Hunting Washington Forum

Other Activities => Fishing => Topic started by: pjb3 on February 24, 2015, 06:47:11 PM

Title: rat fish
Post by: pjb3 on February 24, 2015, 06:47:11 PM: where and how can I get one
I've been trying for years and heard the are the most populated fish specie in the sound but heard the are deep
I think they are really cool looking even though I never seen one for real
Any input?
Title: Re: rat fish
Post by: fishnfur on February 24, 2015, 06:56:18 PM: Once you find them, you'll never get out of them. Ugly, ugly, ugly.

It's a hit and miss thing. I would never try to catch one, but sometimes when I was young, we'd catch 30 or more fishing in 50 - 100 ft off the mouths of bays. Dead bait on the bottom.
Title: Re: rat fish
Post by: trophyhunt on February 24, 2015, 06:59:50 PM: Nasty looking fish, why do you want that thing? You going to eat it???
Title: Re: rat fish
Post by: h20hunter on February 24, 2015, 07:03:41 PM: Worthless weird fish. What you going to do with it?
Title: Re: rat fish
Post by: pjb3 on February 24, 2015, 07:14:59 PM: Just cause I never caught one and I will mount it or a replica
I heard they can get like 3' long?
Thats cool for someone that likes "nature"
Its weird to go with my other "weird " stuff
Title: Re: rat fish
Post by: Smokepole on February 24, 2015, 07:19:59 PM: Ratfish aint good for nuthin. You can catch them on the west side of Vancouver Island. Nasty looking. :twocents:
Title: Re: rat fish
Post by: Bullkllr on February 24, 2015, 07:28:17 PM: I believe they tend to come shallower at night. At any rate a lot are caught off the piers in the Tacoma area at night.
Don't see why that wouldn't work in other places around the Sound.

Um...good luck (?)
Title: Re: rat fish
Post by: pjb3 on February 24, 2015, 07:32:02 PM: I tried catching them last year because I heard they were deep fish so I fished at 300+, guess I'm wrong
Title: Re: rat fish
Post by: Fowlweather25 on February 24, 2015, 07:33:07 PM: Not necessarily deep, but definitley bottom.
Title: Re: rat fish
Post by: WSU on February 24, 2015, 08:16:22 PM: Last time I fished shilshole for kings there were a bunch at the launch.
Title: Re: rat fish
Post by: Becky on February 24, 2015, 08:33:22 PM: In the evening, use a bottom fish setup on Les Davis pier at the Tacoma waterfront. You'll get one, or a starfish on your line, almost guaranteed lol.
Title: Re: rat fish
Post by: trophyhunt on February 24, 2015, 08:44:46 PM: http://www.aqua.org/~/media/Images/Animals/Spotted%20Ratfish/animals-SpottedRatfish-slide2-web.jpg (http://www.aqua.org/~/media/Images/Animals/Spotted%20Ratfish/animals-SpottedRatfish-slide2-web.jpg) Pic of a ratfish, they look worse when you pull them out of the water!
Title: Re: rat fish
Post by: RadSav on February 24, 2015, 08:46:15 PM: We would usually pick them when leaving one rock pile and continued to drift and jig to the next pile. Not sure we ever caught one in the mouth. Think every one we ever caught was an accidental snag on a treble jig. Have caught them in nearly every depth of water from 4 fathoms to 100 fathoms.
Title: Re: rat fish
Post by: jay.sharkbait on February 24, 2015, 08:53:37 PM: I've caught them in the Tacoma Narrows.
Title: Re: rat fish
Post by: xxlx7 on February 24, 2015, 08:58:36 PM: they are all over the oil docks by the mukeltio ferry.. I know that spelling is wrong, but you get the point. I've caught them out for halibut, but if you want a ton of em and easy shore fishing, go to the oil docks.. I wouldn't eat any
fish caught from around there though. They are a neat looking fish though, first time I ever saw them was my first time diving the salt water, they are not shy and not scared of people, one swam right up to me, eyes glowing and all.. It was pretty awesome
Title: Re: rat fish
Post by: h20hunter on February 24, 2015, 08:59:32 PM: 1000s of them by the docks.
Title: Re: rat fish
Post by: Becky on February 24, 2015, 09:28:09 PM: Quote from: h20hunter on February 24, 2015, 08:59:32 PM
1000s of them by the docks.

:yeah: seems to be the only thing I've ever became good at catching on the docks :chuckle: ... first one I ever caught I really did think it was the strangest/coolest looking fish. I had no idea what it was and the eye shine made it look like an alien, plus how it "flies" with it's wing type fins. Then it got old real fast when that's the only thing you end up getting! Be careful if you get one as they do have poisonous spikes on them.
Title: Re: rat fish
Post by: RadSav on February 24, 2015, 09:46:18 PM: Quote from: Smossy's Girl on February 24, 2015, 09:28:09 PM
Quote from: h20hunter on February 24, 2015, 08:59:32 PM
1000s of them by the docks.

:yeah: seems to be the only thing I've ever became good at catching on the docks :chuckle: ... first one I ever caught I really did think it was the strangest/coolest looking fish. I had no idea what it was and the eye shine made it look like an alien, plus how it "flies" with it's wing type fins. Then it got old real fast when that's the only thing you end up getting! Be careful if you get one as they do have poisonous spikes on them.

What were you using for bait? As mentioned we've ever caught one other than snagging by accident while jigging for real fish so I'm curious.
Title: Re: rat fish
Post by: Becky on February 24, 2015, 10:29:48 PM: Quote from: RadSav on February 24, 2015, 09:46:18 PM
What were you using for bait? As mentioned we've ever caught one other than snagging by accident while jigging for real fish so I'm curious.

Just used frozen herring cut in half.