Thread: Fairhope Tues-Wed night shift:

Caught my first 2 Specks for 2015 around 2am, 1/4oz white Crappie jig in the lights. Both around 12", lost one smaller. Landed a big hardhead,
dozens of bait-Croaker and baby Tarpon (could have been Sand Trout, I'm not sure.)
One decent Ground Mullet and one big Sheepie caught by others. No Reds reported.

Not much, but something to build my post count with. Happy Hooking!

sand trout. no way there was a tarpon there even if it was a baby. ive caught super small spanish there in my net but not anytime around march.

Originally Posted by clark_tucker

sand trout. no way there was a tarpon there even if it was a baby. ive caught super small spanish there in my net but not anytime around march.

+1 I agree.

thanks for the report Pop jiggity

Thanks for the detailed report Pop J
If the 'baby tarpon' was "shad-like" with a dorsal filament, it was most likely a Gizzard Shad... Gizzard Shad | Outdoor Alabama

What was the water clarity like?

Originally Posted by clark_tucker

sand trout. no way there was a tarpon there even if it was a baby. ive caught super small spanish there in my net but not anytime around march.

Don't want to stir up nothin here and I aint sayin that pop saw a baby tarpon or he didn't, BUT,a neighbor came by a couple winters ago with a 14" fish in a bucket for me to identify. It was caught from lower Boggy Branch, direct tributary to the Bon Secour River not hardly 20 miles from the Fairhope Pier. I did not take a picture of it but it was without question a baby tarpon. I've caught a few of them in south Florida. In your hand they are pretty hard to miss identify.

I guess at the time I did not realize how rare it was to see one here.

David, the water is dingy but not filthy. Very little wind and current last night, seems to have settled a bit around the sand bars. I could see the jig 6 inches below the surface, and watched one of the little Specks come up to take the lure.

The "Sand Trout" are short, chubby, and very silver. I'll take a closer look next time but this looks about right:


These weren't baby tarpon (it was a joke) but I'm pretty sure I caught a Ladyfish once that was actually a baby Barracuda.

Ahh, that is Silver Perch (aka "sweet trout" or "yellowtail")
American silver perch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Originally Posted by sandflea

In your hand they are pretty hard to miss identify.

???

Not sure what you got there Stik. Maybe one of the herrings.
The jaw, maxillary, and eye are not tarpon. Scales are too small. The dorsal whip is a real prominent tarpon feature. I doubt your fish has one.

Here's a couple pics of baby tarpon:
Note the dorsal whip on the second pic.