BajaNomad

Trigger fish

mcfez - 10-28-2010 at 11:00 AM

This fish uses its powerful teeth to dislodge and crush small mussels, sea urchins and barnacles. Water depths to 300 ft. Rocky points.... casting out 40 or so feet beyond...I find it's best. I do catch them in the sandy shore line too.

Cooked slowly over a cactus wood fire is fine dining!Just gut it out...and throw it on the fire. Pan fried at low heat (not too long!) with loads of butter and half of lemon to simmer in....comes out tasting just like Lobster.

Picture below is what a ten pound'er looks like.
I catch mostly 3-5 pound on salted bait.

[Edited on 10-28-2010 by mcfez]

trig.jpg - 50kB

David K - 10-28-2010 at 11:01 AM

wow!!!

Sharrone - 10-28-2010 at 11:14 AM

Nice fish!

sanquintinsince73 - 10-28-2010 at 11:16 AM

That's a beauty!!

Santiago - 10-28-2010 at 11:30 AM

My TF story:
Fishing with my father in the early 90s at "Social Security Reef" in San Carlos we caught one nice trigger along with the usual bottom fish. After 4 or 5 hours the wash tub was full of fish and we came in. When cleaning the fish, my dad got to the trigger, sighed, honed his fillet knife for about 10 minutes and said "Watch this". He stuck his needle-nose into the trigger's mouth which promptly clamped down and dad held it up for a photo. Thing had been dead for hours.

castaway$ - 10-28-2010 at 01:53 PM

mcfez what is your salted bait made from? If you don't mind sharing.

Lindalou - 10-28-2010 at 02:29 PM

I collect the skeltons with the best teeth and shape and spray paint them and hang them from my patio or from the house. They stink for a long time but look really cool and taste soooo good. Don't have any any more wind finally got them.

Cypress - 10-28-2010 at 02:31 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Santiago
He stuck his needle-nose into the trigger's mouth which promptly clamped down and dad held it up for a photo. Thing had been dead for hours.

Imagine how it'd feel if one clamped down on your finger. I can tell you from personal experience. Ouch!!

durrelllrobert - 10-28-2010 at 03:32 PM

triggerfish make the best cevice

Here's the secret

mcfez - 10-28-2010 at 03:33 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by castaway$
mcfez what is your salted bait made from? If you don't mind sharing.


Best fish to use in this order:
Spanish mackerel
Sand Crab
Mussel
Claim
Shrimp

Start with a box of kosher salt. Do not use iodized salt. Select a container with a flat bottom suitable for the size bait you want to cure.....Mayonnaise jar works great too BTW. Place twice the thickness of salt in the bottom as the thickness of the bait to be cured. If your bait is 1 inch thick, put 2 inches of salt in the bottom. Place the bait on the salt followed by another layer of salt over it the same depth as the starting layer. DONT GO CHEAP ON THE SALT! You can continue building layers a bait and salt until all the bait is covered in salt. Do not seal the container. If you want to cover it just place a towel over the top. It needs to be exposed to the air to dry out. Seal before you go on your vacation...it be fine by then. Unseal when vacation is over.

Small pieces of shrimp can cure in a day or so. Whole fish can take several weeks. It all depends on how much of the raw meat is exposed to the salt. All the moisture has to be drawn out of the bait by the salt before it will be cured. That’s why a whole fish can take so much longer.

The bait stays on the hook....really nicely. It almost tough to get on the hook in matter of fact :-) Less bait being stolen......if any!

It's a knock out - got you boy - yahoooooo bait!


A true story:
Learned this bait trick, down in Point Mugu , Santa Monica Mountains ocean side, in the late 70's. Old man Murf was living in a beat up station wagon...living off his catch and I assumed pension money. He was on the road for a long time...Point Mugu he was there for several years. We saw him every week end. Just a Irish of a guy. Lonely. Shaved needed. Wash clothes needed. I caution my first born about him.

He taught me how to surf fish...and boy did he! I never seen Surf Perch so big....Buttermouths....oh Gods! Without this bait...I caught zip. With it....whoa.

Old man Murf would fry the fish on his green camp stove...placed on the tailgate. Cooked to perfection! One night there as he was cooking, I asked him just what did he do for a living...he looked at me with a embarrassing smile and said "I was the VP of Firestone! Yes...it was true for I checked it out.

Anyhow...enjoy the bait secret. Older it gets ....the better. Keep reading the fishing post here...I am bout ready to drop a secret fishing hole location that will blow your socks off :-) The big ones....







[Edited on 10-28-2010 by mcfez]

durrelllrobert - 10-28-2010 at 03:41 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mcfez


Picture below is what a ten pound'er looks like.

[Edited on 10-28-2010 by mcfez]

if that's you, how long ago was pic taken? I assumed that you were in your 60's now. :lol:

mcfez - 10-28-2010 at 03:45 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by durrelllrobert
Quote:
Originally posted by mcfez


Picture below is what a ten pound'er looks like.

[Edited on 10-28-2010 by mcfez]

if that's you, how long ago was pic taken? I assumed that you were in your 60's now. :lol:


Hun? Taken yesterday!
No...it aint me. ...but thanks for you high compliment of saying I am old worn board! ;)

[Edited on 10-28-2010 by mcfez]

Skipjack Joe - 10-28-2010 at 04:01 PM

Oh All right, all right ....

I'll come clean ....

My baja demon .... was actually .... a triggerfish.


mcfez - 10-28-2010 at 04:24 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
Oh All right, all right ....

I'll come clean ....

My baja demon .... was actually .... a triggerfish.




I think you have issues with giant grasshoppers....

Arturo - 10-29-2010 at 10:23 AM

Yea but wheres the secret fishing hole?
Im gonna try your bait secret curing on some Squid strips.

Thanks for the tip.

mcfez - 10-29-2010 at 10:29 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Arturo
Yea but wheres the secret fishing hole?
Im gonna try your bait secret curing on some Squid strips.

Thanks for the tip.


Working on the fishing hole currently.

Tried Squid strips....I wasnt too impress. If you want to try something (expensive).....pile worms. Nasty teethy critters. Can be bought in N. Ca Not sure about any other state.

[Edited on 10-29-2010 by mcfez]

Cypress - 10-29-2010 at 10:35 AM

The world record trigger fish is 13 lbs. 9 ounces.

mcfez - 10-29-2010 at 08:05 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Cypress
The world record trigger fish is 13 lbs. 9 ounces.


Whoa! Best I have done was 13lbs. 8 oz :-)
I cannot imagine the fight that fisherperson had with a 13 pounder...geeze!