Have you ever caught a non-target fish?

semihan

New Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2021
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Age
30
Model
Seafarer
i grow fish in nigeria.
 
Last edited:

Doc Stressor

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2009
Messages
1,186
Reaction score
295
Points
83
Location
Homosassa, FL
Model
Seafarer
The Gulf of Mexico is a smorgasbord. You never know what you'll catch.

Here's a 35+ lb bull red caught while grouper fishing:

Bull Red (600 x 450).jpg

And here's a sailfish caught in 42 ft of water fishing for kings. That never happens. It is the only sailfish I've seen caught out of Homosassa in 13 years.

Sailfish (600 x 453).jpg
 

Mustang65fbk

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2020
Messages
2,577
Reaction score
682
Points
113
Age
38
Location
Seattle area
Model
Seafarer
In the Puget Sound people will oftentimes catch halibut, lingcod or cabezon when trolling for salmon, and especially king salmon because of how low to the bottom your downrigger ball and bait is as well as because of how slowly you're trolling. We also have what they call a dogfish or sand shark out here that you'll catch all the time when trolling for salmon as they swim from the surface down to near the bottom. You can typically tell it's a dogfish pretty quickly as you'll get one or two head shakes and then it's just deadweight pulling it the rest of the way in. Salmon typically give a bunch of head shakes and then kings generally dive deep while silvers swim up to the surface and jump. Anything else is possible as well from catching a crab to sole, flounder, bullhead and so forth. A buddy of mine was out with us fishing years ago that was using all pink gear to try and catch pink salmon, as they tend to go for either pink or white, and caught a 25lb+ king.
 

trapper

GreatGrady Captain
Joined
Jan 7, 2010
Messages
822
Reaction score
209
Points
43
Just not sure this comes under "none targeted fish". Years ago I snagged a 30 lb. Octopus and had to bring it into the boat to salvage a hot lure (foolish). It did not take long for it to wrap a coupe of tentacles around my arm. Tough time undoing the grip but finally managed to return it to the brine. Believe I had to take a moment to regroup, as Initially I thought I would not get loose without pulling a knife.
 

TopsulTime

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2021
Messages
67
Reaction score
30
Points
18
Location
Surf City
Model
Sailfish
The only sailfish I ever caught was non target but I knew they were around. We were wahoo fishing. Other non target species pulled in by hook and line: lobster, various sharks, skates, lots of barracuda, we never target those.