FISH I.D. in Manasqaun inlet sunday

[hudsonfisherman]

I'm sure that the wealth of accumulated knowledge here can solve this fish I.D. question. The fish in the photographs was spotted while I was doing my other version of fishing with my hand held GoPro in the Manasquan inlet this sunday. My son and I went in with tanks on at around 9:30 from the seawall by Carlsons and headed east. It was almost High tide and the wind was still light. I spotted this fish in a hole about 100 ft east of where the jetty meets the seawall in about 17 ft of water. So far most of the people who I've shown the pictures to think its a juvenille grouper of some sort. I dunno. It was about 8 inches long from tip to tip and the fins were all the same color as the body. Here is a link to the 12 minute highlights video of our dive you can see this fish around the 1:24 mark followed by a Tang and then lots of tog and other interesting stuff. Check out the fluke at 8:45, I was kicking with everything I had to keep up with him as he headed back down into the channel. So if you want to see what the fish were doing Sunday - they didn't care about the 20 kt WNW that kicked up while we were in the water !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUT7IR50uI8


Neil

[BottomBouncer13]

Baby snowy grouper?

[Fin Reaper]

That looks like someone cleaned out their fish tank :D

[hudsonfisherman]

Ha ! My youngest son said that whatever it is maybe there's going to be thousands of them next year and they are going to eat all the tog and we'll be having tournaments to hunt them down like the lion fish - the next invasive species !

[Fin Reaper]

Several years back a father and son pulled a 2 pound black Piranha out of the river in Hackettstown.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Yep Snowy Grooper.... I've seen reports of them being caught while fishing for SeaBass and Togs.

[shrimpman steve]

Snowy grouper is correct.

[hudsonfisherman]

Yeah thats it for sure. Looked it up and confirmed what I saw. So I guess this one forgot to go south or thinks it can make it through the winter in that hole ? Maybe it could survive the temperature but unless he eats mussels there isn't going to be any small prey around when the bergals go deep. I should have scooped him up for someones aquarium but I'm sure I would have been in violation of some season, size or catch limits if I did.....

[blynch]

You know whats crazy about that fish head in the video? This was weighed in at Hoffmans recently...

https://www.facebook.com/186639368036308/photos/pb.186639368036308.-2207520000.1414527579./858227850877453/?type=3&theater

(for anyone who can't see, it's a sword with the bill cut off)

Great video

[stevelikes2fish]

Snowy Grouper, been several caught in the back in recent weeks.

[acl1075]

Groupers and box jelly in the squan!!!!
I wonder if sandy had anything to do with this

[Fish Tank]

great ,great video.really enjoyed it,thank you.tommy joseph

[hudsonfisherman]

I'm glad that your all enjoying the video, you are welcome. It was the intent of the dive and we were fortunate that conditions allowed us to play around that day...... Blynch, you are right it's crazy with the fish head ! I couldn't believe it when I saw the picture from Hoffmans, yup, Thats the one ! I attached a composite photo.... My son and I were debating how barren the rocks get in the winter, so we were contemplating a new years dive. Then we can see whats wintering over.