Groper’s grab a sight to see
AMAZING footage of a 200kg- plus groper swallowing a queenfish near Lucinda jetty has been seen by more than 5000 people.
Jeff Wilton was fishing in his boat near the jetty and got a big shock as well as losing his dinner when the 1m queenie was engulfed by the resident groper.
“The video doesn’t actually do it justice, I think the groper was at least 250kg,” he said.
Mr Wilton, who lives in Lucinda, spends a lot of time fishing, so he knows the area well.
He said the huge fish had its home somewhere near the jetty’s structure and often stole angler’s catches.
“There’s a family of them down there,” Mr Wilton said. “I believe there’s a big male, which this one was, a slightly smaller female and another smaller one too,” he said.
“Talking to the locals, everyone knows they’re there.
“I’ve seen them a few times but I’ve never seen it come to the surface like that.
“Normally it would come up and have a look but not take it that close to the surface.”
The video ends as soon as the queenfish is eaten and the fight with the groper was short- lived. Mr Wilton said he let it run for a bit but realised he had no chance of stopping it so he snapped the line before he was spooled.
“I wanted my jighead and soft plastic back but I didn’t want too much line to be left in the water,” he said.
“I just had to snap it off.”