Bait ID

[sarce]

Found a massive school of these fish in a "lagoon" in Alabama a few weeks ago. Tarpon and redfish were slaughtering them. I snagged a few (baitfish, not tarpon) with my fly. Can anyone ID it for me? Unfortunately I don't have a better picture.

 

[dc410]

I am pretty sure that may be a menhaden. They generally travel in fairly large schools. The Ray's fly bucktail streamer that is used a lot along the east coast for stripers is tied to imitate this baitfish.

 

[afishinado]

dc410 wrote:
I am pretty sure that may be a menhaden. They generally travel in fairly large schools. The Ray's fly bucktail streamer that is used a lot along the east coast for stripers is tied to imitate this baitfish.

Yup....aka as a "bunker" around here. There are many wide-profile flies that are tied to imitate bunker. Like these.

 

[sarce]

Thanks guys. I had some big gray over white clousers which I trimmed to the length of the baitfish. Two tarpon took it (I did not even come close to landing either) but interestingly, I could not tempt the redfish that were also there in numbers.

 

[geebee]

yup, thats young of year bunker - they get much much bigger.

the spot behind the pec is the giveaway.

 

[krayfish2]

Stocked

 

[Night_Stalker]

Yellow Fin Tuna

 

[sarce]

Well duh, anyone can see that its a stocked tuna. It has an open wound in the back from the hatchery.

The fly just happened to catch it thru the wound, the hook didn't cause the wound in case that's what it looks like. I'm not a dirty fish snagger.