World record hogfish
Hogfish Fishing in Florida
Spearfishing for Hogfish: Florida’s Favorite Underwater Hunt
Florida’s underwater world has an array of exciting marine life, but one of the most prized species amongst seafood lovers and spearfishers is Hogfish fishing. With their crazy elongated snouts and wild colors, Hogfish provide a completely different fishing experience.
Hogfish 101: An Unconventional Beauty
Hogfish get their name from their hog-like snouts which they use to sniff around for food in the sea floor. Needless to say, but they’re a “
uniquely beautiful”
species. These freaky fish are bright pink-orange with a dark stripe from the eye to the dorsal fin, making them super easy to pick out of a lineup.
Hogfish hang out around reef areas and ledges. They eat mostly mollusks, crustaceans, and small invertebrates. The best time to go Hogfish fishing in Florida is during the months of November through June.
Catching Hogfish: Snorkeling & Spearfishing
Hogfish are particularly dope to catch because traditional rod-and-reel methods are not gonna cut it. You’ll need to swap your shoes for fins and dive in. For those brave enough to v
A Florida Spear Fisherman Set the State Hogfish Record with a 21.7-Pound Giant
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Veteran Florida diver James Michaelin was spear fishing for prized hogfish on Sept. 28, 2021 in 120 feet of water, 100 miles off Florida’s Gulf Coast. He hadn’t seen much that day, and was about to give up when he saw the bright colors of a hogfish.
“Getting close to the end of the second dive I said there’s no way I’m coming up without something to shoot [with his speargun]. I had 1,000 PSI left and started swimming away from the big [reef] structure to some smaller stuff. Right when I started to call it, I saw a big hog[fish] come to the left of me,” Michaelin told the Bradenton Herald.
The giant hogfish was curious and swam right up to the tip of Michaelin’s speargun. That’s when he took the easiest shot of his life, and shot the fish through its gills.
“I was really excited when I saw it. It was a big male, I thought about 18 pounds,” he said.
Michaelin placed the dead hogfish on a stringer and swam toward the surface where his dive partners Wil McCraney, Dave Butts, and Fred Grunden helped him a
Piggish behavior when feeding earned hogfish their name
Hogfish are strange-looking members of the wrasse family.
Their first three dorsal spines are long and trailing, extending several inches off their dorsal fin.
This species is more laterally compressed, or flattened from side to side, and more oval shaped when compared to other marine fish in the wrasse family. They have cool, red irises in the center of their eyes and a color pattern that constantly changes throughout their lives.
“The color of this species is highly variable and depends upon the age, sex, and habitat where the fish are found,” said North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries biologist McLean Seward.
“They usually range from pearl white to mottled, mixed-in with a brownish-red coloration, with a single black spot located at the back, bottom part of its dorsal fin and is paler underneath. Males are usually more vividly colored than females. Youngsters and females are more typically pale green, reddish brown, or a gray-brown color. Their pectoral fins are usually yellow in color,” he said.
Hogfish in North Carolina can grow as large as 3 feet in length, and weight up to 24 pounds. They can live up
How to Catch Hogfish
What is a Hogfish?
The hogfish is a rare and prized catch amongst anglers in the St. Pete Beach / Tampa Bay area. You can identify this fish by its long, hog-like snout. The color of these fish changes as they get older and larger. But most of the time it will be a pink orange with edges of yellow. The males will have a dark stripe that stretches across the top of their heads to the tip of their snouts. A young one will often be a lighter color with gray or pink scales on its sides.
How Big Do Hogfish Get?
Heading out for a trip on St. Pete Beach and wondering what to expect? Well, the minimum size limit is 12 inches, but if you’re in the right spot it’s not hard to bring up one that’s 17 inches! The world record for the largest hogfish is 35 pounds and the largest one ever caught in Florida came in at a record 18 pounds, 8 ounces.
Where to Catch Hogfish
When fishing for this fish on St. Pete Beach / Tampa Bay, they can be found in a variety of areas. Many can be found in areas with rocky bottoms, reefs, and ledges off-shore. In most cases, hogfish are caught by spearfishing, but with the help of the right captain, you can catch them