What is this?

[Silentweapon338]

Anyone know what this is?

Is it just an abnormality or is this a breed that doesn’t frequent piers (mine
Anyway).

Caught it in the cast net and caught my attention immediately.

Thanks.

IMG_1164.jpg

[thunderchicken]

Appears to be some sort of darter fish.

[Highstrung]

Same build as a darter, looks like one if bleached.. I don't see the second dorsal fin. There are like forty or fifty at least different darters, off the top of my head I don't know one that color around here unless he died and the color altered.

Darters are probably all over around there, just bopping around you're not going to see one.

[Silentweapon338]

This one was a live and well, long enough for me to get a cast net up drop the fish on the floor. I immediately spotted the orange red color, out of the normal perch, bream, shad, hearing.....so on so on that are attracted to lights, and bugs following the lights. Grabbed it still flipping examined it and thought huh? This is different. Pulled my phone out, and snapped a pick. Through it in the bucket along with the others. It did not last long. The bucket has an aerator. About the time line of the thread fin, but didnt break down like a thread fin. I through him out when he stated to float so as to not mess up the other bait. He was still well intact and more stiff than soft like the thread fins get.

Thanks for the heads up. Never seen one before! Really neat!

[Highstrung]

also size, they don't get much over 3 inches, most that I know about.. there are some types that are just regulated to different streams across the south east. They typically stay on the bottom, just kinda dart around, cool fish though. I don't think I've ever caught one in a cast net.. I've netted them with finer nets typically in creeks, coves, backwater flowing into lakes. I've caught a bunch over the years, never one that color if it is one... but there are kinds that are colored damn near like tropical fish and parrots.

[Highstrung]

I've caught every little kind of booger, sought out trying to catch them when I was younger.. I've seen a live carolina pygmy sunfish, never caught one though.

[BOGSTER]

I don’t know what they are, but I’ve seen em 3 different times this year, in 3 separate areas.

About a dozen or so tightly together like baitfish move.

All 3 times over shellcracker beds.

They’ll rush a redworm and pick at it.

Never could get good cell video of em in the shady trees.

[BOGSTER]

Tail Light Shiner?

[Silentweapon338]

Well to both of you:

I would say it was about 3.5-4" I can measure later today I had him on a known reference I can measure that but I'm almost positive its in that range.

the shell crackers, and bream both are bedding all around the pier. I had let the net go down further than normal, due to the fish seemingly staying on the bottom I guess boat traffic, heat, fire works, and water temp. (they came) up to the surface about 1. I caught that about 11. I blame the fireworks more than anything. All the other factors have been present all week, and by 10 fish have been in the upper water column. But we had some serious fire power going off on 3 sides of us, and the burnt residue was so thick it was hitting the top of the boat lift shed and sounded like you were at opening day of dove season and pellets rain gin down on my har barn.

He also got stuck in the net not caught, as if he was trying to slide through, but his fin got him hung.

[Highstrung]

Shiners are more aggressive, and I would think maybe in that family

Darters are cool.. at night they'll come off and up and get aggressive.. like a little baby fifty cent piece sized turtle. Years back living by myself I used to be into aquariums, I had a hundred gallon at the lake before I got married. It was my entertainment.. I caught a mess of little fresh water shrimp, in lake Wateree. I couldn't figure out how they were disappearing so fast. One night I sat up and watched the darters come up one by one and pick those things off. The shrimp might have been three quarters of an inch long, the darters two and a half.. they'd swim around with half the shrimp hanging out

[Silentweapon338]

Wow
I had no idea they were that aggressive.

If that’s the case it would stand to reason they would be around for the smaller minows.

They may be 3/4” in length. Never catch any in the net but they swim in their bait pods schools what ever.

Fun watching them sprawl out when the gar comes through

They are more interested in the bigger fish same ones I’m after.

I’ve caught 3 in 2 nights not one has been hooked.

They were wrapping them selves in the braided line and I guess rolling they would have 3/4/5 wraps around their snouts.

Just pull them in un roll them keep my bait and all.

I usually just replace it but they will get caught above the liter swivel and lead.