You’re Ignoring the Hardest-Fighting Fish in Your Local Water

Plentiful, powerful and often overlooked, rough fish might offer the best fight most anglers never experience.

Rough fish like this buffalo are widespread and incredibly powerful, often using current to extend fights far beyond what most anglers expect. | Joe Shead

My girlfriend Tashina laughed and shreiked with delight. A solid, heavy fish was battling her for all it was worth, and with the drag singing and the rod bowing, it looked like it was winning. Eventually Tashina gained line on the bucking, diving fish, but this was no spring chicken. As it begrudgingly gave up ground in the eddy, it had a trick up its sleeve: it worked cross-current into the fast current surging out of the dam. In an instant, the fish was 30 yards downstream, peeling line fiercely!

Again Tashina gradually worked the fish back to her. At one point, she asked me to remove her jacket because she was getting overheated from the battle. After a few minutes, the fish neared the bank where we stood, but once again it maneuvered toward the dam and peeled line downstream.

I filmed a short video of Tashina laughing as the drag on her reel sang like an opera singer. That video gave me a time stamp. So after Tashina finally subdued the buffalo -- a native rough fish -- we could for sure say 15 minutes had elapsed from the time of the video until Tashina landed the fish. She battled the fish for close to 20 minutes. After she released the hefty fish back into the water, she was beaming the kind of smile no thrill ride or video game could give you.

Carp grow large, fight hard and are found almost everywhere—yet remain one of the most overlooked sportfish in North America. | Joe Shead

A fight of that caliber is something most anglers plan bucket list trips around—book a guide, travel great distances, and plunk down hard-earned savings chasing fish known for their power and endurance.

But here’s the part most people miss: fish like that aren’t rare and they almost never require more than local travel to find them. In fact, you’ve probably passed these fish on your way to target more popular species.

Why Target Rough Fish

People shell out hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to pursue fish that are known for their fight, like muskies, steelhead, salmon and a variety of saltwater species. But few people pay attention to rough fish, which are found widely across the country and fight much harder than more popular species like largemouth bass, walleyes and panfish. If only people realized just how strong carp, suckers, buffalo drum, sturgeon and other rough fish fight! Best of all, you probably have rough fish close to home.

Carp have a muscular build and are known for long, drag-peeling runs. Freshwater drum use their broad bodies to plane and bulldog. Buffalo are often found in current and know exactly how to use it to their advantage. Sturgeon can grow to sizes that could make them the biggest fish you’ll ever catch.

Nightcrawlers fished on bottom will take most species of rough fish. Catching rough fishing is simple and fun! | Joe Shead

How to Catch Rough Fish (It’s Simpler Than You Think)

Not only are rough fish plentiful and local; they're pretty easy to catch. In most cases, fishing from shore is a great option, and a nightcrawler fished on bottom, weighted with a sinker is all you need.

Presentation varies, however, based on your quarry (you need a larger hook and a gob of crawlers for giant lake sturgeon, while a small hook with a half-crawler may suffice for suckers in a small stream). Current also dictates the amount of weight you need, from fractions of an ounce to multiple ounces. A sliding sinker above a swivel and a circle hook on a short length of leader below the swivel completes the rig.

This rig works for most rough fish, including carp. However, devout carp anglers often use scented dough balls, corn or manufactured dough baits called boilies to attract their quarry. Specialized hooks keep the bait from falling off.

Dams are great areas to find rough fish like this buffalo, particularly in spring when they concentrate during the spawn. Dams are good year-round because they aerate the water and baitfish injured going through the dam can provide a reliable food source. | Joe Shead

Where to Find Rough Fish Close to Home

The spring spawn is one of the best times to catch rough fish. Fish swim upriver until a dam blocks their progress. Then they bunch of to spawn. When the fish are stacked, you can catch numerous fish in a day.

At other times of the year, look for food to find fish. Ponds and lagoons where people throw bread or popcorn for ducks are great bets because carp routinely feed on pieces missed by the birds. Look for soft bottoms that hold worms, snails and crustaceans that sturgeon feed on. Areas below dams can be good year-round because baitfish killed going through the dam can settle to the bottom where scavenging rough fish feed on them.

Although a medium-action spinning rod and reel will handle average-sized rough fish, for true giants, get a medium-heavy baitcasting setup geared toward muskies and catfish. | Joe Shead

Best Rods and Reels for Rough Fish

In small rivers and streams for average-sized fish running 10 pounds or less you can get by with a medium-action spinning combo and 8-pound line. But if you're specifically targeting giant carp and trophy sturgeon, you'll have to beef up your tackle. You'll want a 7- to 8-foot medium-heavy rod paired with a stout baitcasting reel and 50- or 65-pound braided line. Such sturdy tackle is necessary for battling fish that can weigh 50 pounds or more. Plus, you'll be able to play them faster, which aids their survival if you plan to release your fish.

In most areas, fishing for freshwater drum, or sheepshead, is open year-round and there's no bag limit. | Joe Shead

When to Fish for Rough Fish

Although some species like lake sturgeon are either protected or have short seasons, many, like carp, suckers, buffalo and drum, have no closed season and no bag limit. That means you can pursue them year-round.

And for those so inclined, you can smoke, pickle or fry them. Plentiful, hard-fighting fish ... what's not to love about rough fish?