Yesterday we took Buddy south toward Gasparilla Pass to cool off and use up my supply of frozen shrimp. Frankly, since I have been without my mentor, Tonic Tom on the cute little boat, my success at fishing has been nothing to write home about.
As usual, the shrimp on a jig with a "popper" bobber yielded nothing... Tom, I must need another lesson...
So, I figure why not try some Wisconsin bass bait. With the Admiral driving with only one engine at idle speed, we headed back "home" on the ICW. There was quite a bit of boat traffic passing us by as we trolled along with me lounging in the cockpit, tending to two poles with floating lures.
Anyway, to make a short story long, I snagged this fish. At first I thought it was a submarine, but after a while I realized it was a fish. It took me a while to get it in the boat as I was using light spinning rods with 6# test line. A couple of passing boats even stopped to watch.
I have absolutely no idea what it is...
Maybe a giant flying fish??!!
ReplyDeleteWere you using cheese as bait?
I guess I'm as bad as you are at fishing....so far this year it's Florida..$17.00 for the license and the fish - 0 along with Dick - 0.
Phil,
ReplyDeleteIt looks to me like a Bagre marinus. (A gaff-topsail catfish.)
If it left a huge amount of slime on your line and everything else it touched, that would confirm it's identity.
Tom
I asked my "hunter-gather" son in law, who lives in Jacksonville what this fish was. Here's his reply:
ReplyDeleteThat is a "sail cat" saltwater catfish..... Trash fish...... Ive heard they can be eaten but i knock em in the head and cut the line... They are super slimy and have barbs that hurt like hades if they sting you. I tried to stomp one to death when i was a teenager. On about the third stomp the top barb went thru my tennis shoe and into my foot. I walked with a limp for a month :)