I was fishing with a guy who caught one off Cape Brett about 25 years ago. A 23lber. See photo in my book Landbased Game Fishing. I have caught two spotted black groper (which are protected). I was told off by a MAF guy for catching one of them. How you avoid it when fishing off the rocks into 60 ft of water I dont know. It took a softbait. I believe that there were plenty caught off Castle Point in years gone by and the odd one of recent times. I have always thought that there must be some great Groper from shore spots in Fiordland. Its just that no one is fishing them.