[Blog] Tripletail Snapper
From Tides to Tackle to Table: Tips and Tricks for Catching and Cooking Tripletail
Good Morning Reel Docx,
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I hope that everyone had a great weekend and an even better start to their week after Releasing, Relaxing, and Recharging with friends and family.
This week’s newseletter highlights one of our Docx, Dr. Adam Ball, a urologist in Port Saint Lucie, FL, who fishes whenever he is not in the office or the operating room.
Fishing from his panga style boat, Adam has figured out how to catch some pretty impressive tripletail in the Indian River Lagoon.
In this article, he shares his tips and tricks on tackle, tides, and bait that has lead to his success on catching this prehistoric fish.
He also shares some of his tips on his favorite side dishes to accompany this tasty morsel.
Check it out here:
By Adam J. Ball, MD, FACS
Graves asked me to write up a blog (1st one, bye the way!) about Tripletail. So, without hesitation, I present to you, my colleagues and fellow outdoorsmen(women), my own personal diatribe on Tripletail.
If you have never seen a picture of a Tripletail, I present one to you for education sake.
This is a strange, almost prehistoric-looking fish with thick scales and 3 large fins (1 tail, 1 above, and 1 below). They can morph colors from yellow as juveniles, to dark brown, to almost silver-white, like a dinner plate.
For Florida anglers, the size limit minimum is 18 inches, and you may harvest 2 per day, as of the date of this article (see FWC website for details).
They are found in tropical waters across the globe. They can be found offshore, often times around flotsam and sargassum weed.
They will eat almost anything you have on the boat as far as bait is concerned. Incidentally, I have caught them trolling ballyhoo and lipped plugs.
My favorite way to target this great fighting gamefish is inshore or nearshore.
They can be found on the Florida Atlantic coast in large ports (think Canaveral!), inlets, lagoons, estuaries, and home canals.
Always take time to look under a big floating board, jumbled rope, or that floating milk crate or bucket. In clear offshore blue water, consider dropping down leader size, as they can sometimes be quite wary.
In the Florida Keys, I have targeted them in the summer backcountry. They float along with the large swaths of sargassum, and midday, often appear silver or white.
We sight fish them, tossing live shrimp on a 1/16th or 1/8th ounce jig head (Hook-Up jigs are my personal favorite) or circle hook with split shot. No perfect science here, just factor wind conditions, casting ability, size of the shrimp, etc.
In October, Florida commercial and recreational stone crab traps may be deployed, until May. These consist of a large trap with a concrete bottom to sit on the floor, rope, then a Styrofoam or plastic buoy.
Tripletail can be fished found at all levels of the trap system. They can be on the bottom near the trap or just down current from it. I have found then 1-3 feet underwater alongside the rope.
Finally, they can be site fished and seen just under or around the buoy float. As the stone crab season progresses, the trap system and its components become loaded with growth, in which small crabs and shrimp live.
When tossing a shrimp to a sighted fish, stay up-current as cast a few feet in front of the fish, letting it drift back naturally. Sometimes the fish ignores it, but mostly it turns on its side and slowly follows it down.
Wait….. Then begin reeling, set your hook, and fight the fish. Some anglers use a popping cork rig; however, I feel it gets a bit cumbersome and really not necessary.
Also, never pass up a channel marker or manatee sign. The larger fish often times sit deeper toward the bottom. There may also be bycatch of sheepshead, flounder, snapper, black drum, or a Goliath grouper.
Lastly, if it is blowing in the winter and no live shrimp are available, do not hesitate to drop down an artificial DOA Shrimp or Vudu shrimp, or throw your favorite fly at them. Just cast and let it sink, then a few pops of the rod, and let it fall again. May get lucky if they are there.
Theses fish fight like crazy! They can jump like a ladyfish or snook. Larger ones will make long runs in shallow water. Some may make for the closet structure to try and break you off, so keep your head on a swivel when your line is tight.
A day on the water “hunting” tripletail can be exciting for the entire family. Having a young angler shout out “I see one!” is music to me ears. Again, tackle set up is good for the developing angler. Heck, my son just loved putting the shrimp on the hook when he was younger.
Targeting the big boys can also offer a challenge. I usually fish inshore with a shimano stradic 3000 or 4000 series with 6lb or 8lb Ohero braid. It gives a bit for action and fight for some of the smaller bycatch, like snapper, sheepshead, and flounder. But, one can easily get into trouble.
Recently, I fought and landed this 28’’ (19 lb) fish on 6 lb braid. Just about 4 or 5 lbs shy of a record.
The table fare is supreme for these fish. Usually filleted, thick and firm white meat is the result. You can leave the skin and scales of for grilling on the “half-shell” (great New Orleans recipe).
Alternatively, they can be baked, broiled, sautéed, deep-fried, or grilled. Tripletail also makes for a terrific ceviche!
And, if you are like me, you have 5 recreational stone crab traps as allowed in Florida to add some nice claws to the plate.
So, not only in the winter am I targeting Tripletail, but also checking my own pots every 1-2 weeks.
In Summary:
Check the buoy lines of crab traps, channel markers, and under large mats of sargassum
Stay up current and let your bait float down towards the fish
Keep it simple 1/8-1/16th oz jigs with live shrimp or even artificials
Bon Appetite and tight lines, Reel Docx!
Book I am reading:
Has anyone read the book “Through the Fish's Eye: An Angler?s Guide to Gamefish Behavior” by Mark Sosin?
I started reading this book a couple of weeks ago and I have been very impressed with the amount of research that went into writing this book.
Granted, many of the experiments that they reference were conducted on fish in tanks, but some were studies were conducted on fish in lakes, rivers, and streams.
One chapter that I found fascinating focused on a fish’s of sense of smell and just how powerful and different that sense is among different species of fish.
If you enjoy reading about how fish act and why they do what they do - be it in freshwater or saltwater, I recommend reading this book. Enjoy!!
Podcast that I am listening to:
Ever since I started the Reel Docx Facebook group, I have been listening to more and more to fishing podcasts. The interviews are pretty good and the knowledge that they deliver is fantastic.
One of my favorite podcasts is Captain’s Collective by Hunter Leavine.
The guides that he interviews are a who’s who of proffesionals who have made it their life’s work to deliver great experiences to their customers while maintaining a strong passion for the sport they love.
Listen closely as he gets them to open up about their lives as guides, share their memorable stories, and impart their knowledge and wisdom on all things fishing.
Bragging Board:
James Crown with nice Largemouth Bass:
Doug Stranges with a beast Sheepshead:
Zach Ricker with a nice Brown Trout:
Candace Harrod with an impressive Cobia:
Peter LoFaso with a nice snook:
Thank you for Making this Group AWESOME!!
In just over one year, we have over 500 docx (MDs, DOs, DCs, DDS, DVM, DMD etc) from around the world posting their wins on the water.
I started this Group as a wellness project to share my love and passion for fishing in hopes to find more docx out there who shared the same interests. I am blown away by the response and engagement.
If you haven’t done so, check out the Reel Docx website. Please, let me know how I can make it more fun and more engaging to better serve the community.
Do you need a UPF-50 longsleeve sun shirt?
I have heard from many of the Docx who have purchased them that they are some of the most comfortable shirts they own. Check them out here.
I want to call everyone’s attention to the Docx Guides excel spreadsheet on the website.
Over the past one year, I have been collecting the names of guides and lodges that Docx have been mentioned in their Facebook posts and collating that data here. Check it out before you plan your next fishing trip.
Now Go Fishing and Be Happy!!!
To Wellness on the Water!!
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