The anal spines are folded down, and yeah, that is a big honking pinfish. You'll see them that big in public aquariums sometimes, but coming across them that large in the wild is pretty uncommon.
The anal spines are folded down, and yeah, that is a big honking pinfish. You'll see them that big in public aquariums sometimes, but coming across them that large in the wild is pretty uncommon.
I was waiting for you to chime in for clarification. We were catching some large ones int he 6-8" range offshore last week but definitely nothing that big. That one looks over 12"!
They should start their spawn pretty soon of this warm weather persists. They usually spawn about a month before the sheepshead really start their spawning run. My lime tree has declared that winter is over, and it's never been wrong before.
Not a sea bream but my first thought as well. Lateral line running through the middle of shoulder spot makes it a pinfish, a sea bream spot would be lower, with the LL running through the top 1/3 of the spot, also they usually have more orange in their stripes as well as pelvic and anal fins. See sea bream below. Mainly an east coast species, in 30 years of pulling nets in Tampa Bay the fisheries independent monitoring program has caught 1 sea bream, and thousands (millions?) of pinfish.
Not a sea bream but my first thought as well. Lateral line running through the middle of shoulder spot makes it a pinfish, a sea bream spot would be lower, with the LL running through the top 1/3 of the spot, also they usually have more orange in their stripes as well as pelvic and anal fins. See sea bream below. Mainly an east coast species, in 30 years of pulling nets in Tampa Bay the fisheries independent monitoring program has caught 1 sea bream, and thousands (millions?) of pinfish.
FIM fairly regularly catches 1000's on pinfish in a single haul, so I would put the number in the millions. Never seen a sea bream in our area.
Capt Hansen
Posts: 27 Deckhand
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“Everyone behaves badly--given the chance.”
― Ernest Hemingway
SWO LCDR, USN-Retired
Sea Chaser 200 Flats Series
Old Town Predator Kayak
I caught one about that size at an inshore hole on the east coast once.
I planned on eating it but my friend shamed me out of it.
I should have ignored him, they're just another porgy.