# Fish Identification help (no picture)



## FHD (May 26, 2013)

Okay guys - I'm totally lost on this one and don't have a picture to help you help me! 

I was fishing in Kees Bayou again yesterday, which is anywhere from 1 to 6 feet depending upon where you are. Yesterday, I saw something swimming out of the bayou and I'm guessing it was passing through an area about 2 feet deep when I saw it. It had a tall and very unusual dorsal fin sticking way out of the water - which I'm confident occurred because the water was shallow enough to force the fish to the surface. 

This was not a shark or porpoise or sailcat dorsal fin, it was a standard "webbed" dorsal fin like you might see on most standard fish. However, what made it unique to me was that there was at least 4 or 5 inches (tall) of fin sticking out of the water and blowing in the strong breeze and the part sticking out of the water that I could see was not very long (maybe 4 or 5 inches) with a noticeable drop off thereafter (almost as if what I was seeing was the entire dorsal fin!)

The fish surfaced twice on it's way out of the bayou, just enough for me to see the fin each time (but not the fish), and then I never saw it again. I cast a baby mullet lure ahead of him but apparently did not get his attention. 

Any ideas on what that could have been? 

Thanks in advance!


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## badonskybuccaneers (Aug 19, 2013)

Just a shot in the dark...... Tarpon?


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## Mullethead (Oct 4, 2007)

badonskybuccaneers said:


> Just a shot in the dark...... Tarpon?


 My guess too - 

Did it roll when it suface (gluped air) ?


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## Garbo (Oct 2, 2007)

Black Drum.


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## Mullethead (Oct 4, 2007)




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## FHD (May 26, 2013)

Thanks guys.

I've looked up pictures of Tarpons and Black Drums and the Tarpon's dorsal looks very close to what I saw yesterday. The dorsal fin that I saw did not come to any type of point on the top - it was pretty flat with a very slight slope from front to back and a very distinct end (as opposed to a slight slope that just kept going down toward the tail.) It was moving pretty slow and I sensed it was part of a pretty large fish. 

Thanks for your thoughts my friends!


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## FHD (May 26, 2013)

Mullethead said:


> My guess too -
> 
> Did it roll when it suface (gluped air) ?


No roll - just a fin...


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## KingCrab (Apr 29, 2012)

Skip jack maybe or small Tarpon


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## SWAngler (Sep 13, 2014)

Agree with King Crab, if by "skipjack" he means ladyfish. They're all over the place this year. In schools...as is common, they do exactly as described. A slow roll mostly. Like lounging on the surface. Dorsal fin usually fairly flat (guessing the older ones  ), but sometimes erect. 

Seen this so much lately, I stopped thinking small shark and automatically cast to when nothing else biting, and hook up a ladyfish.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Those silly manatee's like to play shark alot.....I bet it was one of them!!!


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## FHD (May 26, 2013)

SWAngler said:


> Agree with King Crab, if by "skipjack" he means ladyfish. They're all over the place this year. In schools...as is common, they do exactly as described. A slow roll mostly. Like lounging on the surface. Dorsal fin usually fairly flat (guessing the older ones  ), but sometimes erect.
> 
> Seen this so much lately, I stopped thinking small shark and automatically cast to when nothing else biting, and hook up a ladyfish.


Well, considering that I've caught 2 ladyfish in that bayou, you make a strong case - especially with your comment about them lounging on the surface since that's exactly what it appeared to be doing. For the size fin that I saw, it would have to have been a very large ladyfish. However, there's no way I could rule it out with all things considered. Thanks for the feedback! :thumbup:


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## Garbo (Oct 2, 2007)

Based on the description of the way the fish moved, it's reaction to a presentation and the location and the time of year. I'm stuck with Black Drum. 

Pull a lure to a Tarpon and 9 times out of 10 the Tarpon will blow out. 

Lady Fish would have to be an extreme sized Lady Fish to fit the description. 

Tarpon would fit but would most likely not act like the fish described. 

Bull Red maybe but the Dorsal wouldn't match the description. 

Jack Crevelle? I don't see it fitting the story told either.


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## Mullethead (Oct 4, 2007)

A black drum makes more sense for that location - but you never know .... Keep looking ! Thats one reason I like getting out, especially on slick days. All sorts of things swim by !


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## Yaksquatch (Mar 23, 2009)

Yup, my vote's for a big black drum with his face stuck in the mud rooting around for shrimp and crabs. Need to put something stinky on bottom for him to find it. Live or fresh dead shrimp should work but half a blue crab is magic!!!

Good luck,
Alex


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