Trash Fish Tuesday

Why do we consider some fish iconic and others aquatic refuse? In this series, we focus on American fishes not officially designated as “game fish.” These species, though native, get lumped into a category of “trash fish,” a distinction that’s more than just semantic. Game fish are managed differently by state and federal agencies. They get protection, research, money, and love. Trash fish don’t. We think that’s wrong.

Why do we consider some fish iconic and others aquatic refuse? In this series, we focus on American fishes not officially designated as “game fish.” These species, though native, get lumped into a category of “trash fish,” a distinction that’s more than just semantic. Game fish are managed differently by state and federal agencies. They get protection, research, money, and love. Trash fish don’t. We think that’s wrong.

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Trash Fish Tuesday: The Pikeminnows

Freshwater

Trash Fish Tuesday: The Pikeminnows

If you live east of the Rockies, you would be forgiven for never hearing of a pikeminnow (genus Ptychocheilus), no less an endangered Colorado pikeminnow. For anglers in the Western U.S., however, “pikeminnow” might mean an omnipresent nuisance, or alternatively, an out of sight, out of mind...
Stephen Klobucar Jan 6, 2021
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Trash Fish Tuesday: Gafftopsail and Hardhead Catfish

Saltwater

Trash Fish Tuesday: Gafftopsail and Hardhead Catfish

Both hardhead and gafftopsail catfish continue to hold the misaligned label of “trash fish,” that lackadaisical term applied to fishes with little perceived ecological, sporting, or culinary value. But saltwater catfish deserve a fair assessment unsullied by second hand slander.
Stephen Klobucar Feb 25, 2020
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Trash Fish Tuesday: Striped Mullet, aka “Biloxi Bacon”

Saltwater

Trash Fish Tuesday: Striped Mullet, aka “Biloxi Bacon”

So, ask that stranger why they don’t eat mullet. “Chicken’s too cheap,” they’d probably say. But, maybe if you’re lucky they’ll tell you the truth: “Well, I don’t know anyone who does.”
Shane Townsend Feb 18, 2020
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Trash Fish Tuesday: Burbot

Burbot

Trash Fish Tuesday: Burbot

Properly known as burbot, and taxonomically known as Lota lota, anglers have given the fish a number of nicknames (i.e., lawyer, ling, eelpout, and cusk), stemming from their atypical appearance or resemblance to the unrelated marine lingcod. In some circles, burbot have also unwillingly earned the...
Stephen Klobucar Nov 26, 2019
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Trash Fish Tuesday: Freshwater Drum

Freshwater Drum

Trash Fish Tuesday: Freshwater Drum

While the fog wisped off Kentucky Lake to reveal a rolling, silhouetted landscape, my mind remained socked in a haze. I was running so low on fumes  no energy drink could throttle me up. I tried—32 ounces worth. My tournament partner and I were, nevertheless, methodically casting along a flooded...
Stephen Klobucar Oct 29, 2019
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Trash Fish Tuesday: Bowfin

Bowfin

Trash Fish Tuesday: Bowfin

While bowfin came by these regional nicknames and misaligned opinions in relatively recent times, the fish remain largely unchanged over evolutionary time. They are an ancient, primitive fish, a living fossil akin to gars.
Stephen Klobucar Oct 16, 2019
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