On May 23, 2015 Jon Black was fishing with his friend Ben Chancey, who hosts “Chew On This” TV – a popular online fishing program. Their mission was to catch a giant goliath grouper from a kayak for an episode of the show. They succeeded.
With the camera rolling, Jon Black didn’t know what he was in for when the fish hooked up. “I knew it was big, but I didn’t know it was that big!” the fisherman said. The fish turned out to be the largest known goliath grouper ever caught from a kayak.
Since filming the colossal fight and putting it online, the video clip went viral fast and was picked up by NBC’s Today Show, which aired on May 27. It shows Jon Black fighting the grouper next to a bridge that connects Fort Myers and Sanibel Island, Florida. Despite breaking the angler’s fishing rod, Black was able to land and measure the fish – which was 83 inches long with a 73-inch girth. Calculations put the fish at 552 pounds. The now famous goliath grouper was released unharmed and in accordance with conservation laws.
The video has appeared on many other television shows and websites since it first aired. According to “Chew On This” TV host Ben Chancey, “The attention this fish received is amazing and it has generated a lot of interest in fishing from kayaks.” Chancey promises that some upcoming ideas for “Chew On This” TV will be equally amazing.
Jon Black caught the fish from an Old Town Predator MX kayak using a live Jack Crevalle on a circle hook in 23 feet of water. At Crazy Lure Tackle Shop, the bait store Jon Black owns in Cape Coral, Florida, he now has a big fish story to tell his customers.
To view the Today Show clip, visit www.today.com/pets/wild-fish-tale-whopping-552-lb-grouper-caught-kayak-t23046. For more information about “Chew On This” TV and Old Town Predator kayaks, visit www.chewonthis.tv and www.predatorkayak.com.
The Old Town Predator MX kayak is a product from Johnson Outdoors, a leading global outdoor recreation company that turns ideas into adventure with innovative, top-quality products. The company designs, manufactures and markets a portfolio of winning, consumer-preferred brands across four categories: Watercraft, Marine Electronics, Diving and Outdoor Gear. Johnson Outdoors’ familiar brands include, among others: Old Town® Canoes and Kayaks; Ocean Kayak™ and Necky® Kayaks; Carlisle® Paddles; Extrasport® Personal Flotation Devices; Minn Kota® Motors; Cannon® Downriggers; Humminbird® Marine Electronics; LakeMaster® Electronic Charts; SCUBAPRO® and SUBGEAR® Dive Equipment; Silva® Compasses; Jetboil® Outdoor