what is this thing?

[secretlakes]

my buddies and i went out at 4 am the other day for some striper fishing under the causeway gridge on LBI nj. we actually caught a few sea bass, but no stripers, and then this thing.? can anyone help me out? i beleive it's an oyster cracker?

[Captain Rhino]

From what I found on the internet, it looks like a Mottled Slulpin. Here is the fish that I found to look similar: http://www.fish.state.pa.us/pafish/mottscum.jpg

[J Francho]

Mottled Sculpin are freshwater fish.  Looks like some kind of sea robin or scorpion fish.  I'm admittedly weak on salty ID's though.

[jeosbo01]

Looks like an Oyster Toadfish to me...used to catch them on the SC shore sometimes, freaky little things!

[J Francho]

That's it, I should have known better - used to sell these buggers to pet shops, LOL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oyster_toadfish

[Crabcakes]

The previous posts are correct. Thats an oyster toadfish. (Not that you necessarily needed any more confirmation)

[wisturkeyhunter]

Its fugly.

[Captain Rhino]

Mottled Sculpin are freshwater fish. Looks like some kind of sea robin or scorpion fish. I'm admittedly weak on salty ID's though.

Ah, my mistake. I misread.  :-X

[J Francho]

LOL, I missed my 1st attempt at ID, and I used handle the darn things all the time at my job!

[secretlakes]

thanks for all the quick responses everyone. and yes that thing is fugly

[Troutfisher]

Hmmm...it looks like Hookemdown.   8-)

[DADto4]

Man that is an UGLY

Did it put up a good fight? :-?

[Joe Boss]

My Grandfather caught one of those when I was young. He had it in a bucket and it wasn't moving. I thought it was dead so I poked it and the darn thing bit my finger! I still have the scar. That was a lesson learned the hard way.

[fishinfiend]

coney island whitefish that has been rolled around in the dirt  :-/

[Micro]

I've seen Toadfish sitting on their beds even as the tide pulled out and left them in the mud. Very hardy fish.  It has venomous spines, be careful.  A stick is extremely painful.

If you get a big one, and can clean it without getting stuck, they are excellent foodfish.

[Sam]

Oyster Toad fish.

Better than pulling up a dead body out of the NJ waters.  ;D

[TrippyJai]

if i caught that fish, i don't think i would touch it... it's so darn ugly.

[mattm]

I for sure wouldn't eat it no matter how good Micro says it is.

[.dsaavedra.]

we have one of those in the oysterbed aquarium at my natural resources management class. its pretty boring, it just sits in between some rocks.

[BassinWill301]

Poke it with your finger Dave.  I bet it will do something then.

[Avalonjohn44]

I used to fish the Jersey Shore a lot, and remember catching a ton of those ugly, stinky things.  They smell like rotten meat.  We used to call them Oyster Crackers.  Tried to use them for crab bait and got nothing.  You know it's bad if a crab won't eat it...