What are these South Carolina fish?

One of my boys accompanied his wife to Charleston to a work conference so he had to find something to do.
What are they and are they decent eating?

I have no idea what they are. I would have no problem frying some up to see which one I like best.

Sheeps head, sea trout, and a couple of big ol drum. I eat a lot of drum and wish I could eat more sea trout.

Black drum, red drum, speckled trout

This….the red drum are also known as red fish in the south.

First one is a black drum, not sheepshead. Others are redfish and trout. Redfish and trout are delicious. All are delicious.

Black drum and sheepshead look a lot alike. Theres a few differences. Look up a pic of sheepshead teeth if you want a laugh.

Black drum a no for me. Redfish are the reason blackened fish became so popular. Put enough seasoning on something and scald it in butter - anything is edible. They are not that great in my opinion. The only way I really like them is “on the half shell” - filet, leave skin and scales on, olive oil or butter on exposed meat, grill short time exposed meat down, turn to scale and skin side down and apply seasoning or lemon and butter to meat and continue to grill until meat flakes and ready to eat. Most states have a slot on them - something like 18”-27” to be legal. I like about a 24” fish. Fix trout anyway you like fish. Great for fish and chips in light beer batter

Pic 1- Black Drum
Pic 2&4- Red Drum aka puppy drum, redfish
Pic 3- Speckled Trout

All are delicious. Speckled trout would be my favorite out of the group but we eat them all.

Black drum freak folks out. They have worms in the meat. Harmless if cooked properly and often can be cut out and around.

Kind of a heck no or quit being squeamish thing.

https://www.lsu.edu/seagrantfish/resources/factsheets/spaghettiworms.htm

The drum are related to freshwater drum which in some areas are also called sheepshead, go figure.

Thanks guys
They were all catch and release!

Sea trout are great eating. Drums, I’ll pass. Too strong of a taste.

Red Drum the ones with he dot near the tail , excellent eating the slot in SC is 15-23 inches to keep them.

I was down there a couple weeks ago about 20 miles south of Charleston caught a couple a 27 that was over slot and a 21 that we kept

fried with fried green tomatoes it was very good