Anyone out there know of any positive that can come from catching dogfish in one of your bass holes? Does it mean they moved in, bass out or do they eat the same things indicating a plentiful supply of bait? I caught 3 this weekend from a hole where i caught some bass also. Just grabbing at straws maybe but anyone have any input?
I know of one positive thing when I can catch a dogfish out of my favorite Bass spot. I’m positive that fish has eaten its last Bass lure and will re-enter the water with a brand new slit down the belly. 
Why, Blue? Dogfish are native to Wisconsin Waters. Doggies are fun… boy can they fight! So, why not allow them to pro-create?
ReelGuy,
Because they are worthless pieces of crap…that’s why….we need to “thin the heard” if you will.
yeah……what he said. 
JJ I often catch them right alongside the bass in Sunfish. My son caught his first Doggie this weekend but right before he caught 4 bass from same spot.
I think they are kind of fun except I always have to replace that spinnerbait after I catch a doggie. Gets kind of expensive.
So, no biological reason… “just becasue?” Hmmm… I believe our ancestors thought that about Buffalo and the Passenger Pigeon….
Someday, there might be a DASS… 
Sunday AM the Wisconsin Bowfishing Assoc. was at the state ramp at Lansing, Pool 9. Looked like gator hunters from the Everglades. Airboats, generators and lights. These guys shoot all night. I didn’t know people did that. Looks like fun. Anyway, I believe they said that there were 140 less doggies in Pool 9. Way to go!!!
Blue, that post had me rolling- glad to hear there is someone else full on “angst” after that intial rush of a nice heavy bite 
My thoughts exactally fella’s! “Positively Worthless”. The initial bite and fight is great until a guy realizes what it is. After it is in, it generally turns into relentless smashing on the head
Even Sheepies serve more of a purpose. Sheepies get light years more respect in my boat. You would have to be positively deranged to even try and cook a dogfish. YUCK!!
Hmmm…”positively deranged”…yup thats me ! I have a 150gal aquarium in my living room and one of my favorites is a 9″ dogfish living with my 2 14″ gar. I figured heck they are hard to kill should be well suited to the tank! Otherwise I’m with you guys…one slice and gently release them…nice meal for the eagles, if they will eat em!
Atta way to push the buttons Jeremy! 
One question guys:
What purpose does a bass serve that bowfin doesn’t, ecologically speaking? I know on some waters, the DNR does want them thinned out but in other experiences, the killing off of the bowfin has already proven to be a costly mistake.
Bowfin or otherwise, isn’t what your doing illegal, if not unethical? I can’t go kill 20 carp and litter the waterways with them. It’s the same as ice fishing and leaving all the runts on the ice to die. I thought wanton waste was illegal. Even for rough fish. Am I right?
In a balanced ecological system, I’m not convinced, yet, that any fish is more deserving to die than any other. Invasive species? Don’t insult me with the obvious. I really want a good case for why I shouldn’t slit the belly of every bass I catch.
Kid,
How’s it going bud? I found an article related to Carp, that I think that the article’s situation might not fit the bill 100% in our area, but I think it goes for rough fish in general. I could be wrong
Interesting Slop Bass. I don’t know if that will answer the question on the old dogfish, but that is one way to look at it. I personally don’t like dogfish and if one gets hurt accidently upon hook removal oops. I don’t intentionally kill them…but what good are they really. I mean I am like the others…I give a sheephead more respect. At least they don’t stink!!!
All right, someone has to speak up for the dogfish. I personally rate the highly. What could be a better fight then a doggie on the end 15 yards of line on a flippin stick. They’re out of the water going through all kinds of gyrations. You’re lucky to hold onto your pole 
. The bowfin does have their niche in nature. They will go into extremely shallow weedy water where other game fish won’t go. In fact bowfin were planted in Lake Winona to help control the stunted sunfish population. When looking at the MN record books, I’ve always thought the dogfish was the one specie I might get might be able to set a record with. About 10 years ago I caught one out of Lake Winona that came up about a half ounce short. It weighed 10 14. The record was, and still is 10-14 and a half. The new books rounded it off to 10-14. This fish’s tail touched the deck when I held it at my belt. I found a guy on shore to verify that I was on the lake and he saw the fish. I made the mistake of not going directly to a certified scale till that afternoon. The fish died and I suspect dehydration may have cost me the record. So if you have to call me DOGFISH MAN but I like em.
This is the same attitude anglers and the DNR held about the eelpout for decades until they stumbled on the fact that as pout numbers dwindled perch began to multiply out of control and walleye, bass and other catch rates dropped significantly.
Now the DNR ‘suggests’ anglers stop playing around with things they don’t understand… and that suggestion starts with a ticket should you throw one on the ice for the eagles.
James I disagree, if they care about dogfish or rough fish , why isn’t there a limit? According to the regs, you can take an unlimited amount of these fish. No daily bag limit, no size limit, no nothing. Why would something be unlimited? because they are over abundant. WELL over abundant. So i have no problem playing dogball one in a while. .
They are, without a doubt, the meanest fish on the river. Drop one in the boat and put your foot in front of it once. Do not try this with sandals though!
The only thing I don’t like about them is touching em. Damn things just give me the willies. 
At least they don’t slime up the boat to the extent of a Northern.
I kinda like them. Ugly as sin and fight pretty well. Wife caught a 28 incher on a scum frog on a spinning rod a few years back. Not THAT was fun. Took the old Minn Kota retrieve to get it in the boat though!
I know in my area the Chippewa is littered with suckers, carp, sheephead. It is nearly impossible to catch anything but them on a crawler. I have to agree other animals like to eat like racoons and coyotes….so pitcher in Slop Bass I mean don’t get me wrong I’m not going to 
over a dogfish. I do see them as having a reason somewhere…just don’t know where.
They make great fertilizer for the garden. Is that a reason for them?
Now you’ve got me! If you’re asking me to make sense of MN’s game and fish regs I’ll just give up and roll over right now.
Let’s face it, if a dogfish tasted good people would love these critters. They fight like heck and grow quite large. But not all fish that swim are good fare. So nobody keeps them. I don’t know if they’re over populated or if their numbers are just part of some bigger plan. Bullheads are equally annoying to me and in many lakes they so over-populated that it’s just crazy, yet there’s a limit on them. Why? Not sure. I always thought it was odd that there would be a limit on a fish the DNR would kill an entire lake to get rid of. I guess I wasn’t saying the DNR rules and regs will always makes sense but I’m a pretty firm believer that all native species are here for a reason.
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James I disagree, if they care about dogfish or rough fish , why isn’t there a limit? According to the regs, you can take an unlimited amount of these fish. No daily bag limit, no size limit, no nothing. Why would something be unlimited? because they are over abundant. WELL over abundant. So i have no problem playing dogball one in a while.
Slop Bass
Rough fish is a broad category of unpopular species of fish. The value of individual fish has not been studied because game fish get all of the attention. I don’t think anyone knows what would happen if all dogfish were removed from our waters.
Think about this, there may be fisherman out there who don’t see a problem playing “bassball” with our favorite specie .
Slop… this type of attitude has placed the environmdnt in jeopardy before… we should learn from history, so as not to repeat it. My grandfather (and yours) thought muskie were a plentiful and renewing resource that could be harvested without ramifications. Today we know better. We also know that a plentiful and healthy population of Muskie proves to improve other fish populations in lakes and river *long* term do to the natural balances of healthy fish.
Dogfish are nasty, no doubt. They, however, are native and play an intricate roll in the eco-system and, as other species do, will regulate their own populations. The reason no regulations have been established for rough fish is due to the fact that they are not classified as a game fish that is targeted by anglers, thus pressure to replenish a harvest is not present.
The asian carp and lamphrey SHOULD be removed from the ecosystem as it is non-native invasive species that is natralizing into the eco-system.
Reelguy,
Musky and Dogfish aren’t even in the same boat. And that’s not true about them not having regulations because they aren’t game fish. Do you cosider a GOBIE a game fish? doubtfull, yet they have regs. Most people wouldn’t consider sturgeon a game fish, yet they are regulated. I think sturgeon are a rough fish for that matter??
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Think about this, there may be fisherman out there who don’t see a problem playing “bassball” with our favorite specie
True, and that made me laugh.
I agree on the Asian Carp and Lamprey…They were introduced, not native.
Good discussion!!
I wish my threads got this much attention. I have to say that I see no real bennifit to having the dogfish around. I’m not even truly for sure that they are native to this area. I was told by a co-worker that they weren’t. Several years ago they were introduced to our waters. I’m not sure if that is true or not. I’m not sure that you have all seen how many so called “rough fish” are taken and destroyed or taken by anglers. It is a ton. Yet they don’t go away. A local small lake was shocked and 3 dump trucks full of carp and suckers were taken out. 4 years later the DNR took out another 3 trucks. So tell me does the DNR know anything? I mean look at Wis deer regs…come on and we are trusting what they are saying???
Krisko,
Any population that is out of control (both over and under) is worrysome. But that can be a specie we like or dislike. Keep the walking the shore line fishing reports comming. People are reading them.
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Krisko,
Keep the walking the shore line fishing reports comming. People are reading them.
I don’t understand what you ment by this??? I know I do understand where you are coming from. Heck I don’t even catch very many dogfish. I just understand how others feel. I don’t go strongly one way or the other. If you want to throw them on shore or kill them go ahead I can’t stop you or if you want to keep it or release it that’s fine too. I like that everyone has there own opinion and that is what makes everything work out.
Krisko,
i got the feeling you were frustrated that you didn’t get a response to your earlier posts. The population out of control had to do with the ponds full of carp and suckers. however, we all are concerned when a species (our favorite) numbers start to decline.
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