Mid Atlantic and Chesapeake Bay - Red Drum Invasion Tangier Sound

I had seen a fishing report in local paper about someone catching dozens of 6" to 12" red drum (puppy). I was on Tangier Island this weekend and the local kids were cathcing them off the dock as fast as they could reel in. They were tiny maybe weigh 1/2 lb at most. Wish I had camera. I been on Chesapeake whole life and have not seen this. I know that red drum are caught in Chesapeake shallows but as a rule they are few and far between (keeper sized). What could be the survivor rate of these puppies?? WE have all wintessed the Rockfish go from scarce to abundant in the bay in a decade or so. Could this be about to happen with red drum?? Would that be good?? I know the commercial crabbers would hope that they would not explode like rock because they say too many rock results in too few crabs. Cut open a rockfish belly and u see why.

On a sad note- Tangier Island firday nite 7-13. A 25' Parker with twin 115 yama ran into bouy at nite. 1 person dead and 1 person injured.

I had seen a fishing report in local paper about someone catching dozens of 6" to 12" red drum (puppy). I was on Tangier Island this weekend and the local kids were cathcing them off the dock as fast as they could reel in. They were tiny maybe weigh 1/2 lb at most. Wish I had camera. I been on Chesapeake whole life and have not seen this. I know that red drum are caught in Chesapeake shallows but as a rule they are few and far between (keeper sized). What could be the survivor rate of these puppies?? WE have all wintessed the Rockfish go from scarce to abundant in the bay in a decade or so. Could this be about to happen with red drum?? Would that be good?? I know the commercial crabbers would hope that they would not explode like rock because they say too many rock results in too few crabs. Cut open a rockfish belly and u see why.

On a sad note- Tangier Island firday nite 7-13. A 25' Parker with twin 115 yama ran into bouy at nite. 1 person dead and 1 person injured.

Any word on were the boat was from? My father is from Reedville. That is sad to hear.

You can pick up the info from the Eastern Shore News or Daily Times on line. They were 2 guys from Pittsville Md. Boat was well equipped with electronics and a big search light. Unfortunately the marker they hit had a malfuntioning light. The locals said it had been out for a month or more. Not sure why the guys were not using light. I can see how they might have seen next lit marker and mistaked it for the one they hit. Hard to say. Deceased was a 37 yr old guy whose family had used car business. I know some guys who knhow him and say great guy. Sad for his family and the other guy too. Just goes to show you CANNOT be too careful out there.

You can pick up the info from the Eastern Shore News or Daily Times on line. They were 2 guys from Pittsville Md. Boat was well equipped with electronics and a big search light. Unfortunately the marker they hit had a malfuntioning light. The locals said it had been out for a month or more. Not sure why the guys were not using light. I can see how they might have seen next lit marker and mistaked it for the one they hit. Hard to say. Deceased was a 37 yr old guy whose family had used car business. I know some guys who knhow him and say great guy. Sad for his family and the other guy too. Just goes to show you CANNOT be too careful out there.

Yes I did a search and found out the name about the marker light so on and so forth. One another note if you want to catch some schoolie fish like that there is a huge drop off at the end of the island 3 feet to 80 loaded with fish.

We have been catching tons of Puppy Drum off the dock this year as well. Some days it is one after the other. They will hit bloodworm, artificial worms, grass shrimp and cut up pieces of Gulp. Biggest one we have caught was 13 inches and we have not kept any. Just fun to catch.