🌊 Best on the any💨 Likes calm wind📅 Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
- Water temp
- 64–82°F
- Depth
- 16–66 ft
- Max weight
- 6.6lb
- Day vs night
- ☀️ 🌙
Gray triggerfish are a reef fish, so a shore catch is a bonus, but they do show up around the long Gulf piers of the Panhandle, deep jetties and rocky passes in the warm months when clear water pushes in close. They hang tight to pilings and rocks, picking at barnacles and crustaceans with a small, powerful mouth full of sharp teeth, and they are expert bait thieves. Fish tough baits such as squid or clam on small, strong #4 to 1/0 hooks and keep the bait right against the structure on a double-drop or knocker rig, using 20 to 30 lb line. Set the hook quickly at the first nibble. Clear water and calm, sunny days are best; they rarely feed at night. Handle with care: the teeth can nip a finger badly, and the first dorsal spine locks upright, so hold the body and unhook with pliers. They are excellent eating but need careful cleaning because of the thick skin. Check current FWC rules before keeping one.
Best bait for gray triggerfish
- 1 Squid Strips
- 2 Dead Shrimp
- 3 Clams
- 4 Sand Fleas (Mole Crabs)
Rigs that work
- 1 Double-Drop Bottom Rig
- 2 Knocker Rig
- 3 Carolina Rig
