Unknown fish caught in the Naragansett Bay

[RIfoosball]

This past weekend, in Narragansett Bay, we caught a fish the size of a pogie, but it wasn't.

It had a greenish, flourescent hue to it and very pronounced black stripes every inch or so running from top to bottom along the entire length of its body. It was not a scaly fish at all, but rather smooth.

We asked several fisherman who have been fishing the bay for several decades and none had seen anything like it. They ran in schools and devoured the offered scup bait.

Someone mentioned having heard that there had been some tropical fish around.

Anyone know?

[The Dad Fisherman]

Sounds like a mackerel...are you sure it wasn't bigger than a pogie

Maybe a bonito or albie...if it were bigger

[piemma]

Originally Posted by RIfoosball

This past weekend, in Narragansett Bay, we caught a fish the size of a pogie, but it wasn't.

It had a greenish, flourescent hue to it and very pronounced black stripes every inch or so running from top to bottom along the entire length of its body. It was not a scaly fish at all, but rather smooth.

We asked several fisherman who have been fishing the bay for several decades and none had seen anything like it. They ran in schools and devoured the offered scup bait.

Someone mentioned having heard that there had been some tropical fish around.

Anyone know?

I tellin ya, Clammer would know

[RIfoosball]

It was about 9" long and it appeared that the entire school we saw were about the same size. It was actually a really nice fish to look at with the green hues and the bold black stripes.

I've looked on line and haven't found anything yet.

[BAITfishing]

Pilot Fish

[Pete F.]

Did it look like this?

[RIfoosball]

No, didn't look like that.......distinct black bands around the fish as well as a stripe running behind its head sort of at an angle......looking up pilot fish now for images.

[spinncognito]

Sargeant Major Fish?

[RIfoosball]

I looked up Pilot Fish....definitely looks like that....as well as a Rudder Fish. Has anyone had a sighting of one of these??

[King Neptune]

Look up Banded rudderfish. There's been a ton of them in woods hole & buzzards bay this year, more than I've ever seen. I caught 4 of them last week. Aggressive little buggers... I want to try live-lining one......

[RIfoosball]

Thank you.....looks exactly like that picture of the Banded Rudder Fish. The one I had, however, had sharper points at the tail fin similar to that of a Blue Fish.

[Jimbo]

I forget the name of the post I did, but I didn't know what kind of fish I had caught a couple of on Cape Cod in mid-August. Someone identified the Banded Rudderfish and that's exactly what it was. Sharper tail like you suggested, too.

[UserRemoved1]

All kinds of amberjacks out there too.

[UserRemoved1]

Like this?

[King Neptune]

this is another one I got last week, this one has a pointier tail. I've been seeing lots of them in the harbors. We also got some in about 20 feet of water while seabassin'. They seem to like structure, like docks and buoys. Anyone ever use them as bait????? Why not, right?

[RIfoosball]

nope to the yellowish looking fish....definitely the banded rudder fish pic...the stripe running through the eye is identical to what I saw.

[JohnR]

Sheepshead?

[ProfessorM]

A friend works at WHOI and has been catching banded rudderfish every lunch break off the pier. Said there are tons of them.

[bart]

Originally Posted by King Neptune

this is another one I got last week, this one has a pointier tail. I've been seeing lots of them in the harbors. We also got some in about 20 feet of water while seabassin'. They seem to like structure, like docks and buoys. Anyone ever use them as bait????? Why not, right?

i was livelining those suckers for tarpon and huge baracudas just last week...

[Clammer]

K/N

has it right ;;

we had them under the bost saturday ;;

also I have caught alot more triggerfish this year ;

& if you fish @ NEP in Mt Hope bay > you never know what you,ll catch in the summer/fall ;;

use to catch jacks & runners /plus stuff we didn,t know what they were /. never mind the sharks // NOT sand sharks either ;;

[Clammer]

K/N

has it right ;;

we had them under the boat saturday ;;

also I have caught alot more triggerfish this year ;

& if you fish @ NEP in Mt Hope bay > you never know what you,ll catch in the summer/fall ;;

use to catch jacks & runners /plus stuff we didn,t know what they were /. never mind the sharks // NOT sand sharks either ;;

[pbadad]

This was the same fish we saw swimming in a small school around the ferry dock at Cutty yesterday.