Least favorite fish to catch

[Blackwater Virgil 0]

Mike, you're right. I did once eat part of one. Was just curious when Dad caught one, and said I'd clean it if he'd keep it. His regard for them was little above mine. He let me have my way, though, thinking I'd probably learn a lesson, I'm sure. But Mom was the greatest cook ever. People she fed still talk about what a great cook she was. And she made it palatable, too, though not quite up to a catfish, redbreast, bream or stumpknocker (my favorite of all). Many folks locally say you CAN eat them, and they're not too bad, but they're way down on the list of preferred species. WAY down. I never ate dogfish again for the rest of my life, and that's over 50 years ago now and counting. I DO like to shoot them with my .44 in summer when the water's low and clear and the fishing is slow. Payback is always satisfying! ;^)

[zonkermonster83 0]

Nothing really i hate maple and oak fish they suck espcially after the first fall storms here in pa while trout fishing. Suprisingly i love catching big creek chubs on the fly some of tgem 7 to 9 inchers make ya think you got a small brookie on. Carp on the fly is where its at and big suckers i called freshwater bonefish. And big river herrining they leap and pull like a micro tarpon

[robow7 0]

Freshwater gar.

 

How can you not enjoy these? One of the only fish around here other than a carp that can get me into my backing.

 

[Dave G. 0]

I dislike getting what I'm not targeting for fish. It's not so much a dislike as disappointment. So in Maine that could be a chub when you think you are fishing for and at first hook up maybe caught a big brook trout. Chubs won't be in the faster runs though and always a possibility in the slower ones, especially as the water warms.. By the same token taking the grandkids chub fishing in a pond it feels like a yellow perch is then the disappointment etc..... I like catching what I'm targeting and usually manage to do fairly well at it by altering bait or retrieve. The best description is let down or a slight sinking feeling when you see the odd species surface.

[David Parker 0]

Here in Ontario I can't really say that there is any particular fish that I hate to catch for I fish because I enjoy the sport, always have, so whatever I catch I consider a bonus to my adventure. To me that is what fishing is all about...........enjoyment.

Accidental catches while targeting other species can sometimes be annoying though, especially when you only have that 1 hot fly left. That being said, the Bowfin can be notorious at stealing that 1 fly while Crappie fishing in the spring and my partner found out that it's best to keep your hands out of it's mouth. They clamp down hard and will not let go easily, thus leaving bloody fingers from their mouth full of sharp teeth when he tried to free my hot fly that I ended up losing.

Beautiful fish though with that impressive brown dot on the tail. Never eaten one either, but sure thought about it that day!

[ihang10 0]

Catfish. I. Hate. Catfish.

[ihang10 0]

And then I land this tonight.

 

 

 

Ugh.

[JSzymczyk 0]

if there is a fish you don't like to catch, you're kind of missing the point of fishing aren't you? I absolutely don't always catch what I WANT but if I'm catching little 4" bluegills while I'm trying to catch something else, I'm doing something "wrong".

 

I know quite a few people who ONLY fish for bass, or trout, and even a few who only fish for catfish. A lot of them are jerks too. I just like to fish and catch stuff. Somewhere along the line I kept a list of all the species I know I've caught. It was somewhere around 50. I've added a couple more to it.

[skeet3t 0]

One thing about fishing is you don't know what you will hook. Nothing like surprises. I was fishing for small bass while waiting to meet my son for lunch last Friday. Fishing with a small crawfish imitation- got a big perch. Beautiful colors. He was ready to spawn as he was spraying milt all over the grass. Will have to download the picture for you.

[vicrider 0]

I haven't seen the one fish mentioned that was my least favorite to catch in deep cold water lake trout fishing. BURBOT or Eelpout or Lawyer. The Eelpout Festival on Leech Lake in MN make national news almost every year with thousands of drunks partying for the weekend and even some fish being caught for great prizes. For those who've never enjoyed catching an eelpout the first time you grab one and, depending on size, he wraps around your arm once or twice with that long sinewy smooth body your first is to try to shake it off and slime yourself up good.

 

I've always been told that the front part of the fish should be filleted out back to where the tail shrinks down to nothing and the meat is white and delicious. Never done it, never tried it, but if you look it up it is actually one of the few freshwater cod family fish. A bunch of us were quite inebriated back from a lake trout trip and we'd saved a couple of 'pout since the Finlanders also would tell you the liver of the 'pout was rich in vitamins and we should fry them and eat them. We tried. Try to envision eating fried Cod Liver Oil and you'd have it.

[Brian Myers 0]

I'm gonna say the plastic shopping bag fish!

Yup the shopping bag fish , sock or tee shirt fish and submerged moveable wood fish are all a pain in butt. Channel cats feel like a submerged moveable wood fish most of the time but are welcome. I would like a shot at what most people on here seem to hate, I think bowfin on a fly would great. I would even be happy just to see one up close.

[mikechell 0]

They are a lot of fun, Brian. I don't target them, but they're plentiful enough that one is bound to catch a few in a year.

 

[Brian Myers 0]

Don't see them around here . I know there is supposed to be a spot or two the next county over that has a few. In PA they are listed as a candidate species that may eventually be listed as threatened of endangered.

[mikechell 0]

They were supposed to exist in Indiana, too, as far as I know. I never saw one until I got to Florida. Now I catch, maybe, ten a year while fishing for bass.

[Poopdeck 0]

I would much rather catch nothing over catching a sea Robins They scream at you and flap their fins making them look like a little gremlin from the movie gremlins. They have hard heads and hidden among their scales are sharp little spears that hurt like hell. I don't touch them at all. Sea robins suck big time.