Fish identification

[audsley]

Just when I think I've got these SOC fish and their multiple names figured out, something happens to make me doubt myself.

Is this a sardinero?



Is this a leopard grouper?


Or are leopard groupers and sardineros one and the same? And if so, which is which, and what's the other one?

Thanks for anyone willing to help a new guy who might be regressing.

 

[Dawg]

Don't know but NICE fish!

 

[audsley]

WOW! Somebody has a keyboard!

Here's what I think I know. Sardinero is what locals in Puerto Lobos call leopard grouper. The fish in the first picture is one of those. It's the second picture that has me stumped. When it was caught, I quickly pronounced it a "leopard grouper" because of the spots and vague similarity to the grouper family. At the time I didn't know that sardineros and leopard groupers were one and the same. (I should have simply asked our local fishing compadre. He would have known.)

I considered the possibility that the second fish, which is a little smaller than the first, could be less mature and in an earlier color phase. But the fins and tails on the two fish are different. So that leaves me with the question of what is the second fish? I've been to Mexfish.com a couple of times but haven't found it.

By the way, pay no attention to the dates and times on the photos. I've since fixed the calendar and clock in my camera. Those fish were caught trolling last weekend near Puerto Lobos, along with several smaller sardineros, some Sierra mackerel and barracuda.

 

[Stuart]

Top fish, yes a "sardy" or sardinero. Also commonly referred to as a leopard grouper.
Bottom fish - Gulf grouper. Colors and spots (or lack thereof) can vary between fish, but dorsal fin is the telling mark.

 

[audsley]

Thanks, Stuart.

 

[Kelney]

I was more fixated on what type of lure was used to catch the gulf..

 

[audsley]

Same lure that caught the other fish. We were fishing for sardinero (leopard grouper). I did not know gulf groupers would hit lures near the surface. I had thought gulf groupers were bottom fish to be fished for with bait.

 

[Kelney]

That lure has quite the bill on it so I imagine it should run down about 25' or so? How deep was the water? I have a couple of large lures but have not used them as the larger variety of fish in RP tend to run much deeper than the lure could dive.

 

[Stuart]

Deep divers work well for grouper on the troll in Lobos because it's not as deep. Lures like these will get down 50 ft., but they cost a pretty penny, too. These are crying lures, because that's what you'll do when you lose one! There are some other big deep diver brands out there, but again, open your wallet. They are generally rigged on heavy steel cable.

It's not that they don't work in Rocky Point, just that the good grouper reefs are all much deeper. You can troll Rapalas over reefy areas in Penasco not that far out and catch sardinero and grouper, they just aren't going to be big fish. I've caught smaller sardinero at Bird Island trolling Rapalas along the Widow Makers.

http://store.mannsbait.com/Hard_Baits/Hard-Baits-Saltwater/Giganticus-50

 

[jmcdtucson]

The grouper in my avatar was caught about a mile out from Encanto trolling a rapala (probably running 6-10 feet) in 20-30 feet of water.

 

[Stuart]

The grouper in my avatar was caught about a mile out from Encanto trolling a rapala (probably running 6-10 feet) in 20-30 feet of water.

Proof positive of what I said. They do work; you just need to troll 'em in an area that is reefy enough to hold fish. And for much of the close-in shoreline/shallow areas, it's all sandy bottom.

Nice fish, jmcdtucson! I have a buddy that lives near Santa Barbara in Cali and I have seen him get on his surfboard and paddle out to a reef just beyond the surfline, drop a swimbait, and catch fish that size for dinner. He knows **exactly** where that spot is!