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]

Originally Posted by 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

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?

[hammer4reel]

Originally Posted by Blackfish Doug

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 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!