Game Fishing > Drum Family, Sciaenidae > Bastard weakfish

Bastard weakfish

The bastard weakfish was first described by Dr. Holbrook, in 1860, from the coast of South Carolina. He named it nothus, meaning "bastard," in contradistinction to the well-known weakfish. It is a rare fish of the South Atlantic coast, preferring deep water, but otherwise of similar habits, and of the same general form as the weakfish of the northern waters.

It differs from it in coloration, and has somewhat smaller scales, a smaller mouth, and more compressed body, which is also a little deeper and more elevated. Its color is grayishsilvery, thickly sprinkled with small, dark specks on the upper half of the body, and silvery below, a row of dark spots marking the division.

There is another species inhabiting the Gulf coast which will be noticed later, whenever met with they can be taken by the same methods and with the same tackle as recommended for the northern weakfish.