Was it a eel or sea snake?

[Danman]

I caught a sea snake or sea eel one night on the pier. It was a light brown color with round white spots along its length. It was about 15 inches. I have searched the internet but still can't find what it was...Oh yeah..I caught it in myrtle beach sc In november

[emanuel]

Spotted hake.

[Danman]

Thanks for the input..no it was definetly a snake or an eel....I was the only one on the pier that night and was afraid to take the hook out...It was pretty looking though...thanks again..have a good fishing year!

[bluefish1928]

if it was very scaley its a sea snake. hake is a possibility but i never seem them caught in SC, common in outer banks piers. if it is a culass/ robbon fish them it was very silversy with nasty teeth. what bait were you using, if you were using got-cha plug it is likely to be a ribbon fish

[emanuel]

I've caught those hake off the pier in Myrtle Beach and also off Tybee.

[emanuel]

I should have said red hake. Took me forever to figure it out first time I got one. I've never seen one more than 8-10" long but these were pretty far south.
http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/fbi/age-man/rdhk/rdhk.htm

[The Crew]

Sea snakes have tiny mouths. If there gonna get you its gonna be between the fingers, earlobes or something like that.

[saltandsand]

Probably hake. Maybe a sand eel or sand lance. What was the shape of its head?

[bmcox86]

it was a lizard fish

[Carolina Rebel]

No real sea snakes in the Atlantic......Does sound like a lizard fish, if it had nasty teeth, not terribly obvious fins, and a snake-like appearance. Otherwise I'm guessing an eel.

[eric]

conger eel?

[emanuel]

Oh crap. I forgot all about the mighty lizardfish. It usually ends up being the number one answer to the mystery fish thread, followed by the toadfish, stargazer and margate. Usually in that order.

[eaglesfanguy]

A 15 inch lizardfish? Thats gotta be some sort of record.. It sure sounds like a lizardfish .. but 15 inches... thats a bit big..

[bmcox86]

ive caught lizard fish that big in Murrells Inlet while trolling for flounder, and i believe that there out there that time of year

[bmcox86]

did it look sorta like this
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.thejump.net/id/more-fish/inshore-lizardfish.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.thejump.net/id/inshore-lizardfish.htm&h=250&w=333&sz=20&hl=en&start=4&um=1&tbnid=y-W3xJ-rI-HBaM:&tbnh=89&tbnw=119&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlizardfish%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

[bstarling]

No real sea snakes in the Atlantic......Does sound like a lizard fish, if it had nasty teeth, not terribly obvious fins, and a snake-like appearance. Otherwise I'm guessing an eel.

...I don't know what it is, but I know it wasn't a sea snake. Wrong ocean. With that said, I have seen Canebrake Rattlers in Riches Inlet and Cottonmouths in the sound.

Bill:fishing:

[emanuel]

A 15 inch lizardfish? Thats gotta be some sort of record.. It sure sounds like a lizardfish .. but 15 inches... thats a bit big..

I've caught them that big offshore. My buddy's boat is nicknamed the USS Liazrdfish. We named it that after we caught so many of them last year.

[Danman]

Thanks for the input again my fishing friends..I must say I was at online awhile back and I managed to find it onetime on a website i forgot (of course) but it had picture of it and (if I'm not mistaken) you could buy one for an aquarium for 40.00.....It didn't have shiny skin but dry looking with light brown skin and white bright circles...It looked more like a snake than an eel because it was perfectly round like a snake with no fins etc...I was bottom fishing using a small piece of cut whiting...I will explore the internet again since you all have me curious again.. but definitly not a fish...thanks again

[Danman]

ok....checking the web...it seems to be a snake eel...must have been a young one though...it was only as round as a quarter..

[Danman]

Sharptail eel looks like the one I caught but must have been a young one...same color and spots. go google and put sharptail eel in search then click images..thanks again everybody