Saltwater Picture Thread

[CraigP83]

Can we sticky this, everyone can share their catches here?

There isn't much salt water in MN so I've only gone twice

St. Thomas, USVI



Cabo San Lucas:

[Pferox]

Thats a great idea Craig, thanks for sharing, those are some nice fish there.

[Pferox]

From the local park on Cedar Bayou in Baytown, earlier this year, didn't measure or weigh this one, I was either doing chemo or radiation at the time.



Actually caught two back to back that day, or the same one twice, not sure. 



OH I just love FISH PORN. 

[Pferox]

This is my PB bull red to date.  My buddy Robert had this made up into a momento framed picture for me for Christmas, don't do mounts, just pictures and release the bigguns to make more.  Caught at the Galveston Fishing Pier.

[Pferox]

My first Spotted Sea Trout in Texas, 28 inches caught at Sylvan Beach Pier in La Porte, TX, under the lights, sorry it is a bad picture, Robert isn't too phone savvy, and can't see too well.

[Pferox]

Sheepshead from Texas City Dike.  Till today I'm on a one fish limit for some reason over there.  Slimy, yet Tasty fish.



Look at those choppers!

[Pferox]

Jan caught this flounder without trying, we threw it back. She catches more flounder not trying to than I do trying.     This is Roseland park before they started construction across the bayou.



Another angle, makes it look much bigger. 

[Lee Smith]

Nice fish guys!

Here's my favorite saltwater fishy, man I love catching these bad boys!



Not counting how good they are when ya blacken them   

[Pferox]

That is good eatin' there, Lee.

Since I left the boat in FL, and don't wade anymore, seems like I catch more Bulls and Rats than slots.     But when I do, man do we eat good. 

Have you tried them on the half shell?  I haven't yet, but hear that is a great way to cook em.

[Pferox]

Had to share this one.  My first catch in Texas, on the Bolivar Penninsula, man did I get a ribbing for this from Jan.



But it wasn't a total skunk.

[Pferox]

Jan's brother / cousin in law from a previous marriage or something like that, Jeff,  (in the light shirt) don't know the relationship, but we are very tight.  They live in Waco and until I got sick, used to visit every month to hit the water both he and his wife Teresa love to fish.  This guy is the Big Black Drum King, he shovels one of these suckers out every time he visits, doesn't matter where we go, or what bait he uses.  This is his first one at RoseLand Park.  The guy in the dark shirt came up and offered to help Jeff hold up his catch, it is way over slot, but before we could get it back into the water this guy walks off with the fish, puts it into the trunk of his car and drives off.



Then Sylvan Beach Pier.



His wife Teresa is no slouch at catching fish either, I actually think she likes to fish more than Jeff does, she is the Redfish Queen, too bad they are ALWAYS an inch too short.

[CraigP83]

Are those Black Drum a prized fish? They look exactly like the Freshwater Drum we have around here. We call them Sheephead

[Pferox]

I have never had fresh water drum, but do eat the salty version a lot.  It has a great taste and firm fish like texture, usually large flakes.

The slot sized are very good, they can have parasite worms in them, but they cook up and aren't harmful, I usually just cut them out so the wife knows they aren't there.  The larger they get, the more the chance of them becoming wormy, that is one reason I don't even think about keeping the larger ones.

Many fish have that particular worm in them, BTW, so it isn't an isolated thing, they just seem to be more noticeable in the drum species like redfish and black drum.

[Pferox]

Are those Black Drum a prized fish? They look exactly like the Freshwater Drum we have around here. We call them Sheephead

Part two, sorry .....

Saltwater Sheephead are different, interestingly enough they are hard to distinguish from juvenile black drum until you look at the teeth.  There is a picture of our sheepshead in this thread somewhere.

Juvenile black drum have stripes, but lose them as they mature.  Here is a picture of a black drum a couple inches short of a keeper.



The little ones are a fantastic fight on lighter stuff, I like catching them on 8 to 12lb class gear.

A lot of the inshore stuff around here is very seasonal, many species are moving in to spawn, or out to spawn, depending on their habits, then the youngins are present for a while or not. 

As an example, during late summer, the small gafftop sailcats show up, they are voracious feeders and will take and hook up with some larger hooks.  Many call them junk fish at that stage, but they are really fun to catch on very light gear. The action is hot, and great for kids, only concern of course are the pointy fins that can be very painful.

[Pferox]

Speaking of Gafftops, we catch a few eaters around here.  Jan doesn't like catfish, so I usually give them to Robert, or the neighbors, although I sneak one or two fillets in for me once in a while.

If you like catfish, this is the caviar of catfish, the best tasting meat I have ever had by far.

[Pferox]

This was the one of the last off shore trips I made while working for Mosquito Control in Polk County.  I can't remember the charter, but they were out of Sebastian, Florida.

[Pferox]

My buddy Robert and I fish a lot, and he has been a good friend during both good and tough times, I dug around and found a few pictures of his catches to show off.  For the life of me though, I can't seem to find his PB red and shark.  If he ever joins up he will have to post them himself I guess.

This is his first Spot, caught at Roseland Park.



Here is a ribbon fish he caught, they are a coveted off shore bait, and we usually catch them under the lights periodically, but he can catch them in the daylight.



Here is a spade fish he caught, he calls them angelfish, and won't eat any because you don't eat an angel. 



He loves to use multiple drop rigs, and I fabricate a slew of different styles and patterns for him to test. He is always quite proud of his doubles, no matter what they are.



I do have to post at least one that proves he does catch larger fish. 

[Pferox]

I have to share Jan's PB shark with Y'all.



She caught that at the Bass Pro, BTW.
She actually does catch real fish too.
There is a discussion going between her and I as to what species that fish is, I say it is a rat red, but she says she never caught a red at the Pier in Galveston, if that is the case then it is either a huge croaker or whiting.

[Dark3]

Nice catches guys...and gals!!!

[CraigP83]

Posted this in the International Forum too, but thought more people would enjoy them here. I went to Costa Rica with my wife, we caught 7 sailfish and lost another after a good fight.

[LgMouthGambler]

Some nice fish in here!

[LgMouthGambler]

Heres a few. Redfish and a 400lb bullshark.

[CraigP83]

I need to try shark fishing next 

[Pferox]

Nice Fish Matt, where did you shovel them up from?  Water looks good too.

[LgMouthGambler]

Nice Fish Matt, where did you shovel them up from?  Water looks good too.

That was down in Islamorada 3 years ago. Wife got me a day charter out of Bud and Marys for my 30th.