Heartbreak

[Splitscreen]

Came home from work and immediately started throwing an acme phoebee gold trailing a road runner jig. Was out for about a half hour when I hooked up on a huge fish that doubled my ultralite over and freely took out line with the drag full. After about 10 minutes I brought it in to the pier. Being a total dumbass I didn't bring out a net and I lost it trying to pull it up. I only caught a glimpse but I snagged the beast by it's tail. Not having seen the head I don't know exactly what it was. The size and shape of the scales and that it was so close to the shore makes me think gizzard shad? In any case I have lost the largest fish on my line this year.

[kanvery]

Stuff like that is what keeps everyone coming back!

[daddyg]

Sounds like a Fishtail to me

[Southerly]

dunno what you cot, but it seems like gizzard 'mud' shad have a pinkish cast to their belly and sort of full-bodied looking. can be lots of them around in mud-bottom areas.

here's a youtube videoof guys snagging them with lures with single hook/plastic at a creek in delaware; that's how thick they can stack.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RtFysGAtJ8"]Bass Fishing 2011 - Steve and the Gizzard Shad - YouTube[/ame]

[ronaultmtd]

Gizzard Shad are great bait- when I catch one I freeze them whole for catfish/striper bait.

[MTDluvsFishin]

I'm glad to see your fishing quite a bit in Edgewood. Class of 93

My wife and I used to live on Otter Creek Rd, just down from Flying Pt Pk.

Strangely, never fished there, only the Gunpowder.

what pound test were you using? Just curious

[Shady]

Last year, while fishing for white perch at beachwood park I probably snagged a dozen of them without even trying. I would just cast and reel in normally and hook one almost everytime right around the dorsal. The biggest one I got was about 4 lbs. Yep, very good catfish bait!

[Splitscreen]

So I did some more research on gizzard shad and I'm starting to think it was just a huge carp. The scales were pretty big and it was orangish in color. Plus apparently gizzard shad don't really get that big. Whatever was on my line was at least 14"

[bdwilliams]

Gizz will get 14"

[CAGE RATTLER]

And a 14" carp is a baby. I dont think i've ever caught one that small.

[Southerly]

it may very well have been a carp. usually if i get just a glimpse of a carp, my impression is gold color. their big scales also provide some semi-snag resistant armor plate. size-wise, i think you'll have to make your decision based on body shape, of round or flat, if you didn't get good view of color. the mud shad are actually commonly 15" or so, and apparently also well known as vigorous fighters by size.

[kayak456]

I snagged a ded one but I though it was a carp,it was in one of my reports if anyone saw it

[surfdog]

it takes a skilled angler to get a fish to eat with its butt