna, have been caught on Kicker surface irons the past few weeks, but none as crazy as this one. Our friend Jeff Mariani of Cedros Tackle and Kayak Tours was able to hook and land this 108.9lb broomtail grouper from his Hobie Mirage Outback Kayak while fishing for calico bass off Cedros Island. The fish ate an 'Entrapmint' colored Kicker 25 Light and after a 20 minute battle, Jeff landed the beast. The current International Game Fish Association all-tackle word record, was caught by Ernesto Jouvin off of El Muetro Island, Ecuador, some 3,000 miles away from Cedros, back in 1998. Jeff's fish eclipses the previous 100lb world record by almost 9lbs, and if approved, the catch will earn Mariani the new All-Tackle world record, as it is the heaviest broomtain grouper ever recorded by the IFGA.
Broomtail grouper can be distinguished from other eastern Pacific grouper by the exserted ray on the tail, giving the fish its namesake broomtail appearance. Broomtail have a broad distribution stretch from southern California south to Peru. Juveniles may be found inshore around mangrove estuaries, while adults are typically found offshore to depths of 60 meters. They are savage ambush predators that must be quickly turned once hooked before they can retreat into structure.