# Puppy Drum



## pier-legend (Jan 14, 2004)

I guess this is a GOOD problem to have, but its getting worse every year.
Use to be the only fish you could absolutely count on was the ole bluefish.
No matter what the target was, you could count on a few blues eating your junk up.
Flounder baits, mirrolures at trout time, spanish fishing, even drum fishing, you could count on a few blues.
Now days it seems the puppy drum have taken over as the #1 by catch.
These things are getting to be almost "trash fish" in a way!

Lets see....TROUT fishing...that big trout that DON'T come up and splash..yep another darn puppy! Grubs or Mirrolure,.. puppys don't care about what color either!!

SHEEPHEAD fishing, those things start eating my hard earned crabs! There's more of them around thoes pilings than sheepys...and they are faster to the bait.NEVER had blues on crabs before!

FLOUNDER fishing...mud minnows or mullet, and bucktails..puppys don't care! They will hit a strip of belly too!
And there were definietly more puppys last year than flat boys.

POMPANO AND VIRGINIA MULLET.. that ole rod bends over, and the drag sings, and visions of the pompano and mullet we have always wanted flashs in our mind...ANOTHER FLEA EATING PUPPY DRUM!!
Ya'll ever get tired of a fish!! Well I have!
I had them dogs eat gotcha's, diamond jigs, and I landed 2-8lbers on the old king rig. They came in with treble hooks all over em. 

I will give credit where credit is due....puppys have got me thru a few long winters..
I have found em shoaled up in 42 degree water at Topsail, and if you put that green grub on their nose...whack and stacking til the sun goes down. Them things are there now.
But there has to be MORE of them things now, than ever in history, at least in MY fishing holes!
I am sure its a good problem for many, especially in winter..
But I have come to dread thoes spot tails.
And their getting bigger too..lots and lots of 30 in. fish eating sandfleas and mirrolures, and man they LOVE sheephead bait.
I got spoiled I guess. The 1st one I ever caught I took a bunch of pictures.
Now when I'm after "other" species, I set the hook, hope a little, almost cuss, and chunk their hiny back.


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## fishrulemylife (Jan 20, 2006)

> pier-legend said:
> 
> 
> > I will give credit where credit is due....puppys have got me thru a few long winters..I have found em shoaled up in 42 degree water at Topsail, and if you put that green grub on their nose...whack and stacking til the sun goes down. Them things are there now.
> ...


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

*Pier Legend*

I usually agree with most of your post. But,pups bein a nuisance?? Noway... 

Bailed more than my share and still love that "tug and buck" move they do on light tackle.. As far as a fight,the only fish you mentioned that even gives em a run for thier money is the sheepshead... 

True,ya can't keep but one and that don't make to much of a meal...


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## pier-legend (Jan 14, 2004)

Guess I am being too hard on em DD. I'm old enough to remember when you had to actually "fish" for a puppy drum to get one!
They were few and far between down here..real seasonal. Fall was about it.
Now days, not only are they year 'round, they are EVERYWHERE!!
They have become the "backup" fish when you can't get what you really went after.
They have become the "easy fishing"...
Lots of easy charters sold just for thoes things too...
I guess the thrill ran out for me when I was walking a 2+ speckle boy to the beach on ole Jollys and 2 puppys did their best to eat him...they couldn't eat him, but they did knock him off! I DIDN'T HAVE MY GUN!! 
Then with em eating my sandflea's, mirrolures, and sheepy baits, more and more every year, they have lost all their glamour.
The regular flounder draggers have beef up their tackle too..for them "fast flounders"...
I still don't keep any of the things..
Thanks to the law they are one of the few fish there is a plenty of...might be all we have to fish for in few year..
But they are thick,year round, and dependable,down here..
Even with the crashing water quality back in the waterway...it hasn't thinned em yet..they do have high tolerance..
I have caught a bunch of em with hooks still in their mouth, and some dragging line...I cleaned em up and chunked em
O yea, they love a shrimp on a cork too....


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## the rhondel (Feb 6, 2003)

Next time ya release one, point em in my direction....the R


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

pier-legend said:


> Guess I am being too hard on em DD. I'm old enough to remember when you had to actually "fish" for a puppy drum to get one!
> They were few and far between down here..real seasonal. Fall was about it.
> Now days, not only are they year 'round, they are EVERYWHERE!!
> They have become the "backup" fish when you can't get what you really went after.
> ...


 We've had "up and down" yrs,and yes I remember yrs when "you actually had ta fish for em".. Been going at it for over 30yr now,and know I ain't quite as ole as you,Wilson ,but I've seen the "ups and downs". Right now they are on the up cycle,enjoy..  One things for sure though,I'll never be tired of the pull of a pup.. 

You are releasing all?? No,dude,when I get one that's a keeper,he's going into the ice,and release all the rest.. If I have fish in the freezer,and have a visitor to the house,my pups stay in there for that nights supper,I'm saving them for *ME..*  Those rascals eat as well as any inshore species caught in my view..


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## matt anderson (Jan 29, 2006)

*Last sesson*

It seemed like were ever I fished last year there was always pups around 

but most of the fish were a bit small


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## Mastodon (Mar 3, 2006)

They do taste good though.


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## king&strut (Jun 17, 2004)

Pier Legend, you gonna fish this year with us (Depe, Rick, and the gang)??


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

This is a good problem to have,if ya dont wantem any more send them my way.


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## Dyhard (Oct 24, 2002)

Pier Legend,
You are just KILLING ME!
Oh man! 
Those small ones are tastey!
Up here we always release the big spawners.


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## matt anderson (Jan 29, 2006)

Dang right there tasty


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## Hawk (Feb 19, 2004)

pier-legend said:


> Now days it seems the puppy drum have taken over as the #1 by catch.
> These things are getting to be almost "trash fish" in a way.


I think I'm going to get into recycling if that's the case.


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## Fish Hunter (Jul 31, 2002)

Yep, I'll be donw that way and pick up some trash soon enough.


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## BigJeff823 (Oct 14, 2002)

*Puppy Drum being a nucience*

Na;I would love to have your problem bud.Up here its Blues but I will take a few.The fish we target aint allways the ones we catch.


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## fyremanjef (Feb 17, 2005)

*oh yeah*



the rhondel said:


> Next time ya release one, point em in my direction....the R


Just point them north, will be fine in my book. Or you can give em these directions.

Follow the Ocean North.

When you get to the Maryland beaches, stop and turn left. Open mouth, insert hook.

Enjoy!


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## BigJeff823 (Oct 14, 2002)

Got better directions for them to follow;go up to Bay Bridge Tunnel-move north as far as you can go up the Chesepeake.We'll know what to do with them up here;If they taste anything like Black Drum I'm sure they are tasty as hell.


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