The Ugliest Fish You Can Catch in the Northeast

The ugliness of the fish I seem to catch never ceases to surprise me. I will be doing regular fishing updates once the season get underway, but for now, here are some of the ugliest fish I have caught in the past.*

1) The Spiny Dogfish: This is a habitual offender in the waters off Boston Harbor- biting a silver jig when I am hoping to land a nice Cod.  I got this one about 3 miles due East of Graves Light, but if you jig anything shiny off the bottom for long enough in deep water, you are bound to come up with a Dogfish.  Its shark-like appearance looks menacing, but the real danger is the spine behind the dorsal fin.  Handle with care so as not to be impaled!  Conclusion: I love the namesake beer– not a huge fan of the fish itself. Definitely one of the ugliest fish you can catch.

2) The Cusk:  This was a new one for me last year, but I discovered that this is a less common but indigenous bottom dweller found in deep water off the North Atlantic coast. I was on anther Captain’s boat for this one, and we had to throw her back quickly as these things are not allowed to be kept (not sure who would want to keep one.)  This is more like a big ugly eel than a fish.  This is the only picture I took….I didn’t want to get any closer. Certainly one of the ugliest fish in the entire ocean.

3) The Skate: This is an ugly, stingray-like creature that can turn up very close to shore. I caught this one right off the Governors Flats, just east of Logan Airport.  It was near dusk, hence the poor photo quality. Still easy to tell that this is one of the ugliest fish out there.

 

4) The Sea Robin: This has to be the winner….the picture speaks for itself. I think this is the ugliest fish I have ever seen in my life.

I don’t think you could find an uglier group of fish.  What is the ugliest fish you have ever caught?*Please note that the Cusk, Sea Robin, and Skate were all promptly released back into the water unharmed.