Sculpins (Cottus).
Known as the freshwater Sculpins, there are around 70 species of Cottus Sculpins recognized currently.
Sculpins tend to hide well during the day in deeper water and under rocks. At night, however, they tend to come into the shallows and are easy pickings for headlamp micro fishing.
Hooks aren’t super important for Sculpins, as they tend to have rubbery mouths like Catfish and Madtoms, and usually won’t come off the hook. Anything from size 30 to 22 is appropriate.
Sculpins are very difficult to ID so go by range and take careful photos in case other species of Sculpin are in the same watershed.
Tips for headlamp microfishing:
Don’t shine your light directly on the fish you are targeting unless you can’t help it, this will spook them and may cause them to dart away. Keep the light barely on the fish so you can see your bait and barely make out the outline of the fish. You should be watching your bait at this point, waiting for it to disappear, and when it does immediately pull up and get the fish in your hand and get to shore.
by Tim Aldridge
