Fish identification

fishinfool

Among other things
I was bottom fishing in the mouth of the Choptank River yesterday and caught a few fish I didn't recognize. Can anyone help? They were small, 6 inches or so, brown, very soft skin, big wide mouth full of small teeth and VERY UGLY. They were biting on crab if that helps. TIA
 

Mikeinsmd

New Member
Bar dog or Oyster toad
 

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jazz lady

~*~ Rara Avis ~*~
PREMO Member
Mikeinsmd said:
Bar dog or Oyster toad
:yeahthat: I've always called them dogfish. Friends and I were out fishing yesterday and fortunately didn't pull one of those things up - just spot, perch, and flounder.
 

aps45819

24/7 Single Dad
Mikeinsmd said:
I always use my thumb and break their spine. Not sure why, just something my dad told us to do...lol
We used to leave them in the boat all day and later take a knife, run it into their head and then flip them in the water. Was always amazed at how they'd swim off after that.
 

Mikeinsmd

New Member
aps45819 said:
We used to leave them in the boat all day and later take a knife, run it into their head and then flip them in the water. Was always amazed at how they'd swim off after that.
We knifed them too. Never seemed to kill em. The snapping the spine did though...LOL
 

pixiegirl

Cleopatra Jones
Are those the things at the Marine Museum that are in the tank with the muscles or oysters or whatever they are that look like they walk around on their bottom fins?
 

Nanny Pam

************
We call them "oyster crackers" because their mouths can break an oyster shell. So never put your fingers in their mouth.
 

Mikeinsmd

New Member
pixiegirl said:
Are those the things at the Marine Museum that are in the tank with the muscles or oysters or whatever they are that look like they walk around on their bottom fins?
Scroll down/up and look at the pic I posted fool... :lol:
 

pixiegirl

Cleopatra Jones
Mikeinsmd said:
Scroll down/up and look at the pic I posted fool... :lol:

I did fool but I can't tell. The ones at the Marine Museum are only like 2-3 inches but their little info board said they get to about 6 inches. They look similar but I can't tell if it's the same thing.
 

jazz lady

~*~ Rara Avis ~*~
PREMO Member
Mikeinsmd said:
I always use my thumb and break their spine. Not sure why, just something my dad told us to do...lol
Maybe because the spines are venomous:

Despite their homely-okay, ugly-appearance, sluggish habit and unpleasant tendency to stiffen their venomous dorsal spines and snap viciously when caught on a hook or in a net, oyster toadfish have other interesting qualities.

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/info/toadfish.cfm
 
fishinfool said:
I was bottom fishing in the mouth of the Choptank River yesterday and caught a few fish I didn't recognize. Can anyone help? They were small, 6 inches or so, brown, very soft skin, big wide mouth full of small teeth and VERY UGLY. They were biting on crab if that helps. TIA

Well you cant be that much of a Fishin Fool if you dont know what a toadfish is...... :lmao:
 
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