Buffalo Sculpin are tenacious, tough, and tremendous fighters for their size.

Species: Buffalo Sculpin (Enophrys bison)
Location: Chetco River South Jetty, Brookings-Harbor, OR
Date: September 13, 2010

This is a story about misidentifying sculpins and feral cats and world records. Yes, you read that right.

I’ll start with the record. Here’s the picture of my record-setting fish.

This guy fought like a creature possessed. Even at World Record-size, I didn’t feel it was worth filleting.

My first saltwater All-Tackle World Record was for Buffalo Sculpin (2017), but little did I know, I actually had caught my first Buffalo Sculpin seven years prior to my record-setting performance.

My first saltwater fish to earn me an All-Tackle World Record was a Buffalo Sculpin. Source: http://wrec.igfa.org/WRecordsList.aspx?lc=AllTackle&cn=Sculpin,%20buffalo.

***

For many years, the South Jetty in Brookings was home to an absurdity. When my friend Ben Blanchard and I walked out to the jetty with high hopes, we caught a furry blur dart between the rocks. It wasn’t the first time we’d seen elusive beasts living among the jetty’s numerous boulders. At first, we thought they might otters or fishers or raccoons, but then we saw a black cat.

Clear as day, it was a black cat. We’d been joking about the “Jetty Cats” that entire trip, using the tune from the commercials for Jitterbug, the white flip phone with giant buttons marketed to the elderly, to say “Jetty Cats”. It probably wasn’t as funny as we thought it was. Yet we laughed.

Still, when we arrived and saw the cats, we were surprised to see a woman with a bag of cat food leaving.

Our eyes were opened to the strangeness of people that day.

I’m neither a cat person nor a dog person. I hate the idea of pet ownership and would never allow one of those filthy beasts in my house.

But Ben’s a cat person, and even he thought it was a little crazy.

The lady had noticed there were feral cats living in the jetty and began setting cage traps for them. She’d take them to get spayed or neutered (I thought this part was admirable, at least), then bring them back.

More than 20 feral cats lived among the rocks after a few years of this behavior, and the natural food supplies of crab and fish scraps wore thin (one of the many reasons why feral cats should be shot on sight: they destroy wildlife populations), she began bringing bowls and feeding them catfood.

She thought it was completely normal. Crazy Cat Lady.

She left, and we had no shortage of jokes for the rest of the afternoon.

Sidenote: In 2017, I came back found that the cats were either all gone or mostly gone, having been replaced by a number of surprisingly-fearless raccoons. 

***

Cats aside, this is a fishing blog.

Using Berkely Gulp! Sandworms, we’d done quite well before. But alas, it wasn’t to be that day. I caught a single fish that we misidentified as a Cabezon and wouldn’t correctly identify for a long time after as the Buffalo Sculpin it was.

The fish was all head. Though it was just over eight inches long, its head was probably four inches wide. These fish have a weird body shape, but fight really well — even when small.

Buffalo Sculpins have a strange body shape. This was my All-Tackle World Record and at 14 inches long, it was almost eight inches across the head.

It wasn’t glamorous, but it was a new species and a great story to go with it. Years later, when I set my world record, I still remembered the first one I’d caught some many years and so many Jetty Cats ago.

#SpeciesQuest // #CaughtOvgard

Read the next entry in #SpeciesQuest here: Species #36 — Canary Rockfish.

Luke Ovgard Light Rock Fishing, Saltwater Fishing, SpeciesQuest , , , , , , , , , , , ,

57 Replies

  1. Good day! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that would be okay. I’m undoubtedly enjoying your blog and look forward to new updates.

  2. Once I originally commented I clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now each time a remark is added I get 4 emails with the identical comment. Is there any way you can remove me from that service? Thanks!

  3. I don’t think the title of your article matches the content lol. Just kidding, mainly because I had some doubts after reading the article.

  6. I found your weblog website on google and verify a number of of your early posts. Continue to keep up the very good operate. I just further up your RSS feed to my MSN News Reader. Looking for ahead to studying extra from you later on!…

  11. Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me.

  16. 2019年は新たに名古屋での開催が追加され、こちらは「SENGOKULORD」の興行名となる。資産家と再婚し、サンフランシスコで日本料理屋を経営。 そして「先勝」にお通夜をすることは、基本的に問題ないとされています。 2022年は3月1日に日本武道館で行われた。 また、2017年以降は広島で行われるRoad to レスリングどんたくを「安芸の国 戦国絵巻」としてビッグマッチに準じた規模で開催している。 「レスリング火の国」の興行名で4月末に熊本で行われるのが通例だが、2016年は熊本地震の影響で中止となり、予定されていた試合の一部は他のRoad toレスリングどんたくへ振り分けられた。前作に引き続いて用意された、家庭用独自の一人用モード。

  18. Businessiraq.com is your essential online platform for navigating the Iraqi business world. This comprehensive resource combines a robust Iraq Business Directory with up-to-date Iraq Business News, plus a dedicated Job and Tender Directory. Our meticulously curated company profiles offer detailed information about Iraqi businesses, including specializations, financial health, and contact details. Stay informed about market trends and emerging opportunities with our news section. The Job and Tender Directory provides a centralized location to find employment and explore potential contracts within Iraq. Businessiraq.com streamlines your business interactions in the Iraqi market, fostering connections and opportunities for growth and success.

  22. One lady wears a formal pink gown with white and black lace trim; the opposite wears a formal gown of black with a white sample operating through it.

  25. Youre so cool! I dont suppose Ive read anything like this before. So good to seek out anyone with some authentic thoughts on this subject. realy thank you for beginning this up. this web site is one thing that’s wanted on the web, somebody with a little bit originality. useful job for bringing one thing new to the internet!

  26. I truly love your site.. Very nice colors & theme. Did you build this website yourself? Please reply back as I’m hoping to create my very own website and would like to learn where you got this from or just what the theme is called. Many thanks!

  29. 平素（ふだん）から退（の）け者（もの）にされるのは其生徒。生々（いきいき）した、豊かな美しさを見て楽むが好い。学生どもの鼻柱を撮（つ）まんで引き廻している。大学に通いながら家事手伝いをしていたが結婚を機に栄養士を志す。 あいつ等に附けて置いて、悪魔として為事をさせるのだ。地獄も悪魔もこわくはない。後続打者は凡退し2-2の引き分けに終わった。一切の馬鹿者どもに較べれば、己の方が気は利いている。 その代り己には一切の歓喜がなくなった。世間の栄華や名聞も持っていない。興行的に成功し、1億5,000万ドルの製作費に対し、全世界で3億8,570万ドル以上の興行収入を記録した。池上彰『池上彰と学ぶ日本の総理 9 福田赳夫』小学館、2012年、16頁。

  33. Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me.

  36. I absolutely love your site.. Great colors & theme. Did you make this site yourself? Please reply back as I’m trying to create my very own site and would love to find out where you got this from or just what the theme is named. Appreciate it!

  42. Thank you for your sharing. I am worried that I lack creative ideas. It is your article that makes me full of hope. Thank you. But, I have a question, can you help me?

  43. レンコンを上手に活用して、健康的な食生活を送りましょう。再生数など、本サービスの配信にて得られたデータは続編などの企画・ “民放5社の無料見逃し配信「TVer」アプリ累計100万ダウンロード突破”.“在京民放5社共同の無料見逃し配信「TVer（ティーバー）」にブライトコーブが採用。 “民放5社、共同ネット配信”.制作番組の配信をそれぞれ開始した。陸軍通信学校 1939年 相模女子大学、相模原市立大野南中学校、県立相模台工業高校（現・

  48. With every little thing which appears to be developing throughout this specific area, many of your perspectives are very stimulating. Even so, I am sorry, but I can not give credence to your whole strategy, all be it exhilarating none the less. It appears to me that your opinions are not entirely justified and in reality you are generally yourself not even entirely certain of the point. In any case I did enjoy examining it.

  56. Next time I read a blog, I hope that it does not fail me as much as this one. After all, I know it was my choice to read through, but I actually thought you’d have something interesting to say. All I hear is a bunch of moaning about something that you could possibly fix if you weren’t too busy looking for attention.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Species #34 — Cutthroat Trout
Species #36 — Canary Rockfish