Unidentifiable fish while diving. - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

tlapinski · 07-31-2005, 10:16 AM

I spent some time yesterday afternoon doing some snorkeling/spot research. I was diving with "Strider", along some SoCo RI shoreline that we have been meaning to put more time into. Aside fomr the many blackfish, cunner, and a few stripers, and a vast assortment of baitfish, I came across 2 schools of fish which I did not recognize. One school consisted of maybe 10 fish, and the other was at least 3 times bigger. They were both of the same species, but that were staying seperate of each other. My first guess was that they looked like pollack or some sort of stickleback without a spike. The fish were from about 3" to maybe 6" long, and sort of a brownish-gray color. We were only working water of about 10' deep at most. The bottom consisted of large boulders surrounded by areas of eel grass, sand, and rubble. Prime bass water! I consulted my copy of "Fishes of the Gulf of Maine", but I could not make a positive ID on them. Anyone have any ideas on this? Perhaps Fish-Eye as I know you dive the area I was working.

tlapinski · 07-31-2005, 10:18 AM

They were definately similar to this picture of a pollack I found online.

jettyjockey18 · 07-31-2005, 10:39 AM

did it look like this?...

fishaholic18 · 07-31-2005, 10:40 AM

tommy cod maybe??

thefishingfreak · 07-31-2005, 10:59 AM

we get harbor pollack arround the rocks and ledges here from 3" to 15" inshore and 30pounds offshore. sabiki them up! the're hardy bait.bass love 'em.
easy to tell 'cause they have skin instead of scales.

and they seem to school up size wise. if your getting all 4" fish they tend to all be the same size in that spot.

Christian · 07-31-2005, 11:01 AM

why not a harbor pollock?
theyre are plenty in boston harbor, maine, and basically every rocky place i fish.

thefishingfreak · 07-31-2005, 11:03 AM

here is a picpic

Slipknot · 07-31-2005, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jettyjockey18

did it look like this?...

That fish there makes me realize why Labrador1's bigeye plugs work so well for him in Maine

Fish_Eye · 07-31-2005, 01:23 PM

I'm inclined to agree with the harbor pollack ID. I fished big ones off Glouster last year with Trev Gowdy. They live line them in 140 feet of water and take bass over 40 pounds. The only problem is that regulations on Pollack call for them to be over 19" long!

CANAL RAT · 07-31-2005, 01:33 PM

i am too a diver.its a harbor pollack one of the codfishes cuz

tlapinski · 07-31-2005, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thefishingfreak

here is a picpic

That first one in your picture looks very similar to the ones I saw. I thought they were more of a deep water fish. Maybe the young ones stay shallow. It was a very interesting site no matter what they were!

Mike P · 07-31-2005, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tlapinski

Maybe the young ones stay shallow.

That's why they're called harbor pollock

We used to catch them all summer long at the Sandwich end of the Canal when I was a kid. Inside the boat basin, too.

Gloucester2 · 08-01-2005, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish_Eye

I'm inclined to agree with the harbor pollack ID. I fished big ones off Glouster last year with Trev Gowdy. They live line them in 140 feet of water and take bass over 40 pounds. The only problem is that regulations on Pollack call for them to be over 19" long!

Mike - as long as you were in State, not Federal, water you are OK. Federal size limit is 19" with no possession limit. State water, no size or possession limit . . . feel better?

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dmf/recre...ex.htm#finfish

MakoMike · 08-01-2005, 12:15 PM

Kevin,
Not in RI, RI has a 19 inch limit on pollack.

DZ · 08-01-2005, 12:22 PM

T,
Maybe Northern Kingfish or tomcod although tomcod are more readily seen in late fall. Northern Kingfish should be around although they are more plentiful around Long Island/Jersey.

DZ