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Location: The desert | Alright guys my buddy Brian Swenson had this picture emailed to him by a friend and we cant figure out what it is.
This fish was caught in the St. Croix.
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| looks like a fresswater drum |
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| I concur, freshwater drum aka: sheepshead.
Now go to class. |
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Location: So. Illinois | Its a drum... |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | Thanks guys....thats kind of what we thought but werent entirely sure.....All the sheephead I've caught have been much more 'silvery' probably due to the water they are in.
Headed to class soon guest, dont worry. |
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Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | Arent you studying to be a fisheries biologist? Our waters are in TROUBLE! |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | Sorry...havent worked with Sheepshead much.....ID'd it on my Ichthyology Exam last semester, but that specimen was 50+ years old and has soaked in alcohol that whole time....needless to say it didnt look much like a sheephead. |
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Location: Madtown, WI | Hence why class work vs. field work is SOOO important!
Cory |
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| That is when the "ic" classroom works comes into play. Them being in the jars makes you work and know what physical traits to look for.
Been there, done that. Actually been there, tutored that. Looked at the same jars as you are looking at. |
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Location: The desert | Trust me I know field work is important...If I had to rely on class grades to get me places I'd be working construction by now.
That being said I dont know how much sheepshead field work there is out there. If I would have had that fish in hand I probably wouldnt have had too much trouble ID'ing it.
Now looking at 50+ year old alcohol specimens of fish is tough....just imagine 20+ year old aquatic insect collections.....What fun!! |
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Location: Brookfield, WI | I would think you would carry around flash cards.
Anyway, here's a picture of a school of drum.
Kevin
Put 'er in the ol' vise.
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| Slamr - 11/1/2007 9:49 AM
Arent you studying to be a fisheries biologist? Our waters are in TROUBLE!
Ya beat me to it! |
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Posts: 4266
| Looks like a sheephead, but I've never seen one that color. They are usually silvery and gray. That looks like a smallie more than any sheephead that I've ever seen. |
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Posts: 317
| Looks like a Redfish, which is a drum. |
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Location: Hudson, WI | Anyone know if it's possible for a smallmouthxsheephead hybrid? There are enough of both of them on that river that I can imagine the spawning areas are just full of eggs and guy goo. |
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Location: Onalaska, WI | "but that specimen was 50+ years old and has soaked in alcohol that whole time...."
I thought you were having a flashback to the Skyview and referencing some of your elder MuskieFIRSTER's! |
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| Mertot beat me to the punch, I was gonna say "I know a lot of people like that!" |
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Posts: 79
| baaaaHH SHEEPHEAD.... IT is a lot darker color then what is around Southern Mn can't keep them of the hook around here either need more Muskie stocked to get rid of them HEHE |
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Posts: 94
| It is a freshwater drum called a "Gaspergoo"
http://www.tnfish.org/PhotoGalleryFish_TWRA/FishPhotoGallery_TWRA/p... |
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Posts: 457
| Wicked fun to catch on a flyrod, amazingly picky about what they eat, just like their cousins in the salt. Actually, stick them on a cedar plank over warm coals and they eat really well. |
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| A sheepshead with a smallmouth bass body. aka sheepsmouth
bret |
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Location: Rhinelander | Whooligan, " They eat well over coals" Sounds like it would be thier last meal. haha! |
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| I thought the hybrid was called a smallhead |
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Location: Nowheresville, MN | Pointerpride102 - 11/1/2007 9:32 AM
Alright guys my buddy Brian Swenson had this picture emailed to him by a friend and we cant figure out what it is.
This fish was caught in the St. Croix.
Oh my, that's embarrassing.
Edited by tfootstalker 11/1/2007 5:31 PM
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Location: Sandusky, OH | Looks like the typical colors we get here on Erie, minus the bloody, red, distended anus. Must not be forced to eat a diet of zebra mussels!
Ouch!!
Eric
Edited by bluegill 11/1/2007 6:09 PM
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| Gaspergoo!
Never heard of it, but you nailed it with that one.
I bet it fought like crazy!
I've caught 10 pound sheephead on The Mississippi River on 6# line that took 15-20 minutes to get in.
Gaspergoo.......I learned something new today.
Beav |
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Posts: 17
| In this area, sheephead are generally regarded as a 'trash' fish. Niagara River fishermen refer to them as "River Kings" - tongue in cheek of course.
They do give a good account for themselves when hooked on bass or walleye gear. But they don't have the endurance of a true 'game fish'.
Interestingly, at certain times of the year they live up to their 'drum' heritage by generating a very loud "croaking" sound. In still, quiet conditions, this sound is actually audible through the hull of an aluminum boat. I heard about this - but didn't experience it myself until about 10 years ago.
We were bored one 4th of July weekend, so we got some softshell crabs and went fishing in an area river in a little 14' aluminum boat I also own, that I throw the 3 hp electric on. No bass, but the sheephead were thick as flies in a 20 foot deep hole. So we amused ourselves by catching them. When the fishing slowed - I would listen for the drumming sound, and we'd reposition the boat to where the drumming was loudest. Then we'd start catching them again.
First and only time I ever fished by sound. |
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Posts: 4266
| They also have some things that resemble pearls in their skulls. I've seen some that commercial fishermen showed me, and they are really cool looking. And yes, they do make a loud croaking noise when you pull them out of the water. Kind of like catfish. |
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| Thanks for reminding me Cleve,
The other name that I heard them called when fishing with a guy on Erie were "Croakers", just for the reason that Cleve said.
I think I heard one tell me, "Get my a@@ back in the water, I can't breath!".
On that trip this is how the catching went.
Other guy, smallmouth; me, Sheepshead. Other guy, smallmouth; me, Sheepshead. Other guy smallmouth; me, Sheepshead. Using the same tubes and everything. I did catch a bunch of smallies including a 7 1/2lber, but the Croakers were all mine.
The almost did a movie on me. Instead of "The Rock" staring in "The Scorpion King" it would have been "The Pebble" staring in "The Croaker King". |
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Location: Sandusky, OH | Beaver, those pearls in their head are called otoliths; they are the inner ear bones that aid in balance. They are huge in drum compared to other species. The cool thing is that if you section or crack them in half and look under a microscope you can age the fish by counting their rings like on a tree. Fact is, otoliths in many cases are the best method of aging fish (most precise and accurate). Of course, you gotta kill the fish to get to them.
I know people here that collect jars full of 'lucky stones' from the local beaches; just sand polished drum otoliths, but it gives you an idea of how many of those Catawba Dolphins are out in Erie.
Eric |
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