Big Nasty likes carrots

[mrex]

Caught this ugly fish on a carrot.

[Jason]

What is it?

[pjmcla]

Unless mistaken --  If Salt water; it is a Black Drum.  If Fresh water; just Drum, gaspergoo, or several other nicknames.  But; it looks like a the salt water "version" to me. 

[toadfrogbaits]

It's a drum by any color . Got more bones than a porcupine has quills . Tastes like what falls from the south bound end of a north bound mule .

[pjmcla]

The Tennessee River reservoirs have pretty good sized populations of these rascals.  Many in the 10 - 20 lb range.  They will hit just about anything from crappie jigs to crank baits.  And almost all live / dead bait.  Almost everyone considers them to be a pure nuisance.  Early spring, below the dams, they can be caught almost at will. 

[mrex]

It is a Black Drum! If you fish oyster reefs you usually snag a few. Thought I had a good size Red on, this one made my drag sing so I knew it was not a trout. Hoping for a red was disappointed when I saw it was a drum. Try not even pull the slimy things into my boat. I was able to get the boga on him and unhook him without putting him in the boat. Then just released him back into the water Boga weight was around 11lbs. We also caught a couple of half trout the sharks have moved in and its a race to see who gets the fish first Shark or us. Sharks won about half the time. Wife did hook one but it came off right at the boat so did not have to mess with him.

[BareKnuckleJigs]

Alot of Folks don't eat Black Drum, but I grew up eating the smaller ones...along with Croaker, Channel Mullet, Sheepshead, Gaffstop, and especially the Incredibly Awesome Stingray.  Let me know if Yawl would like to try the 3" Skinny!

[BareKnuckleJigs]

Speaking of Drum in the Salt, I've fished oyster beds with spoons (Gold 2/5 oz. Lit'l Cleo is my favorite) and single or double soft plastics, and Drum don't hesitate.  I've caught Gaspargou in the Fresh with crankbaits over submerged Cypress Stump Fields in Lake Maurepas.  I'll put flour and corn meal on 'em in a heartbeat and praise God for the Blessin'.  Stingray is some of the FINEST Table Fare that swims...clean 'em almost like a Flounder, just cut down either side of their spine, not on the spine as with a Flounder.  But yeah, Drum/Gaspargou are more than welcome to try to dull my knife...upto 6-7 lb.s...the bigger ones are seed, and don't taste as good.