Hogfish with Capt. Frank

harbison

Hogfish with Capt. Frank
Hogfish is a unique sub-specie of wrasse capable of growing up to 36 inches and weigh up to 24 pounds. Hogfish are native to Canada, the Western Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and South America.
Many of the best chefs and restauranteurs agree that Hogfish is one of the best tasting fish to ever swim. This tasty fish is sweeter than grouper and has a flakier texture than Mahi. Hogfish primarily feed on crustaceans giving them a taste that is reminiscent of scallops or lobster.

As Hogfish are very difficult to catch on hook and line most are speared. However, if you know how, they can also be caught on hook and line.
Listen closely as Hubbard's Marina Captain Frank Bachelor tells us how to catch the elusive Hogfish on hook and line.
https://youtu.be/F5c5ahtx4rA

Many of the best chefs and restauranteurs agree that Hogfish is one of the best tasting fish to ever swim.
credits
Hubbard's Marina
Wikipedia

winderbill

Capt Frank is the best! However, he has to balance drifting for grunts with anchoring for hogs. 90% of the tourists don’t know how to catch hogs and he has to put grunts on their stringers by drifting. 

harbison

How true!
Capt. Frank is a real expert at catching/teaching hogs. However he must do what those who fish with him want. 

Nitzey

I guess I must be a tourist since I do not know how to catch hogfish.  I catch them incidentally.  But, my God, they are delicious.  Should you anchor for hogfish?  We went out recently and to our surprise, caught only one grunt, one porgy but twenty red grouper.  Unfortunately, of course, red grouper are out of season.  

harbison

Guess I am a native Florida tourist. I have never caught a Hogfish. 

bigfinn35

Nitzey said:

I guess I must be a tourist since I do not know how to catch hogfish.  I catch them incidentally.  But, my God, they are delicious.  Should you anchor for hogfish?  We went out recently and to our surprise, caught only one grunt, one porgy but twenty red grouper.  Unfortunately, of course, red grouper are out of season.  

Yup, you want to anchor and fish with shrimp or crabs on lighter bottom rigs. The hogs will usually only start biting once the grunts and porgies have had a little while to swarm the baits, so keeping them in the same place is way more effective. There's not as many hogs down south in Venice where I normally fish, but that's what I've always seen people in the know do up around St. Pete

TennesseeDave

I went on Frank's 10hr trip yesterday 11/1/22.  I caught one hogfish on the first stop and 4 big grunts later in the day.  One guy up front caught 5 keeper hogfish.  We probably had 10-20 keeper hogfish overall.  There were quite a lot of short hogfish that were tagged and thrown back.  FWC tagged over 100 fish that were sent back.  Oddballs were some remoras, a small goliath grouper (30-40lbs), and one nice flag yellowtail.  It was a nice day on the water.

harbison

Sound like a fantastic trip. Got any pics/video?
Just talked to John Martin; he is all excited about the weekend 44 hour trip. Wish you were going.  

TennesseeDave

Sorry, no pics for this trip but the 1 hogfish was tasty.  I only got a small piece.  Guess I'll have to try for some more!

harbison

Sorry about the pics. You take such good ones.  Next time!