PETERSBURG (CBSMiami) -- An unusually large bloom of toxic red tide is being blamed for a massive fish kill in Tampa Bay off the St. Petersburg shoreline including several giant Goliath Grouper.

Jon Black battled what is likely the biggest goliath grouper caught from a kayak and screamed like a little kid—then the fish broke his fishing rod in half. Goliath grouper as it was being released.

You may want to stay on the boat. This part of the ocean doesn't belong to you. It belongs to this beast, the Atlantic goliath grouper. And if you wander too close to those shadows, you may not come ...

FWC accepting applications now for 2026 goliath grouper harvest. The goliath grouper harvest period opens March 1 and runs through May 31, 2026. The 2026 goliath grouper harvest is limited to 200.