What's the biggest fish you caught when targeting other fish?

[DarkSkies]

I thought we could have a little fun with this thread. ;)

Rickman caught an 11lb stargazer. By his comments I assumed it wasn't the most thrilling catch in world, and it probably wasn't.

That got me to thinking how many times we might catch something we might consider as a trash fish, or something other than a bass, and toss it back without thinking.

Here's my comments:

[11# Stargazer????

Rickman, I know it's hard to get excited about that catch, especially since there were 6 of ya's fishin, but that stargazer caught my eye. :wow:

11lbs? :clapping::clapping:
Many people think nothing of a catch like that, because they didn't intentionally target it. And catching stargazers ain't much fun, I'll admit. They dig in and hold like a sand spike, the more pressure you give them the more they dig.

I did some checking. The NJ state record Northern stargazer was 13lbs caught in 2000 by Jim Ludt off Cape May according to official records.

I can't be sure, and if anyone can deliver more details I would appreciate it, but it looks like he may have caught that stargazer from a boat, in the ocean. I've seen lots of reports of big stargazers lately, 8, 10s, but haven't seen one of an 11. It's possible others have been caught, most guys don't brag about how big the stargazer they caught was. :laugh: :kooky:

That's because many of us are keyed in in striped bass as the be all, and end all, of surf fishing experiences.

In my book, an 11lb stargazer is impressive, and a nice catch. It could very well be the largest reported surf caught stargazer in NJ.:thumbsup::thumbsup: ]


The way I look at it, that was the biggest fish caught by this guy and his friends that day. 2 more lbs and it would have been a state record.:clapping:
So I thought it might be interesting to post about fish like this, ones ya really didn't want, but were pretty big nonetheless. If we can't have fun when fishin or have to be embarassed that a catch might not score us cred with the sharpies, what good is it? :kooky:

Man up and let's hear it, no need to be embarassed or feel like a goog!!! :embarassed::scared: I could be called the king of the googs at times and I ain't embarassed one bit! :D

I hereby nominate Rickman's 11# northern stargazer as the first submission! :clapping:

[DarkSkies]

The 2nd submission is a friend of mine who was fishin OcCo last week. It's no secret they're catching hickory shad there. I've seen and caught hickories up to 3#. In fact Pebbles caught 3 of them one day in the PP inlet one year toward the fall run. I only managed 1. (Yeah you're such a goog a girl beat ya!):laugh:

So the memorable thing about that day is that one of them was around 3#, very nice size for a hickory shad. It fought like a tarpon and she had a great time catching it. :thumbsup:

Well last week in a town in Ocean County, a friend caught a hickory shad between 5-6#! He had never caught one before, didn't know what it was, and threw it back after a nice fight.

While 5-6lbs might not the be the biggest hickory shad in existence, it's still a damn big shad! :wow:

I did some checking and found out the IGFA record is only 1#12z. There are currently no submissions for the NJ state record. I told him he could have been on the NJ record books, and the IGFA books.
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/recfish-salt.htm
http://www.igfa.org/newsreleases/aug_09/catches_aug2009.asp

He's a macho dude, and told me he would rather die than hold a record for a hickory. Why the big deal? It was a great catch, he had a blast catching it. It was his choice to put it back, I didn't necessarily think he should be compelled to document it for the record.

However it got me to thinking how many times we have had a fish that's very large for it's size, tossed it back, and been embarassed to talk about it with our friends, because it's not a bass or bluefish. :don't know why:

[DarkSkies]

3rd submission -

It's not huge, but to me it's a googan catch, so in the spirit of not being embarassed about things I'll put a pic up of it. I was fishin the beginning of a noreaster in an inlet, hoping things would turn on. I had a teaser rig, and noticed a jellyfish on the teaser. I went to rip it off with my hands, good thing I didn't. :eek:

7831




Just goes to show ya it's a good idea to pay attention before you stick your hand somewhere. ;)

[Frankiesurf]

Just goes to show ya it's a good idea to pay attention before you stick your hand somewhere. ;)

That is life advice my friend.


I once caught an 8 lb Stargazer. Scared the crap out of me wen I brought it in. I never saw one before but have heard about them and the electric jolt they can give. I was very careful un-hooking the angry looking fish. He saved my skunk that day though.

My first fall surf fishing I was using light tackle in a back bay. I was using a Bomber with a teaser. The only thing I caught all night was Shad. I had to go home and look it up to see what I was catching all night long. No bass on them but they kept me busy.

I was out targeting Pickeral in a little known out east lake. My go to lure for Picks is a gold Johnson spoon retrieved at a good rate of speed. I made a cast and felt a fish on. Set the hook and pulled in a Brown trout between 2 and 2.5 lbs . That was a stunner since trout lures are usually on the small side and usually not retrieved that quickly.

[porgy75]

I never heard of anyone catching a brown trout with a pickeral spoon, thats a good catch. I caught a blowfish last week in the bay. I was fishing for weakfish with worms, and the blowfish hit instead. It wasn't huge, maybe 8". Someone told me blowfish weren't around anymore. Well I caught one. Like the other people I threw it back without thinking. At the time it swelled up, and I didn't know if it was poison or not, so I tossed it. When I got home my Dad said it was a blowfish.

[storminsteve]

I was fishing for trout in the spring in a stocked lake. I had hooked into a small trout about 8" and was bringing it in when a huge pike appeared out of nowhere and jomped on it. The pike must have been over 10lbs, a good 36". I never saw one that size there before or since.

I only had it on the line for about 20 secs total. It jumped out of the water to get the trout, and started taking drag. I was using a trout pole so it was bent over in half. As soon as it started peeling line out I knew it was over. I fought it for maybe 15 secs, and then the pike sliced though the 8# test. I didn't land that fish, and maybe it wasn't really hooked that well. I remember that nasty head coming out of the water tho. I'll always remember it.:eek:

[Doublerunner]

Fishing for stripers off a jetty using a black needlefish. Caught a blue...not so unusual...but this thing was large. 36" and broad. Took me a while to get it in

Then the goog move. After releasing it I forgot to check my swivel clip and next cast came back in without my needle plug...

[jigfreak]

Then the goog move. After releasing it I forgot to check my swivel clip and next cast came back in without my needle plug...


Yup that was my signature move once or twice, the "toss the plug into the Atlantic because I forgot to close the snap". We all learn from bad experiences though. One thing that helped me was to start using those breakaway clips. I really like them, and there is no snap to worry about.

[DarkSkies]

Just a reminder that the hickory shad are in some of the surf areas, inlets, and rip areas now. They are real aggressive as they eat small forage as opposed to herring which eat plankton. Set yourself up with some light tackle and you are in for some good action.

Remember that there is No NJ state record for hickory shad. Catch one of a decent size and you could be in the record books. (Personally, if I did this I would make sure it was at least 2#, as a smaller one would just provide someone else with the incentive to beat it by a few ounces.)

[storminsteve]

You never know until you try. A 2 lb shad seems like an attainable record.

[7deadlyplugs]

cool thread! I once got a drum about 45 lbs when fishing for stripers. I really though I had a world record. It fought a little differently should have know it wasnt a bass but when you are fighting something big you hope it is a bass. at least i do

[voyager35]

I was flukiing in raritan bay channels a few weeks ago. Got hit on the gulp thought I had a fluke of a lifetime until it started taking off. Turned out to be a 60lb cownose ray when we finally lifted it up to see and cut it off. Thank God for 50lb braid and conventional reels or it would have spooled me.