French Grunt

To capture the French Grunt, you will need a waterproof housing or a dedicated underwater trail camera. Since these fish are attracted to structure, the most effective placement is near dock pilings or submerged rock piles in your coastal 'backyard.' Mount the camera about 2 feet above the seabed, angled slightly downward to capture the sandy interface where they forage at night. If you are mounting to a dock, aim the camera toward the shaded areas under the walkway, as this is where they prefer to school during the day.

Lighting is your biggest challenge underwater. While the French Grunt's yellow stripes look spectacular in natural morning light, they are most active for feeding at night. Use a camera with a 'no-glow' infrared flash to avoid startling the fish or attracting larger predators like barracudas. If filming during the day, position your camera with the sun at your back to illuminate the fish's scales; otherwise, the bright surface light will cause them to appear as dark silhouettes.

While we don't recommend traditional baiting, you can encourage French Grunts to linger in front of your camera by placing it near a 'cleaning station'—an area where smaller wrasses or shrimp pick parasites off larger fish. If local regulations allow, a small mesh bag containing crushed sea shells or crab meat can create a scent trail that keeps a school in the frame for much longer. Use a high frame rate (at least 60fps) to capture the quick, shimmering movements they make when shifting positions within their school.