fished the Canal today with mystery fish

[Blackfish Doug]

I fished the canal today with my buddy Mike Gasparo he never fished the canal before. I had to get my weekly fix of fishing even if it was from land. I couldn't get green crabs I should have went to Brielle they had them so we fished with clams I wish we had crabs. We were catching tiny Sea Bass & those tiny sized toad fish that resemble Monk fish. When all of a sudden I get this nice hit I reel in this fish at first I thought it was a Sheepshead but I knew it wasn't. I sent out a few texts with a picture a few of my friends said it was a Black Drum. The person in the tackle shop thought it was a Croaker but he said if it was it was one of the biggest ones he has ever seen. The fish was making that croaking sound when I handled it so maybe he's right I will leave it up to you experts. I did land a small blackfish the only one we got if we had crabs I know we would have had more. I did have a few good hits that felt like blackfish but our clams were soft & mushy one hit & your bait was gone. I weighed the fish when I got home it weighed 2lbs 8ozs. a nice sized fish for the canal.

[WhaleFart]

Puppy black drum, got a few in my cast net this year working an area by the canal. Not as big though.

[Blackfish Doug]

Thanks for the comeback you are right my buddy's from Facebook just confirmed it. I guess this is another fish I can cross off my bucket list.

[Virginiaducks]

100% certain that is a juvenile black drum. They lose their stripes as they mature.

[ALS Mako]

yep, definately a juvenile black drum. was getting them in my crab traps down in b-bay

[hammer4reel]

definetly a black drum.

next time you cant get crabs, cooked frozen shrimp is deadly in the canal, and a decent sized bag is 3 bucks

[Blackfish Doug]

definetly a black drum.

next time you cant get crabs, cooked frozen shrimp is deadly in the canal, and a decent sized bag is 3 bucks

Thanks for that advice Dan I got to try it sometime. But now you just let out your secret on how you get those 50lb catch & release Bass LOL. I got to get out with you again one of these days you know where they live.

[SaltLife1980]

Black Drum. Haha.. Just had to say it

Nice catch!

[Joey Dah Fish]

Did anyone say black drum? :D

[hammer4reel]

Thanks for that advice Dan I got to try it sometime. But now you just let out your secret on how you get those 50lb catch & release Bass LOL. I got to get out with you again one of these days you know where they live.

pencil poppers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[liveitup1.75liter]

Juvenile fish of the drum family

[Chrisper4694]

did anyone say banded rudder fish yet?

HAHAHAHAHA

[jmurr711]

Pan fried heaven

[Blackfish Doug]

Another picture of the fish I guess any kind of fish with Black in it I love to catch
LOL.

[RBC67]

minimum length on black drum is 16"

[Blackfish Doug]

minimum length on black drum is 16"

I don't keep short fish anybody who knows me knows that. But just for your info that fish was 18" plus I didn't even know what the fish was in the first place. Even a tackle shop owner didn't know either. There's always somebody who wants to stir the pot.

[RBC67]

Don't get your^^^ panties in an uproar. Comment wasn't aimed at you sorry if it offended you. It was just a reminder for people that didn't know that ,as black drum are not a common fish up here(as proved by your question), especially in the canal. Didn't want anyone to get in trouble with game wardens as there presence this time of year increases in the canal area.

[Blackfish Doug]

Don't get your^^^ panties in an uproar. Comment wasn't aimed at you sorry if it offended you. It was just a reminder for people that didn't know that ,as black drum are not a common fish up here(as proved by your question), especially in the canal. Didn't want anyone to get in trouble with game wardens as there presence this time of year increases in the canal area.

Sorry about that myself I guess I got to go back to the BVD'S LOL. Too many people have been hijacking my posts lately. And your advice was dead on I rarely take anything from the canal. When I found out what it was I looked up the regs on it so I was a bit concerned so I measured it as well.

[SaltLife1980]

Yeah that fish looks short :eek::eek::D:D:D