Fish guide
Smooth Dogfish (non-target)
Mustelus canis. Also called Smooth dog, Smooth-hound, Dogfish, Sand shark.
The summer dogfish of the Long Island bays and Sound; it often grabs chunk baits meant for bass. Listed so you can identify it. Not a target. No fin spines, blunt crushing teeth.
We picked these fish for Virginia Beach and the Chesapeake Bay mouth, VA, the region closest to Columbus, Ohio, based on the approximate location of your internet connection (IP geolocation, looked up on our own server). It is about 436 miles away; FishOS covers the coast from Maine to Florida and the Gulf of America, and adds regions as they are checked. Pick another region if that is not where you fish.
FishOS has not charted smooth dogfish (non-target) in Virginia Beach and the Chesapeake Bay mouth, VA. The regions where it is charted are below.
Season by region
| Long Island | JFMAMJJASOND |
|---|---|
| Cape Cod | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Rhode Island | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Connecticut | JFMAMJJASOND |
| North Jersey | JFMAMJJASOND |
| South Jersey | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Delmarva | JFMAMJJASOND |
Where to find them
Summer bays, harbors and the Sound on any bottom bait, especially crab and chunks.
Bottom, from the surf zone to the bays.
Handling
- Rough skin
- Strong twisting
Keep it in the water if releasing; unhook with pliers or cut the line close to the hook.
Keep or release
Usually released. New York lists smooth dogfish as a shark that may be kept under the shark rules.
Typical: unknown. Large: Mature at about 3 ft; a few reach about 5 ft (Bigelow and Schroeder). Atlantic Shark Institute gives about 3 ft and 15 lb as the maximum..
Limits
FishOS has not checked the VA limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Virginia Marine Resources Commission before you keep a fish.
Sources
- Bigelow and Schroeder, Fishes of the Gulf of Maine (online text): smooth dogfish (Official source)
- Atlantic Shark Institute: smooth dogfish (Official source)