All about triggerfish

[DarkSkies]

Time to talk about the triggers, guys. Warm water in the inlets, and you'll be catchin them here and there. They're already catching them out in the canyons. Good eatin if ya prepare them right, let's hear some stuff about your experiences, pics, etc, post it up!

[lostatsea]

They call them the Saltwater piranha.





Gray TriggerfishThe gray triggerfish is a small reef fish found throughout Florida. Many anglers curse their arrival because of their tendency to destroy baits set for other "more desirable" fish such as snapper and grouper. Triggers are absolutely ravenous feeders, relentless in their attacks upon anything they perceive as food. They are equipped with an opposing set of fangs that are set in their strong bony jaws in an almost vampire-like appearance. This is accompanied by an armored skin and a strong, stout dorsal spine that locks into place making the triggerfish a most unappetizing morsel for potential predators. Even so, I have caught large grouper with ominous looking bulges in their bellies that turned out to be partially digested triggerfish that had become lodged in their digestive tracks.

The triggerfish can best be described as a pan fish. It doesn't grow very large and its general body shape is thin and hand-shaped, typical of most small reef fish. A typical fish will measure 12 to 14 inches, but I have caught them up to about 20" in size. They aren't terrific fighters, but they will readily take a hook and their table quality is superb. This makes them an ideal target for anglers, particularly those looking for a nice meal. It is not a strong swimmer and propels itself through the water by waving its large dorsal and anal fins as opposed to its tail. They an unusual fish to watch swim and you wouldn't confuse them with any other species

Rigging for Triggerfish

Rigs needn't be heavy as the triggerfish is neither large nor particularly robust. Medium saltwater tackle is a good choice for these fish. Both spinning and casting reels work well and 20-pound test mono is more than sufficient strength for these fish. You might use a section of 40-pound mono for leader, since you will be fishing around reef structure that can nick the line. Triggerfish are very aggressive feeders and you don't need to worry about them being leader shy. If all you have is 100-pound leader, go ahead and use it. It won't make any difference.

Triggerfish have very small mouths and so hooks should be smaller as well. I generally like to use small (1/0 to 3/0) bait hooks. I really like the Gamakatsu hooks as they are incredibly sharp, which is important when trying to hook these tough skinned, small-mouthed fish. I use a typical egg-sinker rig with a 2 or 3 ounce egg-sinker on the main line and a small swivel to attach the main line to the leader and hook.

Bait should be any kind of cut bait such as squid and sardines or locally caught fish such as grunts. They key is to attempt to make the bait as difficult to steal as possible. When using cut bait, include the skin or bones to provide a tougher, more substantial bait for the hook. Squid are always an excellent choice as they are tough skinned and difficult for the triggerfish to strip from the hook. Cut chunks of grunt with the skin on is also a good bait. Sardines are a soft-fleshed fish and can be easily stolen by the triggerfish. The bait should be cut small to match the hook. You want the trigger to be able to get the bait into his small mouth so you can hook him.

Trigger Fishing

Almost every reef will have a few rogue triggerfish roaming about, but in the fall and winter these fish form large schools along the west coast of Florida. These aggregations can prevent an angler from successfully targeting any other species. Triggerfish are extremely aggressive and when present in large numbers no other fish has a chance to reach your bait before a trigger seizes it and chomps it to shreds. This is when I love fishing for triggerfish!

Triggers can be almost maddening in their ability to steal your bait. Their small mouths and fang-like teeth can quickly nip a bait into pieces leaving an empty hook. It takes a certain amount of skill, patience and no small quantity of luck to actually get a hook set into a triggerfish. Fortunately, I have devised a method that has dramatically increased my success on landing these fish. I generally use lighter tackle for these fish, but often I find schools while fishing heavier gear for grouper. In these cases, I don't bother to change rods. I do, however, downsize my hook. You can tell if triggerfish are present since they remove small, neat chunks from your bait. If you feel several nibbles and find that your bait has been cut in pieces with surgical precision, chances are good a triggerfish (or several) has moved in.

Once you've rigged up an appropriately small hook, drop your bait to the bottom as quickly as possible. You don't want the fish to start biting until you are ready, so use enough sinker to reach the bottom fast! Once you hit bottom, immediately start reeling the bait back in slow and steady. This keeps your line tight and allows you to feel the fish the moment he chomps down. Once this happens, reel in fast, but DON'T YANK! This is where that really sharp hook comes in. If the fish has the hook point in his mouth, then so long as you keep the line tight by reeling quickly you will be very likely to actually land the fish. The inside of the triggers mouth is fairly easy to hook, so a small sharp hook works very well. If you yank the rod or attempt to set the hook by any method other than fast reeling you will be much slower in moving the hook which allows the fish time to spit it out. You will also rapidly move that heavy sinker which, if it doesn’t knock the hook out of the fishes mouth on the way up, will almost certainly do so on the way back down.

It is very difficult not to yank the rod when a fish bites, particularly if you have had your bait stolen for the last umpteen times. It is important to learn not to do that on fast biting fish such as snapper and particularly on triggerfish. You will occasionally land one using a traditional hook set, but a savvy angler that uses the reel and not the rod to set the hook, will consistently do much better. Once you learn to do this, you will be surprised at just how many triggerfish you don't miss! I have caught as many as twelve in a row before missing one. Small sharp hooks and a rapid retrieve will beat out brute force every time.

Clean that Trigger!

I am constantly amazed by the number of anglers that refuse to keep triggerfish because they are too hard to clean. In all reality, triggerfish are extremely easy to clean, but you do have to have the right tool. If you want to see just how easy cleaning these fish can be, buy yourself a nice serrated fillet knife. A regular fillet knife just can't penetrate the triggers armored skin whereas a serrated knife literally zips right through! Once you remove the two slabs of meat, use a regular fillet knife to remove the skin from the fillets. That armored skin that made it so difficult to remove the meat from the body, now makes it very easy to remove the skin from the meat. With a little practice, you can fillet these fish faster than any other species. The meat is white and flaky, ideal for pan-frying. It has an excellent flavor and is not fishy at all. They are one of my favorite fish to eat. Even people that don't particularly care for fish will generally find fried triggerfish fillets very appetizing.

Trigger Happy

The triggerfish is equipped with a locking dorsal spine, presumably as a defense against predators. Sort of the "Ok, you can eat me, but you will die trying" type of defense. It seems to work fairly well. I have seldom found any larger fish with them in their stomachs; so most fish seem to know better than to eat one. However, if you want to show off a little, try this trick. If you lift the fishes large dorsal spine, it will lock into place, refusing to fold down again. No amount of pushing or prodding will make the fish lower this defensive weapon. To make the fish drop its spine, fold back the small spine located right behind the big one. This unlocks the trigger and allows the spine to drop very easily. It's an amazing little trick that many anglers don't seem to know about.

I almost hate to bring this up due to its perceived "political incorrectness", but I do love spearfishing. Triggerfish are extremely susceptible to spearfishing methods. They are aggressive and relatively unafraid. They are slow swimmers and they definitely taste good. To sum it up, they are easy targets for spearfishing and I have taken advantage of this on a number of occasions. I do, however, limit my take of these fish when spearfishing. It's easy to load up on them, but please resist the temptation to do so. Take what you can use, but leave the rest.


http://www.epinions.com/review/otdr-...397D0BC6-prod1

[lostatsea]

here's some cool pics I found. funky teeth!

[gjb1969]

i have seen them on boats fishing reefs but i have never got any but i hope to get lucky with them

[porgy75]

That is pretty freaky, their teeth almost look like human in color, just more pointed. Does anyone think they will show up earlier this year? My uncle said they are catching tuna already off some of the canyons in SJ, so I wondered if triggers might be coming up too?

[seamonkey]

They should start catching them soon here in south Jersey. They have already started catching sheepshead in the Stone Harbor/Avalon area.

[fishinmission78]

Does anyone think they will show up earlier this year?

There have been 1 or 2 caught at IBSP in the inlet already, on clams.

[hookset]

Thanks for the info, guys. I am going to try for one the next time I am down there and it's slack tide at the inlet.

[fishinmission78]

some videos for you dudes

[fishinmission78]

love watching this chick catch fish in her short shorts

[basshunter]

Yeah I love watching her too, can't believe she's with that dorky guy. Dude, ponytails went out of style in the 80's, how about you get back to the future.

[captnemo]

Good videos fishinmision. Just remember to keep your knife sharp when filleting and you will be ok.

[voyager35]

When you are fishing for them, you don't need big gobs of clams either. Small pieces on a hi-low rig.

[seamonkey]

Good link for triggers, how to catch, clean, and cook.
http://fishingdestinguide.com/TRIGGERFISH.html

[nitestrikes]

They have very tough skin and you need to take your time when cutting. They are delicious.

[captnemo]

Bump for a good thread. My nephew got two at manasquan reef on Friday. They are around.