Waterlands

Species guide · Florida

Gray triggerfish fishing in Florida

Balistes capriscus, an offshore species also called triggerfish, trigger and gray trigger. Listed for the Eastern Gulf and South Atlantic regions. Shoulder season, about 4 more weeks.

Right now it scores best in St. Andrews Bay Waterways at 58, one of 17 Florida bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.

Season now

Shoulder season
Where it's scoring nowAll Florida waters

Season by month

From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.

Eastern Gulf

Shoulder season, about 4 more weeks
  1. Jan: Off season
  2. Feb: Off season
  3. Mar: Shoulder season
  4. Apr: Shoulder season
  5. May: Peak season
  6. Jun: Peak season
  7. Jul: Peak season
  8. Aug: Peak season
  9. Sep: Shoulder season
  10. Oct: Shoulder season
  11. Nov: Shoulder season
  12. Dec: Off season

Peak: May to Aug. In season (shoulder or peak): Mar to Nov.

Research notes, Eastern Gulf region

Common on Panhandle and Alabama artificial reefs and natural ledges. Telemetry on northern Gulf reefs shows movement tracking water temperature, with less activity in winter. Nesting runs late spring through summer. Regulatory: Gulf recreational harvest closes Jan-Feb and June-July (Reef Fish Amendment 46).

Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.

South Atlantic

Off season, about 17 more weeks
  1. Jan: Off season
  2. Feb: Off season
  3. Mar: Shoulder season
  4. Apr: Shoulder season
  5. May: Peak season
  6. Jun: Peak season
  7. Jul: Peak season
  8. Aug: Peak season
  9. Sep: Shoulder season
  10. Oct: Shoulder season
  11. Nov: Off season
  12. Dec: Off season

Peak: May to Aug. In season (shoulder or peak): Mar to Oct.

Research notes, South Atlantic region

Hard bottom and wrecks from Northeast Florida to Cape Hatteras in 80-300 ft; spawning in spring and summer (NCDMF). Usually caught while bottom fishing for other reef species.

Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.

Where it's scoring now · 17

Florida bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's gray triggerfish score this hour.

1
58Good
St. Andrews Bay Waterways

Best window today 9 PM-12 AM (58) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 6 PM (65) · 79 named spots

2
57Good
Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (57) · Best day Sun, Nov 1 at 6 PM (66) · 126 named spots

3
57Good
Coastal Waters From Ochlockonee River to Apalachicola FL out to 20 Nm

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (57) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 6 PM (66) · 39 named spots

4
57Good
Coastal Waters from Mexico Beach to Apalachicola out 20 NM

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (57) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 7 PM (65) · 24 named spots

5
57Good
Tampa Bay waters

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (57) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 6 PM (65) · 195 named spots

6
56Good
Eastern Choctawhatchee Bay

Best window today 9 PM-12 AM (57) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 5 PM (64) · 13 named spots

7
56Good
Pensacola Bay Area including Santa Rosa Sound

Best window today 9 PM-12 AM (56) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 6 PM (63) · 46 named spots

8
56Good
Western Choctawhatchee Bay

Best window today 9 PM-12 AM (56) · Best day Mon, Nov 2 at 6 AM (63) · 23 named spots

9
54Good
Coastal waters from Tarpon Springs to Suwannee River FL out 20 NM

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (54) · Best day Sun, Nov 1 at 6 PM (68) · 131 named spots

10
52Good
Coastal waters from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine FL out 20 NM

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (52) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 6 PM (59) · 22 named spots

11
51Good
Coastal waters from Suwannee River to Keaton Beach out 20 NM

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (51) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 6 PM (64) · 20 named spots

12
51Good
Coastal waters from Chokoloskee to Bonita Beach FL out 20 NM

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (51) · Best day Sun, Nov 1 at 6 PM (66) · 81 named spots

13
50Good
Apalachee Bay or Coastal Waters From Keaton Beach to Ochlockonee River Fl out to 20 Nm

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (50) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 6 PM (64) · 49 named spots

14
50Good
Volusia-Brevard County Line to Sebastian Inlet 0-20 nm

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (50) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 8 AM (56) · 92 named spots

15
48Good
Coastal waters from St. Augustine to Flagler Beach FL out 20 NM

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (48) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 6 PM (56) · 4 named spots

16
45Good
Flagler Beach to Volusia-Brevard County Line 0-20 nm

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (45) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 6 PM (53) · 21 named spots

17
45Good
Sebastian Inlet to Jupiter Inlet 0-20 nm

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (45) · Best day Sat, Oct 31 at 6 PM (51) · 88 named spots

How and where it feeds

Water temperature
Feeds from 60°F to 86°F, best between 68°F and 82°F.
Water depth
30 to 300 ft of water.
Structure
Reef, wreck, ledge, bank and pinnacle, in that order of preference.
Tide and current
Prefers moving water, with light current.No published tide effect. Light current keeps small baits near the reef where triggers hover; heavy current sweeps baits away from them.
Light
Little tied to dawn and dusk.
Pressure
Little response to pressure changes.
Wind and sea limits
20 kt of wind and 5 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.

Tackle and technique

Gray triggerfish hover a few feet over reefs, wrecks and ledges, usually in 60 to 200 feet, and often show up while snapper fishing. Use small, strong circle hooks with small pieces of squid or cut bait on a short bottom rig, because they nibble and strip big baits. Keep the bait just off the bottom and reel steadily at the first solid pull.

Methods
bottom fishing, chumming, light bottom rigs
Lures
small jigs tipped with squid
Bait
squid, cut cigar minnows, shrimp, cut bonito

Regulations

FWC saltwater regulations Buy a Florida fishing license License types

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Synced with FWC Oct 31, 2026. Rules shown verified Sep 13, 2026.

GulfRetention open

1 per day · Minimum 15 in, fork length

Season: Aug 1 to Dec 31, 2026

Changes to closed on Jan 1, 2027

Private-vessel anglers need the State Reef Fish Angler designation. Reef fish gear rules apply. Land with head and fins intact. Gulf season is March 1 through May 31 and August 1 through December 31. Federal waters can close early if the quota is met.

FWC Recreational Regulations: Gray Triggerfish · verified Sep 13, 2026

AtlanticRetention open

10 per day · Minimum 12 in, fork length

Season: No closed season on file

Private-vessel anglers need the State Reef Fish Angler designation. Special rules apply in Biscayne National Park. Reef fish gear rules apply. Land with head and fins intact. Open year-round.

FWC Recreational Regulations: Gray Triggerfish · verified Sep 13, 2026

Monroe County (Gulf side)Retention open

1 per day · Minimum 15 in, fork length

Season: Aug 1 to Dec 31, 2026

Changes to closed on Jan 1, 2027

Private-vessel anglers need the State Reef Fish Angler designation. Reef fish gear rules apply. Land with head and fins intact. Gulf season is March 1 through May 31 and August 1 through December 31. Federal waters can close early if the quota is met. In Monroe County, FWC applies these Gulf rules north and west of U.S. Highway 1 (Florida Bay and the bay side of the Keys).

FWC Recreational Regulations: Gray Triggerfish · verified Sep 13, 2026

Monroe County (Atlantic side)Retention open

10 per day · Minimum 12 in, fork length

Season: No closed season on file

Private-vessel anglers need the State Reef Fish Angler designation. Reef fish gear rules apply. Land with head and fins intact. Open year-round. In Monroe County, FWC applies these Atlantic rules south and east of U.S. Highway 1 (the ocean side of the Keys).

FWC Recreational Regulations: Gray Triggerfish · verified Sep 13, 2026

Federal waters (Gulf)Retention openFederal

1 per day (20 Gulf reef fish (20-fish) combined) · Minimum 15 in, fork length

Season: No closed season on file

Changes to closed on Jan 1, 2027

No more than 1 gray triggerfish and 10 vermilion snapper. Open between the dated closures unless NOAA closes the season early. Off Florida, fishing is closed year-round in the Madison and Swanson sites and Steamboat Lumps, and January through April in the Edges, except for highly migratory species such as tunas and billfish (50 CFR 622.34(a)).

50 CFR part 622, subpart B (Gulf reef fish) · verified Sep 13, 2026

Federal waters (Atlantic)Retention openFederal

10 per day (20 South Atlantic snapper-grouper (20-fish) combined) · Minimum 12 in, fork length

Season: No closed season on file

No more than 10 of any one species within the 20-fish aggregate. Porgies, almaco jack, banded rudderfish, lesser amberjack, white grunt, margate, sailors choice, Atlantic spadefish, gray triggerfish and bar jack combined. No snapper-grouper fishing in the North Florida, St. Lucie Hump and East Hump marine protected areas or the Warsaw Hole/50 Fathom Hole spawning area (50 CFR 622.183(a)).

50 CFR part 622, subpart I (South Atlantic snapper-grouper) · verified Sep 13, 2026

Other Florida species