Lake Michigan Carp Attack!!

[Fondueset]

Well - this weekend I continued my search for the elusive freshwater drum - finally worked out the best tactics to get some photos of these relatively unknown Lake Michigan Fishies. Rumour is they are good eating - with white, oily flesh - whats more they are legal!! For now just the camera though

Interestingly - after a nice session with the drums I surfaced and, on the way up turned to face a HUGE carp bearing down on me at flank speed. All I could see was this big amber head. This simply did not compute as I appeared to be under attack! The carp was VERY agitated but sort of grudgingly made a slight alteration in course to avoid slamming into me. He seemed quite ticked off and almost looked as though he might come 'round for another run! I missed the head-on shot - which would have been quite impessive - but here he is looking at my fins like he might take a chunk out of them.

 

[QUETZAL]

pics 1,2,3 appear to be one kind and #4 is the type I am familiar with. What are the 1st ones?

 

[StretchArmStron]

those are freshwater drum Quetzal. I used to catch them hook and line in Tx. They call them Gasper Gou's down there. I've heard people call them Sheepshead up north though.

 

[Fondueset]

Righto. Prior to a couple of weeks ago I'd only ever seen three - and didn't know what they were. The last one of course is a good old carp. The drums take a bit of stealth to get near - their silver coloring makes them very hard to spot in the distance - which is where they generally stay unless you are quietly on the bottom - aspetto style.

Most of the people I've talked to around here didn't know what they were either.

 

[milhouse]

I never tasted these drums, but I already shot 1 of them, and it smells very, very bad. It discouraged me to eat it, and it stinks for a long time...I had to wash, and wash my gloves to remove the smell.

The are in very large number in the St-Lawrence river and it looks like the number increase each year.

 

[John A]

Great shots, but now I know why you midwesterners go ape on even our bad reefs down here in S FL!

John

 

[Fondueset]

Those were pretty bad days visibility - wise - right after some heavy weather.
Yesterday I went near a Marina 5 minutes from my home - it is in a bay off lake michigan and typically has about 10-15 meter visibility this time of year. Yesterday however it was quite poor - also heavy overcast with rain. Strangely a school of drums showed up - I'd never seen them in this location before - it was about 7:30pm and so dark the camera was having trouble focusing. I managed this shot though.

True it's nothing like a saltwater reef environment around here - but still fairly interesting Visibility is normally pretty good. I have some more pics here (all were taken on less than optimal days)

Lake Michigan and Clinch Marina u/w photos

I wonder if these beasts are eating the zebra muscles? One of these drums was quite large - biggest I've seen.