Dogfish are actually pretty interesting critters and like most shark species have experienced significant population declines.

They can be long lived often living for 50 or more years (the oldest fish are older than most anglers catching them) and late maturing (typically teenagers). In that respect like sturgeon.

The females give birth to live "pups"; usually 4 to 6 per pregnancy. The gestation period for the pregnant female is 20 or more months. As with most long lived species with low reproductive rates dogfish can be vulnerable to over exploitation.

The dogfish here in Puget Sound are part of the larger north Pacific population which is depressed. Puget Sound is a major birthing grounds of the species which accounts for the relatively high abundance we encounter here (lucky us -lol) in spite of the over all population numbers being down.

After learning more about this species it is clear they deserve some respect when we encounter them. When I hook one I use the pliers to remove the hook is it is easily accessible otherwise I just cut the leader without bring the fish into the boat.

Curt

I have played every conceivable game with dogfish (the fish, not the guy) that is possibke and have confessed my sins here several times... someone mentioned live birth? Ya... Ask Mr. Ling Cod his take on that- they swim slowly and have a strong desire to live.

Slabby-

No joke- squeeze their nose and turn them upside down, just don't let your ring finger straighten out... And don't bother to ask me how I know that be ause it is a really quick lesson you won't forget.

get a pair of these (not this brand, unless you dont care, this is for reference)

http://www.harborfreight.com/11-inch-long-reach-needlenose-pliers-with-straight-jaws-39538.html

id go with a Crescent plier, you will pay alot more tho, and preferably the blue handled single joint ones, not the new multi joint ones... or, get 10 of those, and after every use get em oiled up and cleaned off... should last a bit i would think...

i dont know where my longs went, but i have the regulars in my backpack, and use them all the time, they have been in salt, and fresh, and are probably 25 years old, and still work great...

edit: im not gonna re word this, i meant ChannelLock pliers, not Crescent, although Crescent is decent, its no ChannelLock...

As I was doing a 20' decompression stop on a dive off of a vertical wall somewhere in the Sunshine Coast (BC), I turned around just in time to have a 5' dog fish plow in to my chest, head first. Scared the living beejeezers out of me!

Kinda just plowed in to me. Shook it's head like it didn't know what just had happened, and after I shart myself and managed to push it's head in any other direction than my torso, it just lazily swam away. Still don't know what was up with that dogfish. Kinda think it was stoned.....

prolly 2 much seaweed