IDENTITY PLEASE

THINKICAN

Caught this guy on my "secret jig" while scouting for shallow grouper.  Bet someone can identify this one.  Good size and a fin fight!  Thanks.

tankered

Rabbitfish, smooth puffer. 

Soda Popinski

^THAT 

THINKICAN

Thank you.  Now I can honestly say that jig has even caught a rabbit (fish)!  LOL

jt904

poisonous !

bocapup1

I will eat everyone I catch!
table fare is great 

Missed

Heard they eat good.  

Turner River Terror

Them things are a Pest on the inshore flats.
They'll eat chunks out of a Popping Cork and snip your line at the hook in a New York Minute...
But they are neat looking

Slacker

pain in the butt

capt louie

Slacker said:

pain in the butt

They are aggressive.

finbully

Turner River Terror said:

Them things are a Pest on the inshore flats.
They'll eat chunks out of a Popping Cork and snip your line at the hook in a New York Minute...
But they are neat looking

I messed with one when I was a kid and it took a chunk out of my left thumb. True story, and I think that is when I became addicted to fishing!

Jstubby2

I think I caught one on Tuesday out of CR, we thought it was a bonefish at first, hit baddonkadonk, decent fight. I didn't give it a chance to bite me. Huge milky eyes. I was thinking mullet for a minute. My bubby also jumped a decent tarpon in the same area, when I say jumped it did the classic jump flared gills tail walk & spit the lure😤

Padanny

I've made it over to Crystal River three times this spring and on two of those trips we caught more smooth puffers than I've seen combined in the fifty years I've fished there. They've hit plugs and jigs and spoons.
Back in the 80's my mom and dad considered them and toadfish to be very tasty, but to me they didn't have much flavor. There are strong toxins in the skin and innards so you have to be careful cleaning them.
Trout must not like hanging out with them though because catching trout (for me anyway)  has been a real challenge this year. 

surfman

people in Steinhatchee are catching messes of them and they are keeping them and eating them, heard they eat good. no limits on those things 

RayI

Looks like an up north blow fish. We'd catch dozens and yes with rabbit buck teeth. I never ate one but from my understanding there isn't more than a mouthful of meat on a fish the size pictured. Only meat is an inch or two up from tail depending on size. Nothing over ribs and back.

tankered

Those things seem to be very cyclical, even more so than most fish. When they're around, they're everywhere to the point of being a nuisance, and then....you forget they exist.