Juvenile Black Drum Near the Bay Bridge

Type: Chesapeake
Region: Middle Bay
Location: Between Bloody Point and the Bay Bridge

My son, Giovanni Gargano caught this 18" sheepshead on Thursday August 23rd, fishing from the shore between Bloody Point and the Bay Bridge. He was using Bloodworms. I had not heard of anyone catching Sheepshead north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.

DNR Response: Although the high salinities in the bay this year have brought us many fish not normally seen in the bay; the fish in this picture is not a sheepshead but a juvenile black drum. Juvenile black drum have distinct stripes much like a sheepshead and are often confused. The stripes on the juvenile black drum fade as they become adults. Sheepshead do not have an undercut mouth or barbells like the black drum and have sharp teeth for nipping barnacles and dorsal spines.

Attached is a picture of our current Chesapeake Division state record sheepshead caught in Tangier Sound by Margaret L. Taylor in 2006.