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Introduction
The Eastern Blue Groper (Achoerodus Viridis) is a member of the Wrasse family who inhabit close inshore reefs and rocky headlands. The Groper is one of many fish who change from female to male at some time during their life. The females are found in a brown/red colour. They are born a lighter brown and as they grow older they turn darker in colour and then turn blue. This transition usually occurs when a fish reaches between 6 and 9 kilos in size. The male Groper (blue in colour) can reach weights of up to 50 kilos but a fish of20 kilos is regarded as a good one. The spearfishing boom pre the 1980's resulted in the Groper becoming on the verge of extinction. Groper are a slow and inquisitive fish that make an easy target for spearfisherman. Due to the very low numbers of these fish, fisheries had to place a spear fishing and line fishing ban on these fish. Ten years later fisheries allowed two fish to be caught per person per day by line only with spear fishing still banned. This is currently the same. Through diving in a number of spots in Sydney it is good to see the Groper in vast quantities in many different locations. It is also very encouraging to see thousands of groper under 1 kilo swimming around. This gives us a good sign as to the future of the Groper and the fisherman who want to target this species. In this report I will explain the techniques and tackle used to capture these trophy fish and places where they can be caught as well as rock fishing safety while fishing for them.
Safety
As with any other type of rock fishing, Groper fishing needs to be treated the same. Fishing the rocks can be quite dangerous and a good understanding of the water and what to do if an accident does occur needs to be known. There are a number of safety things that myself, and the blokes I go Groper fishing with (Paul Cooper, Dean McWhinney, Fred Legg and Dave Hilliard) all use while rock fishing. Firstly, rock plates. These are simply iron plates that get screwed onto the bottom of a pair of shoes. These stop you from slipping around on the weedy and slimy rocks that you often fish upon. Secondly, a wetsuit. This would be one of my most favoured things. Groper fishing requires you to get wet, close and into the water. Much of our Groper fishing gets done in the winter where westerly winds flatten the water and enable us to fish rocks which normally don't get fished with a bit of swell. In a fifty-knot westerly, being soaking
wet standing in a pair of boar dies and a T-shirt is not a good. idea. I do all my rock fishing in a wetsuit as it keeps you warm and comfortable (there's nothing worse than being in a wet shirt all day) as well as protected when you do get bowled over by a wave or washed against the rocks when diving for sea urchins for burley. Especially in winter where the water gets around the IS-degree mark a wetsuit is something I never accidentally leave out of the pack. Wetsuits will help you swim and stay afloat in the case that you do go into the drink. I use a full-length surfing steamer in winter and a 'springsuit' in summer. These are usually 3 millimetre wetsuits and enable you to keep warm as well as being well able to more around. Most surfing shops will stock these and it's just a matter of looking around for the best deals and a size that fits you. Thirdly, a good knowledge of the water is something that is needed. I have been living two minutes from Maroubra beach since I was born and have practically been brought up on the water. At 16 years of age I can get down to the beach and into the water once or twice a week for a swim, surf, dive or fish. Most of my mates and I have completed surftraining or have completed the bronze medallion training (lifeguard). This is a great asset when Groper fishing, as it helps you read the water and know what to do when something goes wrong. A good local knowledge is something that is really good as well. You can decide depending on the wind and swell which spots will be good and which won't be, as well as knowing which part of the rock may be more dangerous than the other. Knowing the local conditions is something that really comes in handy. If you are fishing somewhere new, wait for a while and check it out to see ifthe conditions allow you to fish it. Always fish with one of your mates, for safety reasons and it's just a lot easier to have two people when diving than the one.
Gear
Groper are a specialist species that require specialist gear. The simple K-mart rod and reel won't do the job. Groper are dirty fighters and when hooked will run straight into the reef and try to rub you off. Even being extremely strong, it is often hard to hold out on these larger specimens from reaching the reef and a bust up can occur. There are two set-ups that our little Groper team uses, the 80-pound outfit and the l40-pound outfit. The 80-pound outfit is the outfit that I use. This is mainly because I am smaller and not as strong as Paul or Dave. I only weigh 65 kilos unlike Paul and Dave up towards the 80-90 kilo mark, bit of a difference! Both setups are custom built to suit the way we think will perform the best.
The 80-Pound Outfit
This consists of a 5120 Snyder Gl,ass rod, You can use a Pacific Composite blank as well, but I prefer the Snyder Glass mainly because it is a blank that I am extremely happy with. I make my own Groper rods but the other guys usually get them built up. The 5120 is cut down to 8-9 foot and fitted with a 6" wooden butt. This is built up using the strongest Fugi guides on the market. Don't go for anything cheaper as you will want the strongest and best quality gear on the market because your rod will cop a lot of strain and a good beating. The reel that we use on this is always an Alvey. These are the superior reels for this type of fishing, as you need the winch capabilities and something that can put up with a lot of strain. The Alvey Snapper reel or other solid fibreglass Alvey reels in the 6.5-inch size is the go. I prefer to have the handles fixed to the spool as it means you can control the drag (or lack of). You are able to free spool and then winch when you want to, rather than having the flick around with switches on the back of the reel. The reel should be filled with 37 -kilo (80 pound) line. Do not use any of those new braided lines as they snap easy when rubbed along the rocks. I use either Maxima or Tortue. I find these the two superior lines to use.
The 140-Pound Outfit
This set-up is a lot the same as the 80-pounder except a lot beastier and stronger. This is for the really strong guys who are able to snap 140 if they get snagged (not me). Again it is a Snyder Glass blank. This time it is an 8 wrap cut down to about 8 foot and fitted with a 6" wooden butt. As you can imagine it looks a lot like a broom pole but really stops the fish. Again it is set up using the highest quality Fugi guides. We are testing the idea of possibly using game gear guides, as the highest quality normal guides seem to be bending a little under the stress of a fish. Not much to worry about but something that could be improved upon. Again an Alvey Snapper reel or fibreglass Alvey in the 6.5 inch size is great. Fill this with 140 pound Tortue and you are in business with a decent big Blue Groper stopper.
Terminal Tackle
You don't really need much gear in terms of this. The main thing when purchasing all this is to get quality hooks. I have seen a number of times a person losing a fish because a Groper straightened their hook or snapped it in half because it wasn't top quality. The Gamagatsu or Mustad 'Live Bait' hooks in the 5/0, 6/0 are the best ones to use. I have straightened a Mustard 'Big Gun' hook on a fish of about 10 kilos. I have also seen the 'Big Red' snapper hooks snap in half. So if you are going to fish for Groper, get quality hooks. It may cost you a little more, but you won't lose many fish on them. Although I have semi straightened a 3x Live Bait hook on a fish estimated 18 kilos. You will also need a hook sharpener, a number of ball sinkers (something large enough to get you to the bottom) and some ofthe largest size barrel swivels available. An alternate to this is to use game fishing swivels but these can be a bit more costly, but both types of swivels will hold a rampaging Blue. You will also need a facemask and snorkel, pair of gloves and something to get sea urchins out of crevices from (usually a screwdriver). A bait bucket and burley bag (fish bag) is also needed.
Bait
Red rock crab is the number one bait to use. These can be picked up around the rocks on low tide in and around small rock pools and crevices. This is the only bait I have pretty much ever used and done very well on them. Other baits that have been used are Cunje, sea urchins or the insides of catseye shells. But out of all of these the crab fishes the best. The main thing for Groper fishing is the use of burley. If you don't burley you will more often than not get nothing. Sea urchins are the gun burley. Take you face mask and snorkel, gloves and screwdriver and jump into rock pools and holes and you will find plenty of sea urchins. You will find a wetsuit great for this especially when jumping into IS-degree water. Get ten or so urchins and put them into your burley bag. When doing this, just watch out for the Green Eels, as they may like to have a bit of a chew on your finger. . . ouch. Also watch out for lobsters. If you see them don't be afraid to grab them, they don't have any claws and you have gloves on to protect you from the spiny backs. We normally have one person diving for the urchins while the other person swimming or standing next to them holding the burley bag. When fishing it is a simple action or crushing these urchins up and throwing them or kicking them into the spot where you want to fish. They will sink to the bottom and remain there and create a scent that attracts the Groper. Just throw you crab into the middle ofthem. Often times you will sea the fish turn up sniffing the urchins and take off with your crab.
Location
There are a number of places that you can go Groper fishing off. It is hard to tell you exactly where to go but I can give you some good indications as to where fish may be hanging. When I go fishing I look for rocks that are right on the water level and are quite deepish. Water between the 10-40 foot mark is good. You should look for a spot with a nice flattish clean bottom and where there aren't too many reefs and holes around. The depth you wish to fish at should be right off the front of your rock. You should not have to throw out to reach your required fishing depth. This is because Groper love to be in places where crabs and urchins are common and this is along the ledge you are fishing on. You will also need a nice fishing rock to fish off because you need to be able to dig your feet in and hold on. The best way to find fish is to be easily able to move around. Keep looking around until you find a rock that looks good to fish in. If you fish one spot and have nothing turn up, go for another dive, get some more urchins and go and fish another good looking spot.
Techniques
Well once you have got all your sea urchins and crabs you have done half of the work. The best rig to use while Groper fishing is either an unweighted crab (when it is dead flat with hardly any water movement) or enough lead to get to the bottom. A simple sinker running up the main line to a swivel and a foot of trace to the hook is the best way. The best way to put crabs onto the hook is to take off the back legs on one side of the crab, push the hook through the leg
socket and out through the middle ofthe body. When Groper fishing you don't need to cast out far. You are throwing burley at your feet so all you need to do is lob your bait at your feet or where your burley is being thrown. Often times the seas are flat and clear enough that you can clearly see the bottom you are fishing on. You can see the urchins and the crab on the bottom as well as being able to see a big Blue Groper swim around your bait. This is enough to set the adrenaline off. You have to be aware that if you can see him, he can most likely see you and any sudden movements or even just the shadow on the water can spook the fish and he'll take off at 100 miles an hour not to be seen again that day. When a Groper does turn up step back off the rock and keep your finger on the line to feel for bites. A Groper bite is pretty distinguishable from other species. The smaller browns tend to quickly pull, jerk and then run off with your bait. They are the more active fish. A big Bluey bite is a bit different. You feel heavy thuds or pulls. When you feel this wait, this only means the fish has the bait in its mouth and is chomping or tasting it. Wait for it to swallow the bait and slowly move away. You will feel a weight on the end of your line and slowly see your line move through the water. Give it a couple of seconds and strike. The bigger fish seem to move off with the bait a lot slower than the smaller fish, but the key to hooking these fish is to give them plenty of time to get the bait down their gob. You must control yourselffrom striking as soon as you feel the bite, but learn to give it time. I have done this on a few occasions due to over excitement and all you end up doing is pulling the hook out of its mouth or lipping it to later pull out.
Once you have hooked up the fish the challenge begins. Groper are a fish that in any danger will run towards the reef or hole to find cover and safety. Sadly this means they'll do this when you hook them up as well. They will rush for cover as soon as you sink that hook. Your task is to stop them. This is the reason for the heavy gear. Groper are a very strong fish and therefore require heavy gear. When you hook up you need to dig your feet in and hold on. You must not give them any line at all because every metre you give them is a metre closer to a bust off on a reef. As soon as you hook them you must wind. No matter what happens keep winding. I remember the first time I went Groper fishing with Paul. I was 13 at the time and was given a ten-minute lecture by him and Fred with the main point being pretty obvious, no matter what happens, you keep winding. That was pretty much the best advice given to me while Groper Fishing. This is the challenge of Groper fishing that I enjoy. Being able to go one on one with something big that has the capacity to really drag you around. Strength V s strength is the aim of the game. You test your strength to the strength of the fish. This is something that I quite enjoy. It is very difficult to try and stop a IS-kilo fish from gaining 5 metres to a reef, no matter how heavy the gear is. There is an advantage in being bigger and stronger. Paul is the strongest Groper fisherman I have seen and his best is a 25 kilo cleaned bluey. He dragged this fish up in little under 15 seconds. My best is 12 kilos cleaned and was most likely caught in less than 20 seconds. I pulled out of a fish that would have been about 18 kilos when I had it on the surface waiting' for a wave to wash it up. This was a little disappointing but it gives me confidence to know that I can get big fish even though I am smaller than the other guys. I think my arms were stretched an inch or two larger by the end of it. The main thing when trying to pull these fish up is to wedge you feet in and put your whole body weight behind the fish and keep winding. When the Groper is hooked it will go for a hard run or drive to the reef. If you can stop this and get his head up you should most likely be able to get him halfway to the surface before he tries again. This drive wont be as hard and just hold him and keep winding. Once he is on the surface he swill splash around a bit, but wait for the right wave to wash him up onto the rock. When the fish is on the rock place your fingers under the gills and lift him up and take him over to your gear.
Conclusion
This has pretty much covered every aspect of the way that we fish for Groper. OfCourse there are other ways to catch them, but this has been very successful and resulted in many big fish being caught. These fish caught have been taken from the Eastern Suburbs in Sydney where the terrain to fish in is quite rough but where plenty of Groper have taken residence. The adrenaline that goes through you when you get that solid bite, then the run and finally the hook up and fight is unbelievable especially when you get to test your strength on one ofthe monsters ofthe deep (or not so deep... 10ft??). It is a very exciting and enjoyable day to be able to go for a dive or a swim and get ten sea urchins and crabs and have a shot at the Groper. It is a great sight to see a big bluey pick your crab up off the bottom and move away, and then after you have caught him it is something that you can tell the guys at work (or school) about the next day. I have had some of my most enjoyable fishing days when I have been able to go down and have a dive, maybe get a lobster and then pick myself up a nice sized Groper. It is a method of fishing that is hardly used but quite successful and for me has resulted in some memorable catches and hours of enjoyment. Groper fishing is something that is well worth trying.