The featured Gulf catch and cook species for May 2025 is the Grunt!
White Grunt are fun to catch and delicious to eat! White Grunt can be caught in the Gulf year-round! Grunt are easy to catch and can provide fun for the whole family.
Read on to learn how to catch White Grunt and make a delicious meal!
Fun Facts
- Grunt are named so, due to the grunting sounds they make when grinding their teeth together.
- Grunt have the ability to change their color to match their environment.
- Grunts will push against each other’s open mouths to assert dominance.
Species Profile
The White Grunt (Haemulon plumierii) also referred to as the Key West Grunt, is a common bottom-dwelling fish found in tropical coastal to offshore waters. They are found through the western Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of America (formally Gulf of Mexico) and the Caribbean Sea. The Haemulidae family of fish includes two subfamilies, grunts and sweetlips, with around 133 related species of fish around the world. The closest related grunt species are the Blue-striped Grunt and the French Grunt.
Appearance
The White Grunt has a light blue-gray body that often fades to a yellow-white belly. Narrow horizontal blue and yellow stripes can cover the body, but are more apparent on the head of the Grunt. They have a large mouth and thick lips, with the mouth having a red color when open. The have an elongated body shape, a forked tail, and a ling sharp snout. The dorsal fin has multiple sharp spines and fins can range from brown to grey to yellow. Each scale is bronze colored near the front and fades to grey near the posterior edge. They white Grunt can undergo camouflage, changing its color to match its local surroundings, from dark grey to pale yellow.
Habitat
The White Grunt is most commonly found inshore, near the coastline, to the outer reef edges in tropical waters. They are bottom dwelling fish, that frequent depths from the coastline to 3o ft, but can be found in waters up to 115 ft deep. Juveniles will live inshore in shallow nursery habitats, such as seagrasses beds, mangroves, or wrecks. Adult Grunts often form schools, with other grunt and fish species (grunts, tangs, snapper) further offshore. They can be found on sandy bottoms, reefs, wrecks, rock structures, or docks. They typically feed at night, migrating to reefs or sandy bottoms, then move away from structure during the day. Grunt are typically found near the bottom of the water column, moving close to the sea floor.
Biology and Life cycle
Grunt are smaller fish that can grow up to 18 inches, but average 8-14 inches in length. Average weights fall around 5.5 lbs but a maximum weight of 9.7 lbs has been reported. The white grunt reaches maturity around 3 years of age, and they can live between 9-12 years. The growth rate of the grunt is the fastest during the first 30 days! Grunt spawn throughout the year, with peaks in May and June off the coast of Florida. They prefer to spawn offshore near hardbottom’s or reefs. Grunt typically target shrimp, mollusks, and crustaceans but are opportunistic feeders and will eat small fish as well. They may also graze on small animals found on pilings, rocks, or platforms. Grunt are often eaten by barracuda, sharks, and other large fish species such as Snapper, Grouper, and Spanish Mackerel. They have pharyngeal teeth in the back of their throats that they grind together to make a grunting sound. They typically do they when they are distressed or in danger, such as when they are caught by fishers. They have a strong lower jaw, with small, dense, blunt teeth along the jaw.
Catch
To maintain a healthy fishery, it is important to use sustainable fishing practices when catching and releasing fish. A Florida fishing license is required to land all saltwater species in Florida regardless of where they are caught (state or federal waters). Florida fishing licenses require a fee, however, fishing licenses from a shoreline are free. Both types require you to register for the license on the FWC website which can be found here: https://license.gooutdoorsflorida.com/
Habitat
- Common in 0 – 30 ft water depth, can be found in waters up to 115 ft in depth
- Prefer inland coastal waters (i.e. seagrass beds, reefs, sandy patches, mangrove roots, and artificial structure)
- Target prey such as crabs, shrimps, and small fish.
Season and Regulations
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- The white Grunt is an unregulated species, with fishing in the Gulf State waters open year-round.
- There is no bag limit for the White Grunt, but you are limited to 100 pounds per day.
- There is no minimum size limit.
Fishing regulations can change frequently, always check current FWC regulations before fishing. Regulations can be found here: myFWC
While you always hope to catch “The Big One” small fish are often caught during a fishing trip. If your catch is smaller than the regulations allow make sure you return them right. Fish should be returned to the water as quickly as possible and resuscitated. Learn more about the Return ‘em Right program here.
If in deep water (>50 ft) a descending device should be used to help the fish make it home. Using best release practices will help the future of your local fishery!
Descending devices are required when fishing for reef fish. You can get a free descending device sent to you by following this link: https://returnemright.org/
Methods
Hook and line, spear, bow, gig, cast nets, and seines are all legal ways to catch White Grunt. It is ILLEGAL to use chemicals, explosives, or bang sticks, for unregulated species. Grunt are often caught and used as bait for other, larger fish species such as grouper and snapper.
Hook and line fishing
The most common way to catch White Grunt is with hook and line fishing. Grunt are plentiful and can be caught year-round in inshore or nearshore waters. Grunts can be caught on flat sandy or hard bottom, or in seagrass meadows but larger Grunt common reefs, structure, or artificial docks/piers. They are opportunistic feeders and can be caught with live, dead, or artificial baits. White Grunt commonly stay near the bottom of the water column, so bottom fishing is best!
Bait
Below are some great bait choices for targeting White Grunt:
- Shrimp
- Squid
- Cut/small bait fish
- Artificial jigs
Tips and Tackle
When fishing for reef fish in the Gulf it is required to use non-stainless steel, non-offset circle hooks when using natural bait. A dehooking tool and descending device are also required for fishing in federal waters. If you are not reef fishing other hooks can be used.
Grunt common the bottom, so using weighted leads to get your hook to the bottom is recommended.
- Target areas with some structure, such as reefs, docks, wrecks, or mangrove roots.
- Using a Chum bag can help attract the fish to you.
- Using light tackle and a weighted line can help disguise the line from the fish.
- The best hook sizes for White Grunt are #1 to 3/0 hooks.
- 20 lb monofilament line works best inland to hid the line, but maintain strength to catch the Grunt.
- 30-60 lb test can be used if targeting larger grunt offshore, but may scare them away.
Spearfishing
Grunt can be caught by spearfishing but are not always the main target, as they tend to be smaller than other targeted fish. They often live in shallow coastal waters near docks or structures, making them easy to target. Their plentiful numbers and large schools make them ideal for hunting.
As the spearfishing method requires you to estimate the fish size, Grunt serve as great practice to estimate fish size underwater, as they have no size limit. You can practice hunting fish species of non-regulated sizes, like Grunt, to become more comfortable with this skill! Grunt are also delicious to eat!
Spearfishing can be conducted while scuba or free diving. Always take precautions to be safe when spearfishing. It is best to go with an experienced diver or be trained before attempting this method.
For best fishing practices and to learn more fishing tips, tricks, and regulations check out the free Florida Friendly Angler course: Florida Friendly Angler Certification Program
If you want to go fishing but don’t have a boat of your own, fishing charters are a great option! You can find a list of certified Florida Friendly Fishing Guides here: FFA Guides
Cook
In the Gulf, White Grunt is currently considered a sustainable seafood choice as it is plentiful and classified as least concerned.
White Grunt is a delicious fish to eat, with white flakey meat. Grunt fillets are often small, due to the size of the fish, but if you can catch a couple they will make a great meal. Personally, White Grunt is one of my favorite fish to catch and eat!
It can be prepared in a variety of ways, fried, grilled, sautéed, steamed, and more! Below is a delicious recipe for cooking up your fresh catch:
Blackened Grunt Tacos
Serving size: 2 fillets
Ingredients:
Blackened Fish
- 2 White Grunt fillets
- ½ Tbs Blackening Seasoning
- 1 Tbs Olive Oil
Mango Salsa
- 1 mango, peeled and diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt and pepper to taste
Sauce
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 Tsp Siracha
- 2 soft Taco Shells
Instructions:
- Season the fillets with the blackening seasoning on both sides.
- Heat olive oil in a nonstick pan on medium-high. Once heated add both fillets and cook for 1-2 minutes on both sides or until the fish is not transparent, also called opaque, throughout when tested with a tip of a knife. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- For the Salsa, dice the mango, red bell pepper, red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro.
- Combine ingredients in a medium bowl and squeeze the lime juice over the mixture. Toss gently to combine all ingredients. Set aside.
- For the sauce, combine the Greek yogurt, lime juice, garlic, and Siracha.
- To assemble, warm the tortillas, place a piece of fish in the center of each tortilla, add a generous spoonful of mango salsa, drizzle with the prepared sauce, and enjoy!
*Serve with lime wedges on the side.
Additional topping can be added or substituted to fit your taste:
- Try shredded lettuce or cabbage for a crunch.
- Add additional toppings such as diced avocado or guacamole and extra cilantro if desired.
Next month sneak peek!
Our featured Gulf Catch for June is the Red Snapper!
- Red Snapper are a bright red in color!
- The oldest Red Snapper is thought to be 57 years old!
Do you have a favorite Red Snapper recipe or a photo of you with your catch? Share it with us for a chance to be featured as a photo or recipe of the month! Submit here
More information on the Stock assessments can be found here: NOAA Stock Assessment
Check out the past Gulf Coast Catch and Cook blog posts!
Have a question? Ask the Author!
For more detailed information, contact your local University of Florida Extension Office.
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