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managed to get out to the site that the guide showed us earlier in the summer at the right tide and conditions for a change. I wasn't able to get any bites on artificials but I did get this guy to take a mullet under a popping cork.


Wound out the morning drifting some of the channels and got an undersized black sea bass and a baby shark.

Nice fish. Released or released in hot oil?

I agonized over that decision. That was my first slot red on my own and when we went with the guide it was apparent he wanted them all released. Like I said it was the spot he showed me so I felt some obligation to let 'his' fish back to fight for his other clients. I had about decided to catch and filet then changed my mind and decided that if he would revive I'd let him go. I got a good grip on the tail and moved him for a while with him not getting up the strength to pull away and had pretty much decided to keep him when he finally broke away. I probably wouldn't have if I had been headed back in but I figured I'd fish for a while and if I caught another I'd keep it especially if it were a little lower in the slot.

Drum have made a remarklable comeback from just a decade ago. I applaud your catch and release but hate to tell you, you should have kept him. It's the ones below the slot that haven't reproduced yet and the ones above the slot are there for the big genes. i caught two right around 22 inches this summer...and they were damn delicious