What looks like it belongs on a tropical reef but lives in blue water, tastes like a cross between scallops and cobia, and is found under floating debris? Triggerfish. If you fish offshore in the Atlantic, you might find a school of triggers anywhere the water temperature is 70 degrees or more.
Finding triggers, however, is easier than getting them on a hook. Triggerfish have small, bluegill-size mouths and are adept at stripping off baits without getting hooked. Ensure tight lines by using tiny hooks (#6 or #8) and small, thumbnail-size baits. Draw the triggers from their cover by tossing mashed fish or tiny squid bits nearby. When they move to investigate, flip your bait as close as possible to the fish and closely watch them-don’t attempt to set the hook until the fish has the bait completely in its mouth and has turned to swim back under the flotsam you found it under. Once the fish is boated, use pliers to remove the hook, because their tiny mouths have sharp, powerful teeth.
