Anyone have a good doggie lake for me to try? Dogs are the best fighting fish in freshwater (have I caught musky? Pike? & Lake Trout? yes, yes, & yes) BTW if you spear this is a native species that keeps Bluegills from getting stunted, so leave them alone unless you want to eat one.(IMO) Don’t tell me to look at LF or find my own lake, help or not-that simple.
Thanks
Location? It’s been like 10-15 years, but I talked to a guy on the fishing pier on Twin Lakes in Robbinsdale who was just having a field day with them. He was a southerner and claimed they were delicious. He probably had 5-6 on a stringer.
I agree, they are a hoot to catch–incredible fish!
Prairie Lake used to have a bunch. North Ten Mile Lake too.
Havent been there in a long time but I remember catching a bunch on Osakis.
general location?
Maybe ask member “ThunderLund78”
They seem so random I cant imagine targeting them but I agree they are tremendous fighters.
They seem so random I cant imagine targeting them
Same. Can’t imagine specifically targeting them. I rarely catch them but they are all accidental bycatch.
Bowfin Lake maybe?
All the dogfish I’ve caught were in weedy sloughs off of the Wolf River.
river backwaters.
you can absolutely target them, if the lake has a known population try near lillypads with live/dead bait or in super weedy areas with scumfrogs when the sun starts to go down…just make sure your equipment is up to snuff…
They are a very cool fish and have alot of respect in my family (My kids call them “Doggies” and scream “Doggy Alert, Doggy Alert” when they see one swim under the dock… we can actually feed them minnows/worms/bread off my dock, its the coolest thing ever!
Backwaters of pool 3 in the slop with top water frogs. Give it a couple months. July or August when the weeds are high and river low.
When I was in middle school I used to catch some in lake Rebecca in Hastings while bass fishing from shore. One was huge huge.
The sauk river has tons of them too.
They absolutely destroy a spinner bait. Usually 1 fish per bait is all I can get, then need to replace it. North Long lake up 371 out of Brainerd has a good population.
Great tips, thanks!
I catch them targeting largemouth on the lakes in my area. They’re a blast. I think every lake in Isanti County has fishable numbers. Look in the shallow slop with a frog
I catch them targeting largemouth on the lakes in my area. They’re a blast. I think every lake in Isanti County has fishable numbers. Look in the shallow slop with a frog
Catch alot in the chisago lakes as well throwing jig head with 7 inch power baits as well. I did t see one last year but I have caught many in years past
I’ve caught a couple in the backwaters of the Chippewa River and one on Pool 4 as well.
One of them on the Chippewa was probably 8-9# and close to 30″.
In and around Isanti County – Spectacle, Stanchfield and Green Lakes along with the Rum River backwaters. Just about every fishable lake has a population.
Mille Lacs Lake in every weedy bay. Big Dogs that don’t see a lot of pressure. Platte/Sullivan used to be phenomenal, but with the population of bow fishing on these lakes, encounters with these fish are few and far between now.
Thanks, and yep just because you can kill them does not mean you should.
No catch and release with a bow-glad those guys are getting carp though.
Bucky, 30″ that’s a stud be cool to do a replica for a bar.
I caught one on Leech a few years ago that was 29.5″. I thought for sure the way it was making run after run it was a 50+” muskie. I would agree that pound for pound they are the best fighting freshwater fish I have caught.
The best two areas in the state I’ve found (both population and size wise) are Bemidji and Waterville. Every lake near both of these towns have them. I probably caught 30 last year with my biggest being a 10 pounder.
We kept one that we caught ice fishing just for fun. Wouldn’t recommend. There are plenty of fish in a lake that would’ve tasted better and filleted easier. The meat was so tough it felt like I was cutting rubber.
Maybe we can get some dogfish pics if you’re successful
Little Stanchfield, N of Cambridge. Don’t even need a boat, they’re all you catch in the little spillway by the launch. Big enough they break off 50% of the time…
BTW the launch at L. Stanchfield is terrible, shallow, no turn around, you will launch into shallow green slime. Not afraid to launch into shallow narrow stuff but this was ridiculous-glad I had a plan B nearby.
Not a lake, but we have caught some when walking out from the Bloomington Ferry bridge fishing under the 169 bridge. Nothing big, but you could sight fish them at the time.
Western WI, Mississippi River backwaters when they are spawning. I caught about 5 of them while perch fishing. When the perch slow down, my son and I would have a “dog fish outing” using cut bait. (WI side only) Always caught plenty, along with pike. Good times!
Good luck.
plenty in the shallow bays of Leech Lake
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