Fishing with a friend the other day, we got a few Dogfish. I used my usual caution (read FEAR) when handling these little monsters. My friend, seeing me dink around just grabbed and unhooked the first few. I was impressed and felt like a wimp. Then this

That was after 3 or 4 hours and a number of bandage changes. She refused to quit fishing and got her first Chinook


This from Asshanged's website
The spiny dogfish has dorsal spines, no anal fin, and white spot along its back. The caudal fin has asymmetrical lobes, forming a heterocercal tail. The species name acanthias refers to the shark's two spines. These are used defensively. If captured, the shark can arch its back to pierce its captor. Glands at the base of the spines secrete a mild poison.

Ouch.....Nice catch.Good luck,
SZ

With all the times I seen people get spiked I'm starting to wonder if they actually bite, but I'm not going to test that idea. Nice King!

The just go for a ride on the swim step on my boat and get the de-hooker. Never touch the nasty things.

Humane firm foot pressure and barbless hooks are your friend. I wear flio flops so they bend and are softer. I dont know of any way else to keeo the damn things still enough to de hook them

They do bite...on accident. They thrash with their mouths open (defensive?) And when something happens to touch any where in or around their mouths....they bite down....I have a bite that almost went through my sandal as I curled my toes uo to avoid it...very close call

If they are hooked inside the mouth, I just cut them loose as close as I can get without taking them out of the water. If they are hooked outside the mouth I just grab them by the nose and turn them upside down. It has a paralyzing effect on them and you can simply take your time and unhook with a set of pliers.

Ouch is right!!

Payback?

As I recall there was (years ago) a commercial dogfish processing facility on the beach about a mile or so to the left of the headland in the background.

Oh, and nice fish!

I only let certain people pet me.

you are a wise man.......

I used to live at Pt. no Pt. One day my brother and I were walking the beach down by the lighthouse and I stepped on a dogfish that someone had caught and thrown on the beach to die.

It was half buried in the sand and I didn't see it. The spine on its dorsal layed my foot open good. The 1/4 mile walk back to the house crammed the cut full of sand.

The Dr. scrubbing the sand out of my foot with a toothbrush, before he could stitch it,wasn't at all pleasant.

I took a good poke when I was 5 outside of Buoy 10.


Great advise deuce.

Wow. I just read that the wrong way....which might explain a lot of things about YBD.....

Well $hit..

Since Dan has yet to come forth and declare Parkers latest comment a fair and legal zing, I feel obligated to congratulate you Parker for your fine intuition and the bringing forth of light to YBDs latest confession. Read right over that one. Your a good sport YBD.

As far as dehooking dogfish. Leaders get cut. If trolling I grab the dogfish by the tail with pliers and remove lure. Knarly hit Gutz, keep it clean.

I wouldn't touch that with my de-hooker.

Don't worry Gutz, you're not on the list.

I might try the upside down thing. I just grab them by the tail and bend them into a circle and with the same hand hold their jaws open by squeezing on the sides of their head. They can't move, the mouth is held open.......unhook, toss back. They are very easy to control as they are not slippery. Have to pay attention, though. If you grab the head first, the tail is headed your way.....If you grab the tail first, around comes the head, mouth agape. Takes a bit of practice, but not a lot.

It use to be that some folks slit their bellies open before sending them over the side. That is a violation that can get you a citation.

Dogfish were used in Fish & Chips in England and the belly section was smoked in Germany. They were marketed as Grey fish there and the had been a commercial long line fishery in Puget Sound many years ago. I don't know if this is still practiced.

I was assigned to write an article along with Fred Vander Werff back in the 1980's on fishing and using Dogfish which we did. To me they had very little flavor as fish and chips and I would not recommend them.

The is a book from many years ago called "The Dogfish Cookbook" . I never tried the recipes so cannot judge them.

As a test of smoked Puget Sound fish, I smoked Dogfish,Pacific Cod and rockfish for a party and color coded them with toothpicks. Too my surprise the Smoked Dogfish was the most popular?

Just use the dehooker and I never have to touch them or take them out of the water . . . . .