Hey all, I'm pretty new to fishing, and need to hone my ID skills. I was fishing along the Erie Canal in western NY, and caught this fish. There were 4 of us there, and we had 5 different species named for it. I think I know what it is, but just want to hear what you all think. Sorry about the grainy picture.
I think it might be a spotted bass. If you google spotted bass images you can compare the fins and the mouth, with the picture its a little tough to see the side coloration but I think that matches up too. I didn't think Spotted Bass ranged to lake erie area but appearance wise I think it matches up.
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Got a mouth like a carp. I'll guess thats what it is.
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Gregg, I know you've seen spottail bass. Look at that fish, and put a spot on it's tail, what does it look like?
Is there such thing as a fresh water drum up in the northern lakes. Because if there is, that is exactly what genus of fish it is. If he said he caught it in salt water, It would be a redfish, no contest.
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Wow I just looked up the spotted Bass and it does look very similar. Outside of the whole saltwater thing...
One of my buddies said Carp, but I don't think so. Here is why I think it is a freshwater drum: The long rear dorsal fin, with the spiny front dorsal. People say we have "Sheepshead" around here, which after some research is interchangeable with a freshwater Drum. However, the Sheepshead have an obnoxiously large head, this fish doesn't. So thats why I've been calling it a FW Drum.
Thoughts?
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![[Image: freshwater_drum.jpg]](http://fish.dnr.cornell.edu/nyfish/Sciaenidae/freshwater_drum.jpg)
Heres a freshwater Drum. Never heard of it before this post. It does look alike.
![[Image: gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=74641]](http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=74641)
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Dude, you nailed it. That's it. [cool]
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What do you think about the exaggerated hump/lack of? Just a fluke?
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That picture is not proportionate I bet. A lot of those googled pictures are like that. Check this out. I think some people also call them sheepshead.
![[Image: frdgh5.jpg]](http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/5610/frdgh5.jpg)
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the photo is not to clear,
so just an fyi,
there is both black and white fresh water drum.
[url "http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CCUQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huntstats.com%2Fblack_drum.html&ei=6ewXTvKiLMGpsQKzvLHCBw&usg=AFQjCNFA68wvXbUlAsjKaGRbVLkWRkT8fw"][#2200c1]Black Drum[/#2200c1][/url]
white drum
[url "http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/52772.html"]http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/52772.html[/url]
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