Needlefish Knowledge
During years when we get minimal rain and the salt line creeps up the Potomac River, I often end up catching small needlefish on poppers in the grass beds. They’re rarely over a foot long, which is why I was shocked when we encountered some that were several times that long on our visits to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge. They were mostly annoying, stealing our baits as we slow-trolled for roosterfish around rocky outcroppings and islands, and forcing us to reset our spreads. They’d also violently attack our poppers, sometimes getting hooked in the process, although most of the time they escaped.
While Giant Needlefish are not a species that we’ve ever targeted, at least partially because they’re a pain in the ass to handle, truth be told they fight hard, jump a lot and grow fairly large.
Our friend Dan Smith of “How to Catch Any Fish” has a good primer on how and why to fish for them.
The Crew at Cast and Spear has more on the topic, including how to clean and cook them.
If you’d like more information about these various types of slender, toothy critters, check out the following:
Several companies make lures that closely imitate these varied needlefish:
Luhr Jensen also has a spoon called a Needlefish, although it doesn’t look ultra-realistic.
In the US, many saltwater anglers (especially northeastern striper fishermen) rely heavily on a category of hard casting lures referred to generically as “Needlefish” from companies like 247 Lures, Gibbs Lures, Manhattan Tackle and Super Strike.
Here are some articles on how to fish that last category:
