# Nice Florida Red for you Guys on the OBX to Enjoy



## Sea Level (Nov 20, 2005)

I just thought you guys who fish the point would enjoy the pics from the thread below which is at a Saint Augustine area beach.

Late October, air temp about 78, water temp 75 and that big Drum makes for a great day. The man who caught, and who is holding the fish in the pics, is a large individual himself, so you know the fish was a biggun.


http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=801849


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## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

Lotsa spots on that feller!


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

NIce fish.


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

Definetly cool spots. From what I hear that is a monster for Fla. Is that true?


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## NcRon (Dec 15, 2007)

Very cool spots indeed

Ron


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

*That's a MOOSE FISH for FLA...*

Purdy color and spots on the ole gal...


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## Sea Level (Nov 20, 2005)

Cdog said:


> Definetly cool spots. From what I hear that is a monster for Fla. Is that true?


I believe that it is a big fish anywhere, but it certainly is a monster for Fla. When I was a youngun growing up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland I remember night fishing Chesbay with my girlfriend's father. We fished a lot in Tangier Sound and along the edge of the Baltimore ship channel. We caught some big Channel Bass. We used to follow the results of the season-long Maryland fishing contest. As I remember, "Scortchy" Tawes (sp) from Chrisfield used to win most every year with a fish of about 60 pounds. And he always had a bunch over 50. From what we were told Scortchy fished nearly every night.

My visits to the OBX and my following of the "Tradewinds" fishing report site from Ocracoke have not turned up Drum larger than this one -- except for the mount of the 96 pounder gracing the wall of a tackle shop in Hatteras.

Do you get many larger than 58"?


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

Sea Level said:


> I believe that it is a big fish anywhere, but it certainly is a monster for Fla. When I was a youngun growing up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland I remember night fishing Chesbay with my girlfriend's father. We fished a lot in Tangier Sound and along the edge of the Baltimore ship channel. We caught some big Channel Bass. We used to follow the results of the season-long Maryland fishing contest. As I remember, "Scortchy" Tawes (sp) from Chrisfield used to win most every year with a fish of about 60 pounds. And he always had a bunch over 50. From what we were told Scortchy fished nearly every night.
> 
> My visits to the OBX and my following of the "Tradewinds" fishing report site from Ocracoke have not turned up Drum larger than this one -- except for the mount of the 96 pounder gracing the wall of a tackle shop in Hatteras.
> 
> Do you get many larger than 58"?


Me, I have yet to catch a 50" drum, but 58"? How frigging big is that dude?


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Have caught 5 over 50in fork length,one was 54" fl,that one as well as two others were 60lb or better... Have caught several in the fifties,and seen a couple over 70.. There was one on Tw board a few yrs back that was easily in the 60 class.. The fish you got in the pic only looks 50plus lbs,but I could be misjudging,what is the length and girth?? Just looking at the pic,there is no way that fish is 58" fork length or total length,but as was said,could be misjudging the fishes size just looking at a pic...


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## OBXFISHN (Oct 8, 2007)

Matt Burleigh 49-1/4 inch TL Drum 

I know Matt's a big boy so that guy in Florida must be huge!


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## OBXFISHN (Oct 8, 2007)

Here's Matt's 49 1/4 TL and Jim Davis 47 3/4 TL


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

And Matts fish wasn't fork length.. It was probably 47" or so fl..

No one is discounting the size of the FLA fish,it's a nice'n,but the ones here get bigger.... jmho...


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## Sea Level (Nov 20, 2005)

Drumdum,

I'm certainly not suggesting we get bigger Drum; although that fish is huge in any venue. Reading Dave's post he did not get an accurate measurement of length and no measurement of girth. Dave, who is a big barrel-chested man of 250, is cradling the fish to return to the water . His wife measured the length at 58". I suspect that is a little long and I'd wager it was length overall not fork length. Here in Florida our slot limit size is 18"-27" with the tail being "squeezed" for length overall. 

Good fishing to you!


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## TreednNC (Jul 1, 2005)

Id bet 48". If that fish is 58" long....look at it in proportion how tall the guy is. That's 2" shy of 5"....that dude would be 7' tall. Awesome looking fish though. Thank you for sharing.


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## fishingeek (Aug 30, 2004)

*This is my biggest*

Before last years F&F tournament I got this pig which was 49.5" FL (fork length).


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## Sea Level (Nov 20, 2005)

That is indeed a Pig -- and that smile says it all!! 

Talking to a couple of guys this morning from Alabama, they tell me that they can keep one per day per angler any size plus two slot fish. They think the really big ones are good eating. I don't know about that, but a fish the size of the ones in this thread would give up a couple of ten or twelve pound filets.


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## red_fish (Jul 22, 2007)

dang that kinda looks like a spoted sea drum did that thing have fangs
nice fish


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

fishingeek said:


> Before last years F&F tournament I got this pig which was 49.5" FL (fork length).


 Now that's what I'm talkin bout,Matt!!! A real feesh... 



Sea Level said:


> That is indeed a Pig -- and that smile says it all!!
> 
> Talking to a couple of guys this morning from Alabama, they tell me that they can keep one per day per angler any size plus two slot fish. They think the really big ones are good eating. I don't know about that, but a fish the size of the ones in this thread would give up a couple of ten or twelve pound filets.


 I can't believe you fished the Eastern Shore and didn't get a sample of some drum stew??? I can tell you this from experience,it's one of my favorite dishes bar none.. When it was legal on this island we ate them as well...


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## Sea Level (Nov 20, 2005)

" I can't believe you fished the Eastern Shore and didn't get a sample of some drum stew??? I can tell you this from experience,it's one of my favorite dishes bar none.. When it was legal on this island we ate them as well..."[/QUOTE]

Growing up on the Shore I learned to love eating crabs, oysters and clams. But I never learned to enjoy finfish of any kind. I barely eat the Pompano that I catch now, although my wife is an exceptional cook. I can remember my father's fondness for that type stew and a "Rockfish" stew made by the neighbor lady down the street. I'm sure that you must enjoy the bounty of the "outer banks". Good fishing to you.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Sea Level said:


> " I can't believe you fished the Eastern Shore and didn't get a sample of some drum stew??? I can tell you this from experience,it's one of my favorite dishes bar none.. When it was legal on this island we ate them as well..."


Growing up on the Shore I learned to love eating crabs, oysters and clams. But I never learned to enjoy finfish of any kind. I barely eat the Pompano that I catch now, although my wife is an exceptional cook. I can remember my father's fondness for that type stew and a "Rockfish" stew made by the neighbor lady down the street. I'm sure that you must enjoy the bounty of the "outer banks". Good fishing to you.[/QUOTE]

Believe me,I tag and release my share of redones,and release 99% of what I catch,although if it's a legal fish to keep,and if Jody's in the mood to cook it,it's getting cleaned and put on the table...   

Yes,I do believe in "the harvest for the table",but generally speaking a catch and release kinda guy... Yeah,have eaten rockfish as well like that,and it is good as well..

Sorry you are unable to stomach fish,it's a staple for my meals.. 

Catch'm up in sunny Fla,getting ready to get chilly and windy here,as per usual this time of yr...


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