# Big Lagoon early morning



## timman (Oct 3, 2007)

Headed out to Big Lagoon this morning and caught a beautiful sunrise over the water - but not much else. I did catch an undersize speck and a ladyfish. Also caught something that I couldn't identify. It looked kind of like a Monkfish, but I know they aren't native to this area. Brown in color, with a wide mouth and two sets of pectoral fins. Not too friendly looking, that 'feller. No wind and water was calm. Lots of grass floating in the water, though. Anyone having any luck on the grass flats early morning, or is the water just too warm?


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## fisheye48 (Sep 28, 2007)

Without a pic i would guess a rockfish?


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## SHunter (Jun 19, 2009)

I was thinking maybe a stonefish or sea robin. Next time take a photo. Most of these guys are good at identifying.


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## timman (Oct 3, 2007)

Yeah, I forgot my camera this morning.  A picture would definitely make it easier to ID! I Googled the rockfish, stonefish and sea robin. Out of the three, it looked more like the sea robin. Large pectoral fins, wide mouth and distinctly blue-ish eyes.


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## Fisherdad1 (Oct 4, 2007)

*could be a jawfish*

Not long ago my nephew caught a jawfish of the opistognathus species in little sabine. Probably an opistognathus robinsi or Spotfin Jawfish. Similar to a toadfish, but different.

See the following weblink: http://www.eol.org/pages/222159?vetted=true

Their coloration can very depending upon their habitat. Does this look like it.


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## timman (Oct 3, 2007)

That wasn't what I caught. Head was bigger/wider and the pectoral fins were much larger. And there seemed to be two pec fins on each side.


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## Nopierpressure (Jul 27, 2010)

I caught my first Sea Robin... I was using a D.O.A. gold fleck shrimp.... I have been told they are not as aggressive as they look. I didn't have pliers, had never seen one before, and with nobody around to ask... I just cut the line.


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## timman (Oct 3, 2007)

Nopier....no kidding! If I didn't have my long pliers, I would have done the same thing. Between the mouth, the dorsal spike and the twin pecs, I wasn't going near the jighead with my hands! Oh, and I forgot to mention in my original post that this guy was making some awful croaking sounds. He sounded pretty upset that I had him hooked......!


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## RAMA JAMA (Jul 11, 2008)

Could it have been a lizardfish? I caught a couple in NC a couple of weeks ago on a mirolure of all things! anyway, they were fiesty little suckers for sure, but i didn't think we had any down here.


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## captainblack (Jul 4, 2010)

there are lizard fish around here but it doesnt really sound like that but then again the details are hard to go on alot of fish can look pretty similar

did it look at all like this? (if this link works) http://www.thejump.net/id/pics/leopard-searobin.jpg


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## REDFISH101 (Mar 27, 2009)

It could have been a southern stargazier i have caught one there before about a year ago


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## jdhkingfisher (Aug 6, 2010)

ive been fishing the grass flats at dusk and right into night time man and have been tearin up the reds on a fly. they are eating crabs


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## karma (Oct 26, 2007)

we fished the area that day.. fished only gulps and caught a 6-7 redfish 15-20 trout and 30 misc crap


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## jawbreaker (Sep 29, 2008)

Did he have greenish eyes, if so Diffenitly a lizard fish!!


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## OP-FOR (Jan 23, 2010)

Sounds like a lizard fish. I have not caught one this year at Big Lagoon. One undersized red was all I caught the last time. There is plenty of pinfish and mullet there though. I would have to agree that the water tempertaure is too warm.


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## timman (Oct 3, 2007)

karma said:


> we fished the area that day.. fished only gulps and caught a 6-7 redfish 15-20 trout and 30 misc crap


You say you had a haul like that in Big Lagoon? Man, I'm definitely doing something wrong! What time of day were you there?


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## Yaksquatch (Mar 23, 2009)

Get an ID on your mystery fish yet? If not, it sounds like a Gulf Toadfish, Opsanus beta:








Image from: http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/wildlife/fish/gulf-toadfish.html

They're pretty much harmless unless you stick a finger in their mouth, they've got some wicked crushers! Pretty reclusive in seagrass beds, hiding in and around any hard structure they can find. Best way to find one is to look for sunk soda or beer cans. It's not uncommon to find one that swam in as a juvenile and grew too large to swim back out. They don't mind, they're in shelter that continually attracts small fish and shrimp for them to chow down on. Also, the males can emit a grinding/croaking sound to attract females and discourage other males.

Alex


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## timman (Oct 3, 2007)

You know, it could of been a Toadfish. Very similar looking head...


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## karma (Oct 26, 2007)

timman said:


> You say you had a haul like that in Big Lagoon? Man, I'm definitely doing something wrong! What time of day were you there?


looked up big lagoon on that map and i was actually a little east from there but similar waters/area.. south of shermans cove and northern docks on ICW.. the no motor zone.. etc..

We had a great start early.. started tossing gulp shrimp/jighead at sunrise.. Had a grandslam by 7 AM.. the reds were boiling on the shallows close to shore and we would drift into them for a few casts.. the speckle trouts were in 6-7 feet of water that morning.. it was high tide.. the white trouts were in 15-20 feet water thick.. we were literally dropping the gulf straight down like a sabiki and catching 16"trout!! haha 

We had a tip from some free divers where the big mangroves were hanging out but the pin fish were to aggressive to allow a bite..

I love live bait but gulps are great alternatives and created more opportunities.. they get a little pricey though.. it easy to use a whole pack to yourself in one morning..


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