# What's the deal with triggerfish?



## germag (Jul 5, 2012)

Why can't you keep them, and where does it tell me that? I've searched what I can find and I can't find anything that tells me I can't keep them or what the limits are or anything really.


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## dwhee87 (Jul 6, 2012)

In state waters of the Gulf and Atlantic, gray triggerfish have a minimum size limit of 14 inches (fork length) and the daily bag limit is 10 fish per person. In federal waters of the Gulf, the size limit is 14 inches (fork length) and the bag limit is 20 fish as part of a 20 fish snapper aggregate bag limit. In federal waters of the Atlantic, the size limit is 12 inches (total 
length) and the bag limit is 20 fish as part of 
an aggregate reef fish bag limit.


http://myfwc.com/media/2075479/saltwater_regulations_adfree.pdf


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## Parker Phoenix (Jul 6, 2012)

http://www.gulfcouncil.org/fishing_regulations/regulations_matrix/Site/Regulations_Matrix.html

Google is your friend.....


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## germag (Jul 6, 2012)

Parker Phoenix said:


> http://www.gulfcouncil.org/fishing_regulations/regulations_matrix/Site/Regulations_Matrix.html
> 
> Google is your friend.....



Thanks. That's what I was looking for. I did use Google, just didn't find this document.


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## biggabuck (Jul 6, 2012)

All i know i sthat my wife had to throw a huge one back last month and she is still mad!!


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## Mechanicaldawg (Jul 6, 2012)

From what I can tell you can keep them in state water.


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## captbrian (Jul 6, 2012)

Yes state is open


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## germag (Jul 6, 2012)

Thanks guys. That's what I was surmising too. When I was hangin' in the Carribean we used to catch these Queen Triggerfish...big blue and purple triggers....man were they some good eatin'. Find one of the natives that knew how to cook them and they would knock your socks off. Of course down there the season was whenever you could get there and the limit was all you could catch +1.


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## Gadestroyer74 (Jul 6, 2012)

wish there was a place i could eat trigger fish around here germag i have heard how good they are


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## Buck Nasty (Jul 6, 2012)

They are REAL GOOD eating.


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## Gadestroyer74 (Jul 6, 2012)

just rub it in bucky lol


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## Bryannecker (Jul 6, 2012)

Gadestroyer74 said:


> wish there was a place i could eat trigger fish around here germag i have heard how good they are



No, no they are terrible and taste really nasty, so please pack them in dry ice and overnight all you can catch to me.  

If you have not had a trigger finger sandwich, you have not yet lived.  I told my customers that they were no good for about fifteen years or more,  and that I needed them to make my children shoes from the hide.  So, they should deposit them in my personal cooler for disposal.  

A poboy with trigger fingers, lettace, tomato and tarter sauce is heaven here on earth, but do not let that secret out.  
Capt. Jimmy


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## germag (Jul 6, 2012)

Bryannecker said:


> No, no they are terrible and taste really nasty, so please pack them in dry ice and overnight all you can catch to me.
> 
> If you have not had a trigger finger sandwich, you have not yet lived.  I told my customers that they were no good for about fifteen years or more,  and that I needed them to make my children shoes from the hide.  So, they should deposit them in my personal cooler for disposal.
> 
> ...




Yeah, Buddy! A trigger poboy is as good as it gets. A fried trigger filet is good eating no matter how you eat it....in a sandwich or not.

I've seen a lot of people that, for whatever reason, wouldn't eat a trigger fish. I have no idea why.  They are just as good as any other fish on the reef IMHO.


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## Sharkfighter (Jul 7, 2012)

Just got to fish the Atlantic Coast for them, (unless you want to Legally keep a Red Snapper)...

But Triggers are allowed and plentiful.

Now cleaning them is another story.

http://www.safmc.net/FishIDandRegs/FishGallery/GrayTriggerfish/tabid/292/Default.aspx

Oh and my Buddy Steve in the Pic, not me but my boat.


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## germag (Jul 7, 2012)

Sharkfighter said:


> Just got to fish the Atlantic Coast for them, (unless you want to Legally keep a Red Snapper)...
> 
> But Triggers are allowed and plentiful.
> 
> ...




Well, I can tell you that when they are still alive right after you catch them, (and their guts are coming out of their mouth) they will bite a CHUNK out of you and they absolutely do not see the humor in being caught. Other than that their skin is a little on the tough side......


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## GLS (Jul 8, 2012)

Just a few years ago, triggerfish was available at two fish markets here on the coast for about $5 a lb.  I bought as much as I could eat in those days.  When the market went nuts for it when locals found out that it was premium, the price is now up just below the grouper/snapper range.


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## Parker Phoenix (Jul 9, 2012)

Not much of trigger fish fan, the grey meat turns me off. I tried them once, heard how good they were, didn't care for it. More for you guys......


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## Mechanicaldawg (Jul 9, 2012)

It's about as white as any fillets I've seen, save BSB.


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## Parker Phoenix (Jul 9, 2012)

It was a grayish color when it came to my table, never caught one , or cleaned one. Just tried to eat it.


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## germag (Jul 9, 2012)

I've never seen gray meat in a trigger. Like Mechanicaldawg said, it's about as white as any other....it's not as flaky as some others, more of a meaty texture....but it's very good white fish.


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## Paymaster (Jul 12, 2012)

Trigger Fish served at the "Original Oyster House" in Gulf Shores is awesome!!!!!!!!!!


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## germag (Jul 13, 2012)

Man, I haven't been to that place in years. We used to go there and to Wentzell's all the time when I lived in Mobile. I'll bet I ate at least one whole bed of half-shell oysters in there by myself over the years...


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## dawg2 (Jul 13, 2012)

Mechanicaldawg said:


> It's about as white as any fillets I've seen, save BSB.



I would highly recommend wearing "cut" gloves when using that technique.

I can remember being much younger and going deep sea fishing.  Trigger fish were considered "junk" and thrown back.  Now everyone keeps them.  Funny how things change...


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## sea trout (Jul 14, 2012)

wow thats agood triggerfish cleaning video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i wish i had seen that in the past!! will definetly try that next time........if i ever get another trigger fish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## brown518 (Jul 16, 2012)

germag said:


> Man, I haven't been to that place in years. We used to go there and to Wentzell's all the time when I lived in Mobile. I'll bet I ate at least one whole bed of half-shell oysters in there by myself over the years...



X2 on Wintzell's and Original Oyster House!


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## Mechanicaldawg (Jul 16, 2012)

Here's a nice little trigger my buddy caught yesterday just off the beach:


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## Buck Nasty (Jul 16, 2012)

That thing is missing his trigger and his front fin.  Did you neuter him?


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## Mechanicaldawg (Jul 16, 2012)

The trigger is recessed into a groove.

I think the "missing" pectoral fin is an optical illusion.


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## B Man (Aug 15, 2012)

germag said:


> Yeah, Buddy! A trigger poboy is as good as it gets. A fried trigger filet is good eating no matter how you eat it....in a sandwich or not.
> 
> I've seen a lot of people that, for whatever reason, wouldn't eat a trigger fish. I have no idea why.  They are just as good as any other fish on the reef IMHO.





Same thing with spade fish I've always been told they were no good to eat just to catch.  I tried one this year and now everytime i come up on a school of them I grab my spade rigs and load the boat down.  Some tasty eating!


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## MCBIG (Aug 17, 2012)

We always heard growing up that the "Trigger"on the top was poisonous and you could,nt eat them.Man how ignorant we were !
They eat real good,poisonous or not.I dont go grabbing dorsal fins on most any fish ,so who knows,but like the previous statements,
Trigger PoBoys are Dang Good !!!
Mike


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## thomkhat (Aug 17, 2012)

Yes sir!  They are delicious! 

Another fish that is often overlooked is Barracuda!  The small ones taste great, in the Bahamas they call them Saber Tooth Snapper.


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## robinsonfam1 (Aug 28, 2012)

thomkhat said:


> Yes sir!  They are delicious!
> 
> Another fish that is often overlooked is Barracuda!  The small ones taste great, in the Bahamas they call them Saber Tooth Snapper.



gotta be careful with cudas. the ones in caribbean are not the same as here. its bit different strand and edible. the bacterias here can wreak havoc on you if youre not careful. 
i know several ppl off ga coast and areas that tried eating it and ended up at hospital nearly dead due to a toxin in cudas. 
my neighbor almost lost his foot when he had a fresh cut and cuda blood/slime got in it. within 2 days he was hospitalized for couple weeks with a nasty looking black veins and toes.

i personally think its a bacteria in our waters that cause this in cudas, otherwise id think it would be all cudas....i dunno though, just my 2 cents!?!?!?


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## dawg2 (Aug 28, 2012)

thomkhat said:


> Yes sir!  They are delicious!
> 
> Another fish that is often overlooked is Barracuda!  The small ones taste great, in the Bahamas they call them Saber Tooth Snapper.





robinsonfam1 said:


> gotta be careful with cudas. the ones in caribbean are not the same as here. its bit different strand and edible. the bacterias here can wreak havoc on you if youre not careful.
> i know several ppl off ga coast and areas that tried eating it and ended up at hospital nearly dead due to a toxin in cudas.
> my neighbor almost lost his foot when he had a fresh cut and cuda blood/slime got in it. within 2 days he was hospitalized for couple weeks with a nasty looking black veins and toes.
> 
> i personally think its a bacteria in our waters that cause this in cudas, otherwise id think it would be all cudas....i dunno though, just my 2 cents!?!?!?



I personally will never eat a barracuda.  You put yourself at a high risk of ciguatera poisoning.  I have had it one time and you do not want to ever have it.  It hits you within hours and you will never forget it.  Small fish feeding on the reef ingests the organism, then larger fish eat them and it goes on.  Barracudas are at the top of that chain and can be full of the ciguatoxin.

It isn't worth it.


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## robinsonfam1 (Aug 28, 2012)

yep! thats it. couldnt remember the name of it !

thanks dawg


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## Bryannecker (Aug 29, 2012)

*Trigger is one of the best tasting fish in the ocean!*



Parker Phoenix said:


> Not much of trigger fish fan, the grey meat turns me off. I tried them once, heard how good they were, didn't care for it. More for you guys......



It sounds like someone palmed another fish off on you in the guise of trigger.  A trigger finger sandwich is as good as it gets.  It is like chicken fingers.  They are no harder to clean than catfish to me.  The skin is so thick that you can tan it and make shoes, wallets, etc. with the leather.  

They are ugly and I told my charter customers that they were marginal in the taste department and would be glad to take any they happened to catch.  They were and are a treat for my entire family.  There is just no gray meat, just gray skin.  I'll take all of them that I can catch!!

Capt. Jimmy


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