Smart Fish – Dumb Fish

By: Capt. Chad Carney

Divers get to witness fish behavior and intelligence. After 50 years of spearfishing in the Gulf, Atlantic & Caribbean Sea, I have rated popular smart and dumb fish, from A+ to F-. (Young, small fish are stupid. So, give them a pass.)

Groupers: Reds scavenge and will sit watching a spearo without turning for cover. Their fillets often have worms. Grade D

Yellowfins are beautiful and act like reds, just a bit more aware. Grade C

Scamps of fair size keep an eye on shooters at a distance. Grade C+

Blacks (Carbos), 30#+ and up will move to a safety hole at 1st glance of a shooter. 80#+ will often hide at only hearing a spearo. Favorite holes have 2 exits. Carbos flee across a reef & swim into currents. Grade B

Gags, 20#+ are as smart as blacks. They also circle out into the sand and lay in depressions, hence the nick name “rusty bellies”. They’re fast & good at shaking spears. Grade B+

Snappers: All are curious and are master spear shakers.

Mangroves are fast & know it. They turn thin to reduce their target size. 8#+ they stay afar & zip into tight holes. C+

Yellowtails are found in clear water and avoid spearos. Grade B-

Red’s & Mutton’s curiosity allows one shot, then it’s adios! Grade B

Cuberas hang unseen in shadows. I saw my first only because he flinched when I stoned a grouper. He hid in a wreck and I hung back, guessing and aiming where he’d peak out. I was lucky. A big cubera once used goliaths for cover to escape a wreck! An 82# cubera bolted a wreck with no more structure. I waited forever till he showed. A 25-ft freeshaft dropped him. Grade A+

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Misc.: Amberjack (Reef donkeys) school above bottom hanging with active spearos & even bump divers. Grade D

Lionfish were unafraid at first, but now with one shot they’ll hide. Grade C

Hogfish zip to a speared buddy & start to feed in the sand, not look at a spearo. After a haircut tear-out shot, some swim 5 ft & feed again! Definitely a grade F-