Fish ID help

While jigging for rockfish in about 100’ straight out at Albion yesterday, my buddy Joe felt a bump, then thought he was stuck on some rocks. It came free and then up, curly tail jig still on but pulled down the hook some.

Additionally, he had on the smallest fish he’s ever brought up from the ocean. Coloring looks like Lingcod, really large pec fins proportionally, and he said the skin felt rough like it might be scales. What say our fish scientists?

Sarcastic fringehead ?

i caught its brother! not sure what it is!

Looks like a Sculpin. Weird how you guys caught both of them the same way, through the mouth with hooks proportionately too big for the fish.

I would have to call those two.... unlucky 

I would have to call those two.... unlucky 

Or failing to recognize their limitations. Both baits were bigger than they were!

Looks like this little guy. He didn’t even have a hook in him, but had swallowed my gulp minnow from the tail to the hook and just held on. Maybe same species and a different shot at ID?

I caught a sarcastic fringe head once in Capitola, and I don't think you'd mistake one of those for anything else. It was maybe 6 or 7 inches long, and it tried to attack me--incredibly aggressive little beast...

Interesting info. John’s photo looks very similar to Joe’s catch.

I don't know much about fish, but a sculpin was the first thing that came to mind also.

That first one looks sort of like a sarcastic fringehead to me, they have those weird gremlin mouths but it's not clear from the pic.  But I dont see the spots on the fine that look like false eyes and for sure if it didn't have a big spike through its noggin if it was a SF it would probably be trying to kill you without hesitation.

The second one's brother though I know I have seen before, but never like that.... always partially digested.  But for sure looks like something that has coughed up in my lap before.

The third, or the one that really could choke down anything, looked like a sculpin to me, but the horns are missing or pointing at the camera?  I'm going to call him lucky 

All three look like bullheads/staghorn sculpin to me. The first one was probably not, as they don't really have scales, but I couldn't see it very well from the picture.

I think its a large nose carpet croaker. 

Sorry, couldnt resisit.

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