A Bradenton-area fisherman caught a giant yellow edge grouper, just short of a world record, while deep-sea fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Florida record for yellowfin grouper stands at 34 pounds, 6 ounces. The world record is 47 pounds, for a fish caught in the Gulf of Mexico off Texas in 2021.

According to DNR, the grouper is only 10 lbs. short of the world record, caught off Alabama in 2012. It is the first state record for the species, according to wildlife officials.

A Yellowedge Grouper caught by Jian Feng Li (center) in Poorman's Canyon off Ocean City became the first state record holder for that fish. It weighed 38 pounds and was 43 inches.

Other grouper: Harvest opens May 1 in Atlantic waters. Includes red grouper, black grouper, scamp, yellowfin grouper, yellowmouth, coney, graysby, red hind and rock hind. Harvest closes Jan. 1, 2025.

Texas angler Dace D’Onofrio caught his first fish in May while out in the Gulf with his father Michael. It was a black grouper, and the fish was recently certified as a new state record in the ...