Northwest Dive Club

Hi all, just a curiosity question... Last weekend I was out fishing in Henderson Bay for flounder, but I ended up catching (and releasing) three dogfish. All in the same area, maybe 50 ft or so depth. I searched the forum for dogfish reports and pictures, nothing too recent showed up, so I was just wondering if you all see very many of them? And if you do, are they normally solo, or schooling up with others?

The internet reports that they run in packs, one reason for the 'dogfish' name, and there are some photos like that, but most are of single fish. So just wonderin'

Jim

Just had a pesky one dart at me yesterday at cove 2. Around the 80' mark.

Anytime I've ever seen them they were singles. Nothing lately.

While out looking for something bigger, We saw one at Redondo last Sunday.

Thanks all they were a bit sportier on the line than your average flounder, rather fun actually... I ended up poking around later and kept finding interesting things about them

They can actually school in the hundreds, as my dad and I had experienced fishing as a kid. You reel one up and 5 or six will come up with it. I've only ever seen the lone rangers while diving though

I know, no picture, it didn't happen.
But I saw one at Skyline yesterday, July 27. But it just quickly checked me out and before I could snap a picture, it was gone...

Echo wrote:They can actually school in the hundreds, as my dad and I had experienced fishing as a kid. You reel one up and 5 or six will come up with it. I've only ever seen the lone rangers while diving though

Years ago, shortly after the sinking of the GB Church off Portland Island, my son and I were diving the wreck. He dropped into the water first, popped up and said, "Dad, there are sharks down there!" When I looked I assured him that they were just dogfish. They were in a school of about 50 circling the mast of the ship. They were also quite aggressive, similar to lingcod on eggs. They would break out of the circle and swim right at us, occasionally nipping at us. It is the only time I have seen them schooling, but during a collecting trip with an ichthyology class we would catch several in one cast of the net.
-Curt

Jan K, saw one Saturday at Skyline Wall, about 3 feet in length. Didn't hang around long enough to get a picture.

Jan K wrote:I know, no picture, it didn't happen.
But I saw one at Skyline yesterday, July 27. But it just quickly checked me out and before I could snap a picture, it was gone...

The same thing happened to me three days later at the same site. I was taking pictures of a candy-stripe shrimp when my dive buddy started flashing me with his light. I looked up and there was a dogfish checking me out from about 4 feet distance. Before I could get my camera re-adjusted from a 1-inch subject to a 3-foot subject it lost interest and swam away.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Maybe I should take my flounder bait (turkey hot dogs) and chum the area for you so there'll be more photo ops

Jim