artimus001 0 Report post Posted March 23, 2015 i caught a Spiny Soft Shell Turtle once while out fishing for catfish. it was listed as a threatened or endangered species at the time. i was not happy about that one at all. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WVUontheFLY 0 Report post Posted March 24, 2015 The fish that turn out to be logs or boulders, have had many of those while musky fishing... Or the fish that break you off in those same structures Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chuck McFarlane 0 Report post Posted March 26, 2015 Snakehead. I really don't like trying to get my fly back. Mean looking things. Got to hand it to them though they can be pretty heart stopping top water. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tim Shovel 0 Report post Posted March 28, 2015 Yeah, heard their a real pain to deal with, destroying the ecosystem to Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted March 29, 2015 Yeah, heard their a real pain to deal with, destroying the ecosystem to So far ... they don't seem to be "destroying the ecosystem". Many invasive species tend to balance out ... to become part of the system rather than overtake it. While it might not prove to be that way forever, at the present time, the Snakehead has become another game species. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
troutguy 0 Report post Posted March 29, 2015 Here in SC we are subject to a ticket if you put a Snakehead back.  http://www.dnr.sc.gov/invasiveweeds/snakehead.html  We have had Pacu caught in Lake Wylie and other places. One in SC was over 30 inches.  My friend caught a Copperhead trout fishing. That was ugly. Especially after he realized it wasn't a banded water snake. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
add147 0 Report post Posted March 30, 2015 Mudcats or as some folks up north call them Bullheads! Nasty tasting fish although up north I have ate them. My grandfather lived up in Arnolds Park, Iowa and he used to smoke them and they were delicious on crackers and a piece of cheese but the ones in the south are just plain yuck!!! I sure miss my Grandpas on both sides. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
troutguy 0 Report post Posted March 30, 2015 Add147 mudcats? Do you mean catfish, the brown bullhead or a bowfin? As long as the water was OK bullheads were really tasty. Bowfin not so much Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blackwater Virgil 0 Report post Posted April 16, 2015 This one's a no-brainer for me. I had about a 6 lb. dogfish (grindle, bowfin) nearly take off the tip end of my middle right finger once. I had it in the net laying across my knees, and reached back to dad to get the pliers to unhook it, and the devlish @#$%^&* took that moment to thrash around very violently, and latched onto the tip of my finger with predictable results! The tip of that finger was shreded. I kept fishing, though, wrapped a hankie around it, tied it on with some line, and fished with a throbbing hand that also gave me a headache. I was young then, and wasn't going to go home where I knew Mom would be dabbing stuff on it that would burn and hurt even MORE! Â I'll hate those @#$%^&* critters 'til the day I die! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chuck McFarlane 0 Report post Posted April 21, 2015 Oh gosh I forgot about dogfish. Spiny dogfish. Caught a little guy once mooching for kings. Was in a rush to get lines back in the water and the little guy flipped his tail around and stuck me in the forearm as I was trying to unhook him. I knew about the sharp little teeth but wasn't prepared for that. The spine was located behind the dorsal toward the tail. For a short time I felt okay but after a few minutes the pain was just throbbing! Lasted the entire day. Throbbing head pain too. Don't know if it was poison but sure felt like it. Definitely one to put on my hate to catch list. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted April 21, 2015 ... dogfish (grindle, bowfin) ... Â Â Oh gosh I forgot about dogfish. Spiny dogfish. Two different "dogfish" here. Virgil is talking about the freshwater Bowfin. Chuck is talking about the saltwater species of shark, I believe. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shoebop 0 Report post Posted April 21, 2015 I gotta tell ya, bowfin taste pretty good! After throwing a bunch back, we decided to keep one to see if they were any good for table fare. The meat was white and delicate and not at all fishy. I recommend giving it a try. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted April 21, 2015 I gotta tell ya, bowfin taste pretty good! After throwing a bunch back, we decided to keep one to see if they were any good for table fare. The meat was white and delicate and not at all fishy. I recommend giving it a try. I've heard that Bowfin is good, if you clean it and prepare it right away. There's no storing it. You can't freeze it, refrigerate it, or even let get cool after cooking. It will either become rubbery, or get all mushy. That's what I've "heard" or read ... I've never tried it myself. Too many great tasting Sunfish to worry about keeping a big, mean fish. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
artimus001 0 Report post Posted April 21, 2015 how do you prepare sunfish? whole or filleted? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted April 22, 2015 Filleted, always. Although I might lose a little "meat" around the bones, the pure culinary joy of a clean bite of fried fillet is well worth it. Most of the fish I catch will provide about 4 or bites per fillet. I have filleted fish small enough to provide only a bite or so. Still was more than worth it, to NOT deal with bones in my fish. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites