Potomac River Catch

Type: Tidal
Region: Southern
Location: Lower Potomac River

Just thought I would share a picture of two 19" sheepshead I caught in the lower Potomac last Friday Sept 9th 2016. Believe it or not, both fish hit a 3' Gulp fished off the bottom.

DNR Response: Hello Paul, the two fish you are holding in the picture you sent are actually juvenile black drum. When they are less than 30" or so the vertical black stripes are vivid; as they grow older and larger the stripes fade. Small black drum and sheepshead are easily confused. The easiest way to tell the difference is the fact that sheepshead has strong enameled teeth for nipping barnacles and mussels off of rocks and piers; small black drum have no teeth and have barbels under their chin. Small black drum are common in bay waters sheepshead are known to visit some of the artificial reef sites in Maryland waters during the summer months. The Chesapeake Division state record sheepshead weighed 13 lbs, 5 oz and was caught in 2012 near the Hooper Island Straits.