# Inside Bull Red Stomachs



## mullethead00

The last big bull red we caught (46") had a stomach full of blue crab claws. Report Here. Nothing else, just 6 or 7 claws. I thought this was strange.

What else have you guys seen?


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## Cylinder

Crab is pretty common in Reds in the surf. Strangest thing I've seen were sanddollars, which I have seen in a handfull of fish. 46" was a nice fish! Congratulations.
Roger


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## mullethead00

Thanks. I've seen plenty with crabs in them, thought just the claws was unusual. Sanddollars, wow, would not have guessed that.


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## 535

the last big redfish i tried to eat was the first big redfish I ever caught, no thanks... but nice catch for sure, 46" is a friggin pig


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## Ishmael

*whole mullet*

While I've caught 40+ inch redfish on crabs, cut mullet, and live mullet, and seen one caught on the tail half of a baby blacktip, the only thing I've ever seen inside the stomach is whole mullet, without a scratch on them. Usually in the 6" to 10" range. I guess that's because of where and when I usually fish for them. (Surf, hot weather.) Strange about only the claws. Maybe the claws don't always get crushed up with the body, and so take longer to digest. Maybe due to harder shell on the claws than the body, especially in spring. I can't imagine big redfish eating just the claws. Then again, I can't imagine them eating sand dollars either. Any marine biologists out there with an explanation?


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## cwc

I have caught some with baby stingrays in them and hardheads. I have had one with a whole unbusted 60 watt clear light bulb in its stomach.


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## patwilson

:idea:



cwc said:


> I have caught some with baby stingrays in them and hardheads. I have had one with a *whole unbusted 60 watt clear light bulb* in its stomach.


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## 535

wow!

a light bulb might make a decent topwater plug


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## DANO

I don't keep the bulls but, I have found they throw up some unusual stuff.

1. croaker
2. speckled trout
3. whiting
4. spanish macks
5. hard heads
6. baby pacifier
7. ring seal from a pint canning jar
8. green & red fishing cork

also found 1 child size flip flop lodged in one's throat.

Yep, they eat some strange stuff.


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## PBD539

DANO said:


> I don't keep the bulls but, I have found they throw up some unusual stuff.
> 
> 1. croaker
> 2. speckled trout
> 3. whiting
> 4. spanish macks
> 5. hard heads
> 6. baby pacifier
> 7. ring seal from a pint canning jar
> 8. green & red fishing cork
> 
> *also found 1 child size flip flop lodged in one's throat.*
> 
> Yep, they eat some strange stuff.


Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water!!!!


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## Texas Jeweler

cwc said:


> I have caught some with baby stingrays in them and hardheads. I have had one with a whole unbusted 60 watt clear light bulb in its stomach.


When you opened him up, did it come on?:dance:


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## Redfishr

Good thing they dont get to 500 lbs....we'd be on the menu.


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## spurgersalty

Texas Jeweler said:


> When you opened him up, did it come on?:dance:


When you thought of that, did yours? And how bright was it if it did come on?


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## AllAngler

Why would anyone want to keep any of these big reds? Whats the point?


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## live2fish247

AllAngler said:


> Why would anyone want to keep any of these big reds? Whats the point?


Actually if you leave the filets on the shell, soak em overnight in italian dressing, and smoke em on the pit they're pretty dang good. I haven't kept one in many years and prefer the slots but the bulls are good if done right.

Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk


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## cwc

The light bulb didnt turn on. LOL I didnt keep it a friend of mine did. plus te big girl swallowed the hook and wouldnt swim off. The rays and hardheads I found in some slot reds. I caught a 40'' red last week that had lip piercings had 3 circle hooks in its mouth.


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## Redfishr

AllAngler said:


> Why would anyone want to keep any of these big reds? Whats the point?


To eat why else......There's always people ragging people that keep big fish.......WHATS THE POINT ?


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## mullethead00

Redfishr said:


> To eat why else......There's always people ragging people that keep big fish.......WHATS THE POINT ?


x2. Do you honestly think you can taste the difference between a 25" fish and a 35" fish?


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## perryo

X2 the sand dollars. Caught one in the surf with a stomach full of them a long time ago.


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## Slow Boat

spurgersalty said:


> When you thought of that, did yours? And how bright was it if it did come on?


They eat compact fluorescents now. Great taste, less filling...


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## El Carnicero

mullethead00 said:


> x2. Do you honestly think you can taste the difference between a 25" fish and a 35" fish?


I keep the one I got a tag for.


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## Slow Boat

El Carnicero said:


> I keep the one I got a tag for.


The smaller fish is better but not so much better that I'd waste my one oversized fish. Slice it thin, roll it in cornmeal, fry it real hot in peanut oil: still beats cesspool-raised asia-imported tilapia.


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## Miles2Fish

Shot gun shell!


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## Surf-N-It

I have used my tag on badly hooked fish that will not make it several times. That is the best part of having the tag on your liscense. But back to the original question, I cleaned a bull about 5 years ago that had about a 16/0 circle hook in it's gut. Must have busted the line and swallowed everything whole. Might be trying sand dollars for bait this weekend...LOL


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## ComeFrom?

A Louisiana License Plate. h:


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## troutless

Worms for sure.


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## TomCat

I saw a 1oz lead sinker and a copper penny in a fishes stomach. That was on the Gulf Coast Fishing Pier in about 198?


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## Wader

Well I wasnt going to say anything, but I found Jimmy Hoffa!!!


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## skooter2

Caught this 24 inch red today. Grandaughter wanted to inspect the stomach. Found mullet, shrimp and this mouse.


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## ssmarinaman

skooter2 said:


> Caught this 24 inch red today. Grandaughter wanted to inspect the stomach. Found mullet, shrimp and this mouse.


What a bad day for the mouse,,,


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## mullethead00

There's a new bait to try. Wonder what color flag mice would be at bait stores.


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## A Draper

I caught one with the bend of a smallish Jhook hooked into it's butt. It was trailing a short leader and 3/8 oz egg sinker. Looked like something somebody would use to catch perch or maybe sand trout. I couldnt decide if the hook magically got hooked there and the fish broke off or the fish swallowed the whole thing and passed the sinker.


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## Tomfish

or the fish swallowed the whole thing and passed the sinker. 

Dang Gum it !!!! Now THAT would hurt !! I bet he was the talk of the school, "Hey look, Jimmy craped a sinker". A good day to stay in bed.


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## Fishin' Soldier

Caught a couple reds before with cigarette butts in their stomachs. Of course they were malboro reds. Lol I have no idea what kind as it was just the filter now, no paper.


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## southtexasreds

skooter2 said:


> Caught this 24 inch red today. Grandaughter wanted to inspect the stomach. Found mullet, shrimp and this mouse.


Wonder if that's the last time she'll ask to inspect a red?


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## skooter2

southtexasreds said:


> Wonder if that's the last time she'll ask to inspect a red?


 To the contrary....She'll probably want to inspect every one from now on...:mpd:


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## Knee Deep N POC

Caught this slot red in POC this past summer. Found a small wading bird of some sort in its stomach. The bird would have been about 5-6 inches tall when alive. There is a similiar thread in the General Fishing discusion board.


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## Bay Bass

Slow Boat said:


> They eat compact fluorescents now. Great taste, less filling...


Adds to the mercury content too. Mmmm delicious mercury.


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## Smackdaddy53

My buddy caught a 52" bull with a petrified gulp shrimp in its stomach and the leader hanging out the anus about 24"...the line had barnacles on it


-mac-


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## Redfishr

5 , 8 inch hard heads once....


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## big-john

There was a group doing stomach surveys that was finding a fair amount of wood in redfish .


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## CavassoCruisin

This was in the belly of a 28" max slot red from Aransas Bay Sunday the 18th:









9", 8", and 5" fresh mullet, and partially digested 5" mullet...and he ate a dead shrimp!


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## Aggie87

he was hungry lol


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## jamisjockey

skooter2 said:


> Caught this 24 inch red today. Grandaughter wanted to inspect the stomach. Found mullet, shrimp and this mouse.


I was fly fishing on the Provo river in Utah when I lived there and walked up on this guy duking it out with a huge Brown trout. We got to chatting and he told me how it went down.
He was walking the cut bank and flushed a field mouse. It jumped off into the water and started swimming. Said it looked like a toilet bowl flushed when this brown took the mouse. He tore through his box and found a big muddler minnow. Not as big as a mouse, but big. So he tied it on and tossed it out and wham! 32" of brown trout. One of the biggest taken from that river in a while. CPR'd, shared a snort of brandy with him, and parted ways.


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