# Another "mystery fish" question



## SpringmaidKeith (Jun 30, 2013)

Here I go again, this is gonna be a crazy season. I've had a few people asking me over the weeks, what is the RED fish I caught? I asked, spot tail, Red Drum?? They said no, it was a small RED fish. I finally saw a pic yesterday of one that was caught on the pier, never saw it before. Took a long look at it & of course come home & spend an hr looking in my Fish Encyclopedia for pics.
The closest I could find would prob be the Vermillian Snapper. the pic I saw was on the bait rail, approx8-10" long, long spikey dorsel fin, & RED. My wifi was down so I couldnt search other pics. I just finished seeing some pics on the www now, & info on them.
They're not known to be this far inshore. Surely someone out here can help me out, SM can't be the only pier that has seen these with State Park 1 mile away& 2nd Ave 2 miles away. The possible "cobia" kept me up last week, Before that, the Hake, now these guys. Any Ideas guys/gals are appreciated. The water is clearing after the Typhoon that hit a few days ago, so here's to hopefully a good Smack run Sunday!! Thanks, K. Oh, look at the time, it is Sunday.....Fish On!!


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## RoccoS (May 4, 2014)

I am fairly new to this pier fishing thing. I spent from 7 am until 2 pm today at SM and caught only a few keeper Spanish. Any pointers on weather conditions or tides that are best??.....Thanks


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## RjTheMetalhead (Dec 3, 2011)

RoccoS said:


> I am fairly new to this pier fishing thing. I spent from 7 am until 2 pm today at SM and caught only a few keeper Spanish. Any pointers on weather conditions or tides that are best??.....Thanks


Fishing sucked all around today, I was there from 8 to 4. Saw a handful of Spanish caught 
No bait=no Spanish! Not a single silverside to be found today

Usually they bite best in the mornings and evenings and around low tide and midday are dead periods most days.


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## RoccoS (May 4, 2014)

Thanks for the input RJ......Hopefully tomorrow will be better!!


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## piscesman (Apr 18, 2009)

Wife and I fished frim 8:09-1:00. No Spanish mackerel were caught. I caught the biggest whiting today. A mixed bag of Blues, whiting, pin fish, undersized flounder, sharks, rays and others. A cast net brought up a bunch of green backs. All and all a busy day with little results. Tomorrow is another day.
Kim


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## SpringmaidKeith (Jun 30, 2013)

RoccoS said:


> I am fairly new to this pier fishing thing. I spent from 7 am until 2 pm today at SM and caught only a few keeper Spanish. Any pointers on weather conditions or tides that are best??.....Thanks


I thought today wouldve been alright until I got to the pier & it was overcast. The water is nice and clear, hopefully the sun will shine tommorrow, the wind will shift SSE, & they'll start running. Maybe I'll see ya, K


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## SpringmaidKeith (Jun 30, 2013)

Now back to my Mystery Fish.... Anyone????


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## ez2cdave (Oct 13, 2008)

springmaidkeith said:


> now back to my mystery fish.... Anyone????


"Red Toro" ???


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## SpringmaidKeith (Jun 30, 2013)

ez2cdave said:


> "Red Toro" ???
> 
> View attachment 12189


Nope, long, slender body, kinda like the trout, red & long dorsal fin. But thank you for the response. I've checked with boat charters advertisments & they say the vermillian snapper are usually caught 25+ miles off shore so I have no clue. The God's of the seas are just picking on me this year. I hope they give a Mermaid as a gift, thanks again, Keith


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## ntizda (Sep 5, 2012)




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## RjTheMetalhead (Dec 3, 2011)

Was it a fish?
Kieth offshore fish are going to show up every now and then. 
I've seen plenty of black sea bass(1 last year was 15 inches), several young gag groupers, 2 mangrove snappers, couple of white grunts from the pier or inlet.

You know those pesky little pinfish? They go back to the reefs and get up to 14 inches long. Still pinfish though. Born out on the reef, they float to the beach to grow up then head back offshore.

Would not surprise me if a small vermilion was caught. One of those mangrove snappers was caught in October in the surf in a cast net haha.


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## Nova Fisher (Sep 11, 2013)

Strange year indeed. Up the coast in NC a Lancefish washed up twice last week.


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## SpringmaidKeith (Jun 30, 2013)

ntizda said:


> View attachment 12195
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It did look similar to the pic with the measuring tape, what fish is this?


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## ntizda (Sep 5, 2012)

That's a pacific red perch 

Here is the page that goes with the picture
http://www.sschapterpsa.com/miscl/save_yelloweye.htm


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## ntizda (Sep 5, 2012)

Scroll down the page and you will see more species that look similar


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## SpringmaidKeith (Jun 30, 2013)

Thanks, ntizda, I'll checkit out. But truthfully ,I've looked at so many pics of RED fish, I'm starting to forget what the one caught looked like, I shoud've had the guy email the pic to me....hind sight 20-20


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## SpringmaidKeith (Jun 30, 2013)

Nova Fisher said:


> Strange year indeed. Up the coast in NC a Lancefish washed up twice last week.
> View attachment 12199


I just read a thread on yahoo about these guys, up at Nags Head, I believe this is what you're talking about. I think we're gonna learn alot this season. These Lancefish feed on themselves, are male/female (theres a term for that) can breed anytime they want. Lucky them. I think I'm going back to school, might be a good time to be a fish expert, K


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## The Skink (Mar 9, 2009)

looks like a juvenile vermillion to me


ntizda said:


> View attachment 12195
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## SpringmaidKeith (Jun 30, 2013)

The Skink said:


> looks like a juvenile vermillion to me


Yeah, that's gonna be my official "guess", thanks, Skink, hope you're doing well & hopefully I'll run into you again soon


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## SloppyTilapia (Oct 4, 2013)

The same day the lancet fish washed ashore in Nags Head, somebody caught a deep water Jelly nose fish off Pensacola Pier. A very rare deep water fish that was eventually collected by scientists for further study.


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## spydermn (Apr 26, 2009)

This thread is the reason I LOVE salt fishing vs fresh. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO BITE!!!


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## ntizda (Sep 5, 2012)

Maybe all of the alien ships are moving on the bottom of the ocean scaring those deep fish shallow 👽


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## mattiej (Apr 29, 2004)

The fish looks like a BigEye fish (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pristigenys_alta). A great aquarium fish!


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## SpringmaidKeith (Jun 30, 2013)

Now I had a couple who were crabbing, said they threw their extra chicken necks over when they were leaving, & some 3-4ft reddish orange fish lunge & eat it!!! wth! Ntizda...the aliens have landed


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