Fooling Florida's Favorite Demersal Delicacy

THE AVAILABLE FISHERIES ACROSS FLORIDA’S GULF AND ATLANTIC WATERS undoubtedly vary from one region of the peninsula to the next, but a commonality across the state’s tropical latitudes is the presence of live reef. While grouper and snapper remain top targets along these dynamic ecosystems with tremendous biodiversity, there is perhaps no demersal species anglers would rather throw on ice than the heavily pressured hogfish.

- Matt Arnholt

Remaining rather elusive to anglers armed with rod and reel outfits, hogfish have long been highlighting the menus of restaurants across the state. It is a relatively new trend, but Floridians and tourists alike are engrossed with the flaky white flesh yielded by these unique fish. While hogfish are known to inhabit waters around the state and frequent coral reefs, rocky ledges and wrecks in a wide range of depths, capturing these delicacies with traditional fishing practices has proven to be a challenging pursuit. Hogfish are more commonly harvested by spearfishing enthusiasts, as the curious nature these fish often display makes them fairly easy targets.