If this is a juvenile tarpon, then they do indeed spawn in SC waters. Caught in a cast net.
“Banana Pants”
Indigo Bay 170
90 Johnson
A shad with a mouth like this?
“Banana Pants”
Indigo Bay 170
90 Johnson
Tarpon. However, I doubt that is from a local spawning. That fish is probably close to a year old and migrated north with the warming waters of late spring.
Iain Pelto
Sea Hunt Triton 160 w/ 90 ETEC “JB3”
Native Manta Ray 14
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Square gill-plate, doesn’t have the tailing fin of the dorsal fin (like a tarpon), dorsal fin not quite back far enough… I am going with Shad.
Got a pic with the dorsal fin raised?
http://www.flyshop.com/adventures/shad.html
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No but you can tell that it would go to a point like a tarpon if he did. All of the fins, scales and mouth point to tarpon to me.
“Banana Pants”
Indigo Bay 170
90 Johnson
quote:We are looking for that tailing dorsal fin hanging down. And the round gill plate (not square like what I see in your picture).
Originally posted by GeronimoNo but you can tell that it would go to a point like a tarpon if he did. All of the fins, scales and mouth point to tarpon to me.
“Banana Pants”
Indigo Bay 170
90 Johnson
quote:
Originally posted by GeronimoIf this is a juvenile tarpon, then they do indeed spawn in SC waters…
</font id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”>Indeed they do but… you got yourself a shad.I have caught cast nets full of tarpon on Little Saint Simon Island, GA and on Pawleys Island, SC. Cast net(s) were so full we had to open the net halfway up the bank(s) to dump a few hundred out. Too heavy. Hundreds and hundreds of tarpon.
If you read between the lines, you will see that the baby tarpon are WAY up in the marshes trying to grow up big enough to not get eaten in the “big water”…
quote:
Indeed they do but... you got yourself a shad.
Yep they sure do, or they spawn offshore and the fry come inshore to grow, just like kings and spanish and spadefish and such. But that’s a shad.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
Marine Surveying & Repair
I am still with tarpon. I looked for the elongated base of the dorsal as well which is obscured or not prominent. Juvenile fish do not always show the same features as adults. Some fish look completely different at different stages.
I see too much not right to be a shad. Not a shad because scales are too large, mouth too large, Front of upper jaw is rounded, upper jaw (maxillary) is more developed, eye too large, tail is not forked deeply enough, etc.
Iain Pelto
Sea Hunt Triton 160 w/ 90 ETEC “JB3”
Native Manta Ray 14
Either way he got a nice poon later with the rest of the bait in the net. Went 1-2 on them this morning.
“Banana Pants”
Indigo Bay 170
90 Johnson
That’s the fish. Tarpon it is.
Thanks everyone.
“Banana Pants”
Indigo Bay 170
90 Johnson
It was proven long ago they spawn around Hilton Head.
It was proven long ago they spawn around Hilton Head.
It would be real interesting to know what amount migrate back south and what perishes with the onset of colder water.
Iain Pelto
Sea Hunt Triton 160 w/ 90 ETEC “JB3”
Native Manta Ray 14
due to intermittent internet service, my barbawang pager didn’t go beep till now.
-yes, it’s a tarpon
-yes, they spawn here. spawning is presumed to occur april-july (http://www.dnr.sc.gov/cwcs/pdf/Tarpon.pdf)
-yes, that’s probably one spawned here. in florida, year zero fish averaged 14", and year 1 fish averaged 17" (http://fishbull.noaa.gov/934/crabtree.pdf)
-no, i don’t think many of the young-of-the-year survive the winter here unless they are in a salt pond (see below)
“Tarpon inhabit temperate to tropical waters and may be cold stunned and die in water less than 50degF” http://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/species/tarpon.html
NOAA reports long-term average water temperature in Charleston harbor in January and February is 50F. http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/satl.html
PS, doesn’t look like it was a very nice day out there, geronimo!
4’ swells over the bow of a 17’ Maverick while fighting an 80# tarpon with 8" of water around your feet, that’s the report from my brother, no doesn’t sound fun. He said it was worth it though. He is going to kill himself one day chasing these silver kings.
Said he got it to the boat, touched the leader, and promptly dehooked and got the hell out of dodge. I said I would have cut the line long before then, but I have a wife and kids to think about.
“Banana Pants”
Indigo Bay 170
90 Johnson