BajaNomad - 1989 Big Triggerfish?

1989 Big Triggerfish?

DavidE - 2-1-2012 at 12:51 PM

In 1988 while returning on the ferry from Guaymas I met a gentleman traveling with his young daughter. Our conversation lead to fishing, which in turn lead to a question he posed about triggerfish...

"I love triggerfish" he stated "I skin dive for them and I am searching out the best place to get a really big one".

I mentioned the reef near isla sta inez.

One thing lead to another and before I knew it I was aboard his aluminum skiff and we headed out for the reef from pta chivato.

He ended up spearing a monster. His fish scale claimed it to weigh 11 pounds almost right on the nose. When we got back to the camping area, several more scales were offered up, and as folks snapped photos the other scales all read slightly higher than 11 pounds.

I ended up steaming the critter and boy was it good.

tripledigitken - 2-1-2012 at 02:31 PM

Though smaller than 11#'s I'm sure, they still swim those waters.

This was taken on Hammerhead, at Punta Chivato camping beach.

mcfez - 2-1-2012 at 02:49 PM

One of my favorite fish to go after....if we are shore or small boat fishing. Good fighters.

We usually cook the fish in whole...over a cactus wood flame.....slap of butter over it...squeeze of lime. Wow!

sancho - 2-1-2012 at 04:07 PM

Kira's 'Baja Catch' lists 4 triggers, Finescale, Orangeside,
Blunthead, Spotted Oceanic, the last being a deeper
water offshore fish, which I never hear reference to.
South of Puerticitos kayaking, I'm 1 of those that
fishes with 12# test and have had them tear up my
tackle a few times, I beleive Mex locals may refer to
triggers as Puercos

Skeet/Loreto - 2-1-2012 at 04:32 PM

If you will take your Triggerfish, filet it out and cut it into chunks and put it in the Refig for a Day or so it will taste like Lobster!

Alvarro and I have caught many of the "El Coche' and i love to eat them. They are fun to catch on light tackle.

redhilltown - 2-1-2012 at 06:09 PM

Tasty yes. Great fighters yes. But I bet I have lost thousands of dollars in lead head plastics to the damn things!!!!!!!!!!

bigzaggin - 2-1-2012 at 06:41 PM

I had no idea those things were even edible until one day fishing off the rocks at Punta Final. I landed one (wanna say it was a Fileskin Trigger?) and was getting ready to throw it back, when some local guy ran up to me and said he would take it. I was like, "Why?" And he was like, "Sabroso!" I caught another one about 5 minutes later and wow, delicious. Not especially easy to filet (bring your pliers), but very worth it.

Spearo - 2-1-2012 at 08:04 PM

To quote a friend of mine...

"If triggerfish were six feet long no one would ever get in the ocean."

Trigger fish

KaceyJ - 2-1-2012 at 09:34 PM

This has come up before right.?

Some guy down by Redbears place there in Chivato was running around, margarita in hand , claiming he'd shot a 25 pounder. He threw it up on the roof of a palapa to dry out.

Don't know about that, but my parents would bring in a 10 lb.'er once in a while.

What ever , cochi is better eating that yellowtail anyday.

Don't tell anyone,

It's about all that's left on the C side.

Maybe someone could do a photo instruction on how to filet them??

Bugman - 2-1-2012 at 09:47 PM

They are good eating and pretty easy to clean too but a sharp filet knife is critical. One of the locals showed me how to make an angular cut just behind the pectoral fin. Then slide the knife under the exposed skin at the end of the cut near the top of the head and cut the skin along the dorsal side all the way down to the tail. Do the same thing along the ventral side and then just grab a corner of the skin near the head and even with fingers (or pliers) you can just pull it back and the skin comes right off the flesh. You then have a nice slab of skinless meat you can remove (or not) however you want. Just be careful not to let one of your fingers slip into the mouth while cleaning as these things seem to cling to life forever after being pulled from the water and will bite down very hard if anything is put in the mouth! I got to learn that one the hard way....ouch! :biggrin:

KaceyJ - 2-1-2012 at 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bugman
They are good eating and pretty easy to clean too but a sharp filet knife is critical. One of the locals showed me how to make an angular cut just behind the pectoral fin. Then slide the knife under the exposed skin at the end of the cut near the top of the head and cut the skin along the dorsal side all the way down to the tail. Do the same thing along the ventral side and then just grab a corner of the skin near the head and even with fingers (or pliers) you can just pull it back and the skin comes right off the flesh. You then have a nice slab of skinless meat you can remove (or not) however you want. Just be careful not to let one of your fingers slip into the mouth while cleaning as these things seem to cling to life forever after being pulled from the water and will bite down very hard if anything is put in the mouth! I got to learn that one the hard way....ouch! :biggrin:

Bugman,

Got bit on the finger tip by one off the N side of Requeson Isle .

They are a little aggresive.

mcfez - 2-2-2012 at 04:47 PM

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=48739#pid5613...

Quote:

Originally posted by KaceyJ
This has come up before right.?

Some guy down by Redbears place there in Chivato was running around, margarita in hand , claiming he'd shot a 25 pounder. He threw it up on the roof of a palapa to dry out.

Don't know about that, but my parents would bring in a 10 lb.'er once in a while.

What ever , cochi is better eating that yellowtail anyday.

Don't tell anyone,

It's about all that's left on the C side.

Maybe someone could do a photo instruction on how to filet them??

24baja - 2-3-2012 at 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bigzaggin
I had no idea those things were even edible until one day fishing off the rocks at Punta Final. I landed one (wanna say it was a Fileskin Trigger?) and was getting ready to throw it back, when some local guy ran up to me and said he would take it. I was like, "Why?" And he was like, "Sabroso!" I caught another one about 5 minutes later and wow, delicious. Not especially easy to filet (bring your pliers), but very worth it.

We use a single blade carpet/box cutter knife to make the initial cuts before tearing away the skin, that works better than a knife and hlds a better edge.

24baja - 2-3-2012 at 12:36 AM

Quote:

We filet like this too but make first cuts with a box cutter, it hold the edge better than a knife on these fish!.

MitchMan - 2-3-2012 at 10:17 AM

Rehhill,
Troll a diving Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow lure, about 4 inches long in size. It works great on triggers. I catch a bunch of triggers this way off of Isla Espiritu Santo.

Skipjack Joe - 2-3-2012 at 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by tripledigitken

I once had a date with teeth like that.

Well, my love life was nothing to be envied.

mcfez - 2-3-2012 at 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Skipjack Joe

Quote:

Originally posted by tripledigitken

I once had a date with teeth like that.

Well, my love life was nothing to be envied.