Dog Fish on a Tip-up

[NCLaker]

Caught my first dog fish on a tip-up yesterday - was a blast to fight until I saw it come out of the hole.

Never caught one before so I didn't realize what it was until it came out of the hole. I saw the head coming up realized it wasn't a Pike, thought maybe it was a bass. When it came out of the hole it kinda freaked me out a bit because I was not prepared for what came out. It was big, ugly, and still full of fight dog fish. Measured 27", I didn't have a scale but I was guessing maybe 8+lbs.

I was very impressed with the fight and stamina of these fish - it would go absolutely nuts everytime I pulled it up near the whole. Didn't know what to do with it so I ended up kicking it down the hole.

For those that have experience with catching these things, what is considered a good size, and what are you suppose to do with them?

[fisherman27]

I think the state record is aroud 29in. so you had a dandy! As for use I am not sure i just throw em' back when I catch them.

[Steve Foss]

I've never eaten one, though I've caught probably a dozen on warm summer evenings tossing spinnerbaits for bass in the shallow cabbage. They sometimes roll on the surface at those times and a person might think they are bass.

Not sure how active they usually are in winter. They are tremendous, primitive predators and fight as hard as any fish I've ever caught. More of a thrasher than a runner. I expect 8-12 pounds is the biggest I've ever seen.

Many rough fish taste great, and those that are a bit oily tend to be excellent smoked. I doubt the dogfish is any different. I probably wouldn't eat one, either, but that's just my prejudice.

What lake did you catch it on?

[weeds]

I caught my first the summer before last. It had the same effect on me. It fought the same way. Mine was about 24". I've seen photos of these fish with blue mouths... that would've really freaked me out.

[caseymcq]

 Originally Posted By: stfcatfish

... I probably wouldn't eat one, either, but that's just my prejudice...

I wouldn't eat one either. I have one rule to eating fish, if I don't think it is a pretty fish, I don't eat it. Dogfish are one fish that fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on they way down.

[Steve Foss]

 Originally Posted By: caseymcq

fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.

Now that is just plain funny, Irishman. I'm going to remember that one.

[NCLaker]

 Originally Posted By: stfcatfish

What lake did you catch it on?

I was on an east central MN lake. Fishing ~7 ft FOW in an opening in the curley leaf pond weed.

Caught it on a good sized fat head on an HT single treble rig. Must me my lucky rig, the few times I've used it I caught a 14" crappie and 8lb pike.

[Steve Foss]

Dude, next comes a 5 lb bass and a 10 lb laker, with that history.

I've caught all of my dogfish on two or three lakes around Bemidji.

[Eric Wettschreck]

I've honestly never eaten one but I think STF put it best when he said most rough fish get smoked. I've heard of guys that cook them a lot like pout. Cut out the back straps, cube them up, and boil em in 7-up. If you want to, well, have fun. Myself, I'd take a pic and toss it back down the hole cuz they ugly.

It's been a while since I've caught a Bob Barker, but 27" is a dandy!!

[DEADhead]

 Originally Posted By: NCLaker

Didn't know what to do with it so I ended up kicking it down the hole.

For those that have experience with catching these things, what is considered a good size, and what are you suppose to do with them?

For starters, please don't "kick" them back down the hole. You caught a really nice specimen at 27", I believe it qualifies as a Master Angler fish.

I wouldn't reccomend eating a dogfish, as they do not taste good, and are quite bony/cartilaginous. They are a prehistoric fish and are well represented in the fossil record. They are interesting because even though they are a primitive fish, they care for their young, like some of the more modern fish species.

Dogfish put up a good fight, and any fish that can breath air with it's air bladder/lung deserves some respect. But I agree, dogish have a face that only a mother could love.

[NCLaker]

Dead Head - appreciate the comments. I didn't literally "kick" the fish down the hole. Actually I pushed it in to the hole with my foot in a respectful manner. Call me a wuss, but I just didn't want to touch the thing. It swam looking plenty healthy.

If there is a next time, I'll be sure to lake a picture for the master angler program.

[tisosy11]

yeah - caught one last summer right off the bottom, thought i had a nice fish on...we got er in the net and it fell off the hook - thank goodness!

I may have kicked it off the boat if i brought it in - hehe

[DEADhead]

yeah be careful the next time, as they have some terrifically sharp teeth. I don't doubt the fish swam down the hole healthy as they are quite hearty fish and can actually burrow in mud out in a floodplain, and estivate (similar to hibernation) for periods of time until the next flood. Again, congratulations on the nice catch!

[ib_jigged]

My nephew was fishing with me last summer on a lake outside of Bemidji when all of a sudden he hooks onto something large. I thought it was gonna be a big northern, but I had never seen this fish before. It was very big, I would say close to 30" or even a tad over. I thought it was a dogfish but had never seen one before. We put it in the livewell to take back to the dock (forgot camera), but I decided to let it go before anything happened to it. After we got back to the camper that day I looked it up and may have had a new state record! My nephew was mad at me!!! I confirmed that it was a dogfish by looking at pics on the net of them. Exactly what we had. I hope to try and catch him again this summer!

[Wanderer]

I suppose one could take the time to check the DNR HSOforum for the state record weight, but last time I checked, it was 10 lbs 15 oz.

Oh, wait, I just did.

There's a tie at 10 lbs 15 oz. One Bowfin (Dog fish) was 31 inches and the other was 32 inches long.

The only time I mind catching those relics is when they annihilate my lures. Spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and jig and pig all produce well when you're in their territory. My best came on a jig and pig from some lily pads on the Sauk River by Cold Spring. 10 lbs 10 oz. (Thats why I looked up the record).

They fight awesome in open water, but this is the first time I've heard of one through the ice. Nice catch!

[B@ssmaster]

I used to average about one a summer at my Dad's old lake place near Remer. They love to pound spinner baits back in the pads on that lake. Typically they ran 3-6 lbs. Tremendous fight, but those teeth really trash your tackle! And as a bass fisherman, I'd have to keep reminding myself not to lip them when landing them.

[SP180]

my buddy and i used to fish for them at night. We would chop up sucker minnows and put parts on big hooks with big bobbers and wait till they went under. One night in 2 hours we caught 7 of them and back then (1980 or so) we left them on shore. The next day around noon when we woke up, they were still alive lying on shore. Kind of creapy but fun to catch.

[HuskerBen]

I love catching the buggers. They're tough, man... A buddy and I were fishing the Miss one day. He caught one that had a leader and rusted treble hook hanging out of its butt. We were both pretty impressed with its intestinal fortitude.

[Steve Foss]

Ben, now that's good humor right there.

Wanderer, bowfin is one of those records prettily easily broken, I bet. I've caught two that I'm sure were 12 or better, but who keeps track of "those other fish?"

[Wanderer]

There ya go, burstin my bubble!

I figured the same thing though. I can't believe Larry Dahlberg hasn't gone after them with 4 lb test yet.

[Thunder]

I wouldn't have known a dogfish if I caught it...I looked it up, now I hope I never catch one! MAN they are UGLY!

[PerchPounder]

I think that anyone who ever catches a doggie would know what it was or could come to a some conclusions quite easily. They are a very unique fish to say the least.

[Steve Foss]

Wanderer, Dahlberg Shmahlberg!

You wanna set a record? Target the Dog and bring along a camera and a witness. In myself, you have both.

Uh, is there a line class record for bowfin?

[waxworm]

Early ice last year I was just walkin' along... about 3-4 inches of ice... darn near jumped out of my pants when I looked down and saw a big doggy just looking up at me from under the ice. Right under it. Snake head and all. I honestly was afraid to move cuz I didn't want to fall in with that thing. It was literally 6 inches under my boot!

[Fred_Bear]

Yeah i see those things all the time in the shallows while looking for schools of crappies and gills during the early spring. They just sit there dead still until they're about 5 feet away from the boat and then they jet away in a flash.

I've caught a few too, all on 4 lb trilene and light tackle... sure are great fighters.