Fishing terminology (slang, lingo)

Jimbo · 12-08-2006, 03:30 PM

Jennie@ifish suggested that I start this thread.
I moved from Spokane to Salem and am new to steelhead/salmon fishing and the ifish community and I've had a heck of a time understanding some of the fish talk on the threads so I thought it might be FUN

and educational for myself and other "fry" to hear from you

experienced guys about words you use to describe different aspects of fishing...like chromers, boots, redds, backbouncing, drifting, plunking, words to describe tackle etc. What words have you made up that you use amongst yourselves. Heck, it took me a while to figure out what a "pm" was. FOFL

Jim

Fshklr · 12-08-2006, 05:13 PM

Gator = Sturgeon

Applegate · 12-08-2006, 05:33 PM

Farmed:
You lost a fish everyone else in the boat thinks they could have landed.

ie/ Scott how did you farm that one?

Mad Mikey · 12-08-2006, 05:52 PM

Dough-Balls, a good bait for carp fishing but more commonly used as a derogatory term to describe folks doing one of these things.

1) Fishing where you'd like to be
2) Coming down the trail to fish the hole you are already in
3) Someone in a crowded drift using a non-crowd friendly technique

And so on......

Example: "Dangnabbit! Looks like some doughballs are in MY spot!!!"

or "Hey Bert, look at dem' dough-balls comin' down the trail"

or "Bert, you look like a dough-ball chucking that bobber in a line of drift fisherman, cut it out!!!"

Super Fluke · 12-08-2006, 05:56 PM

LOL = laugh out loud ( I hate it when people use LOL)

PGJPJ · 12-08-2006, 06:25 PM

IMHO = In � My � �I know it all, and y�all a bunch of idiots� - Opinion.

Flossing = a technique similar to snagging a fish. I learned that one here on iFish.

STGRule · 12-08-2006, 06:36 PM

Tule:

A Chinook race that spawns in lower rivers and enters freshwater in an advanced state of maturity.

URB:

Up River Bright. A Chinook race that spawns way, way up the big creek and enters freshwater with very little flesh degradation.

Springer:

A Chinook race that enters freshwater long before it spawns so it has a premium amount of fat stored in body tissue.

TheCamel · 12-08-2006, 07:17 PM

One of my favorite is "wood shampoo", which means to apply a piece of wood to the fish's head just before putting it into the ice chest.

RvW · 12-08-2006, 08:43 PM

Ive often thought there should be an IFish dictionary.
Either sticky, or a link to a text page. Maybe a little like the redneck dictionary.

Boot: Noun. - 1: A fish that no longer has that new car shine. In some cases they actually smell like a boot, fight like a boot, and are the same color as a boot. 2: A dark fish that is in some cases worn and falling apart.

Boot: Verb.
Verbally revoking the invitation of a guest in your boat or shuttle vehicle or the same river.
"I gave him the boot"

Pig: Noun. (see also "Hog") A large fish. "I caught a pig, and it took me to school"

School: Used as a Verb more often than a noun here.
1: When a fish kicks your butt. (I hooked a pig, and it took me to school (taught you a lesson or two)
2: When one or more people in your group out-fish you by a large margin even though you did everything they were doing... usually leaving you with nothing to show for what others claim was a great day.
(IE "they got limits, I got schooled")

Purist Noun. A general nickname given to fly only fisherman, but typically applies to any fly fishermen with a big head or elitist attitude, which includes most of them.

Ken Drifter · 12-08-2006, 09:21 PM

ifish..Its meaning "Simply the best fishing and Hunting site"

riverstalker · 12-08-2006, 09:28 PM

Since you asked about plunking:

A method of river or tidewater fishing where you find out where the fish are traveling through, then use a huge weight that will stay on the bottom and not drift with the current to present your bait. You'll see this done as a courtesy also when there are tons of people banking in one hole. I know some people use upwards of 4oz of lead to achieve this.

Jimbo · 12-08-2006, 11:07 PM

These are really great guys. I hope they keep coming in. I thought I knew what pluning was an I was way off. Thanks.

puddles · 12-09-2006, 06:59 AM

whiffed it!
standing on POINT sturgeon fishing,feeling the slight tap tap tap ,waiting for the right time to set the hook.sometimes you get it right and sometimes you WHIFF IT!!

POINT
standing up with rod in hand waiting to set the hook.looking like a bird dog!!!

IDWITHELD · 12-09-2006, 07:09 AM

"1 yard dash"

Sporting event: Defined as the distance from where a fisherman sits in his boat to his fishing rod in its holder.
The rod folds in half signifying the start of the event. The fisherman throws his sandwich and coffee cup and races to the rod. This burst of speed is the fastest recorded human speed on Earth.

Spectator event often viewed in hog lines.

Snakebite · 12-09-2006, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Drifter

ifish..Its meaning "Simply the best fishing and Hunting site"

Brown Nose

PGJPJ · 12-09-2006, 07:55 AM

Gear guy: noun � the unclean fisherman using a method that employs spinners/weights/flashers/divers/swivels/kitchen sink/bait/ect.

Purist: noun � the highly enlightened fisherman who uses nothing but a homemade fly on the end of a tippet/tapered leader/loops for multi tip/floating line/backing.

OutTrolling (ot) · 12-09-2006, 08:08 AM

I know someone has to know this term. Every once in a while I read it. What is High Sticking???

Spoiled Daddy · 12-09-2006, 08:14 AM

"Get it! Get it! Get it!" in my boat means there is a FISH ON!

the Spoiled Daddy

pearl · 12-09-2006, 08:45 AM

Bank Maggot - Guy who was smart enough to invest 40K in the stock market instead of buying a boat.

RvW · 12-09-2006, 09:02 AM

High sticking. Good one.

Ill take a stab at it.

When youve got a fish hooked, the most extreme case of high sticking is when the butt of your rod is pointed at the fish.
High sticking varies in degrees and I think it really goes into effect when the angle of your lower rod to your line is less than say 45 degrees?

A lot of fish lost, and a lot of busted rods as a result of high sticking.

The image below is an extreme case of high sticking.

riverstalker · 12-09-2006, 09:43 AM

High sticking is also a fly fishing term for a method of nymphing in pocket water. You use a few BB size splitshot to get the nymph down to fish level, then do more of a fling than an actual cast upstream. Then keeping the line tight, you hold the rod at about 70-80 degrees and slowly guide your line through the pocket.

letsfish · 12-09-2006, 10:31 AM

Hole 1. a place to fish(a very general term)
2. a place on the stream where fish are
3. a place to fish on the stream where the water is relatively still

Drift 1. a place to fish
2. a place on the stream where the current is relatively even, not still or broken by rapids and obstacles.

Tailout 1. the outgoing portion of a hole(see def. 3-hole), is actually a small drift as the current has picked up

Drift Fishing a method of fishing(usually a drift) that can be utilized with a wide variety of lures(ie yarn, corkies, cheaters,etc) and baits(eggs or shrimp,usually). The set up is mainline to the swivel; the weight is attached at the swivel (unless the choice of weight is sliding, then the mainline goes through the weight to the swivel) from the swivel a leader goes to the hook. Usually, an egg loop knot is used to attach the hook- it is useful in holding a glob of eggs on . Having pretied leaders is handy because this system has plenty of knots.

Slinky or slinkie a type of weight that uses parachute cord material stuffed with birdshot. The longer the slinky, the heavier. Used fixed to the swivel or sliding on the mainline, its big advantage seems to be that it doesn't snag up as often as other weights.

Crick 1. how a lot of folks say "creek"
2. what my back has in it after a day of fishing

scubadad · 12-09-2006, 11:16 AM

HOOKSET - Pulling back sharply on rod to implant hook into fish or fishing partner. Some people also use this method to clean ther fish prior to landing.

Hogmaster · 12-09-2006, 11:35 AM

FISHING: (verb) An act involving sleepless anticipation followed by hours of boredom, interspersed with random moments of sheer panic.

viigfish · 12-09-2006, 12:26 PM

Got bit
1. Actually had a fish take your offering
2. What happens when you fish too close to the barking dog hole.

Ken Drifter · 12-09-2006, 01:40 PM

1. Skunked= That's when you spend a good part of the day fishing and you don't so much as get a nibble on your line. Yet the rest of the people you are with where able to get fish.

2. Slamolla= That's when your'e 'pulling' plugs and your rod bends over in half and line goes rippin of your reel. (if it happens to smack the side of the boat, thats a "Grand Slamolla")

3. Thumb Burner= Is the act of using your'e thumb to slow down the pull of the line on an open face reel. As to help slow down the fish, as you place your thumb down and you burn the first layer maybe two of skin.

letsfish · 12-09-2006, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by viigfish

Got bit
1. Actually had a fish take your offering
2. What happens when you fish too close to the barking dog hole.

3. What happens when you buy the latest, greatest lure,line, rod ect.( of course the item purchased works only as well as last year's "latest, greatest"). "Got bit" morphs to "gotta deal!" when item produces.

pearl · 12-09-2006, 03:12 PM

"Drive By" - Fish that hit the lure / bait but didn't stick. Typically someone who had an unsuccessful day on the water and justifies their fishing prowess by telling the guys back at work, "we had a couple of drive by's but no hook ups".

AKA - you got skunked!

STGRule · 12-09-2006, 03:21 PM

But Pearl, at least I was someplace where there were fish. See? It isn't my fault they wouldn't bite. I did my part. I found the spot, put down a lure they wanted, it was just the fish's fault it didn't stick. My fishing prowess is still intact even though I didn't bring anything home.

And that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Mokai · 12-09-2006, 03:53 PM

Double Slam : When you and your buddy both get a fish on...

Long line release : A better way to say you lost your fish...

Stz ll · 12-09-2006, 04:33 PM

BOAT.
1. A hole in the water that you pour money into.
2. Break out another thousand.

Jimbo · 12-09-2006, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mokai

Long line release : A better way to say you lost your fish...

diamondfish · 12-09-2006, 05:08 PM

Here is a couple we use on my boat:

The old dine and dash, when they pick you clean without a hook-up.

Or as Fisherjack has been known to do on occasion "Crackering" a fish. Meaning to wif or somehow otherwise to loose a fish after a good hook up.

But there is my favorite, "You Tatered that one" another slang for crackering a fish.

Hogmaster · 12-10-2006, 10:12 AM

Kicker: 1) A trolling motor.
2) Or, it could be the actions of a buddy who just saw you whiff or cracker.

Putting the hook down: The act of anchoring, usually with a rocker-style, break-away anchor.

Back-bouncing (bouncing): A fishing method used in a boat that involves holding or slowly backing (backtrolling) the boat in current while dropping a lead weight to the bottom with a leader of bait or certain lures. The lead is "bounced" on the bottom in an effort to get salmon or steelhead to strike and also to prevent it from snagging on the bottom if left there too long.

Chasing rainbows: The act of following someone's hot tip about where the fishing is unbelievably great only to find out you shoulda' been there yesterday. "Hey Caleb, we done chasing rainbows today, or is we gone go where that flatlander got all them salmmin yesterday agin?"

Grunt: 1) What one should always do at the point of a mighty hookset on a Halibut or Sturgeon. Sometimes used derogatorily after whiffing on a salmon, trout steelhead or shad. "Leroy, you sure grunted that one!" 2) Also, the deck hand on the boat. "Hey grunt, get a towel out from under the seat and wipe up that egg splooge, wouldja?"

backlash442 · 12-10-2006, 10:48 AM

"T": Someone who has talent at catching fish. Typcially out fishes everyone on the boat.

Hot Stick: Someone who is catching most of the fish that day.

Toad: Large fish for it's speices.

Football: Description of fish e.g. Wide open bite on football tuna (small). Trout were like footballs (fat).

LLR: Long leader release

SLR: Short leader release

Fly line: Casting out your bait w/out weight. We fly lined anchovies.

fishkisser · 12-10-2006, 03:53 PM

Spooled 1. When a exstreamly aggresive fish with shoulders like Rosy Grear , Takes all the line on your reel leaving you with whats left of your pride... 2. What used to happen to me before the new hip

jokester · 12-10-2006, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mokai

Long line release : A better way to say you lost your fish...

OR, a nicer way of saying you're a CRACKER!! Saltine, Ritz, premium...you get the point :grin:

-jokester

Bugle4em · 12-11-2006, 10:45 AM

Rats' Nest -
That big old mess in your reel.

Crayfin · 12-11-2006, 11:44 AM

SHARK-TOAD-IKE-WALTER= big fish

SNOW BELLY=chromer

Trick · 12-11-2006, 12:36 PM

Dinger- Same as a drive-by, usually used with other bank maggots to refer to a missed strike that causes the bell on the end of your pole to jingle.

Snot-Rocket- AKA-Salmon/Steelhead

Chrome/Nickle/Bright- Fresh from the sea Salmon/Steelhead.

Meat-missile- AKA-Salmon/Steelhead.

Dink- Undersized fish.

Rag- Spawned out hen

Wreckless · 12-11-2006, 01:03 PM

Springer:

A Chinook race that enters freshwater long before it spawns so it has a premium amount of fat stored in body tissue.[/quote]

I hate to correct our biologist friend, but Springers are actually a non-existent run of Salmon that are used to promote and sell fishing tackle to Oregonians SICK with cabin fever!!!!

These poor souls start fishing for this ghost run in the FREEZING Febuary weather and a few may show up in JUNE!!!! (these are actually early "Summers")

Bitter....Who me???

A "slang term" we use in Sturg fishing is "DEFCON".....
DEFCON 1 = you are gettin' a bite.
DEFCON 2 = It's serious
DEFCON 3 = rod in hand ready to set the hook.
DEFCON 4 = lowering the rod tip right before you go........
DEFCON 5 = HOOKED UP!!!
These can happen very quickly or take a while to play out.

Fishin Magician · 12-11-2006, 04:07 PM

OH-OH or OH -NO.....generally the term I use when my bobber is down or I'm getting wolfed on while BB'ing....when my friends are around and I am in the zone....

Cracker= TODD....but you all already know that....

Wang · 12-11-2006, 04:22 PM

FLEA FLICKER- Fly fishermen

Super Fluke · 12-11-2006, 04:37 PM

D-Shotting=Drop shotting

DAB · 12-11-2006, 06:10 PM

Thumb Burner
This is what some of us old folks call a bait casting reel with no drag ( when you realy had to use your thumb as the drag ) and has carried on to the present Bait Casting reels.
DAB

yankemnbankem · 12-11-2006, 06:24 PM

Someone once said they had a Tanyabatanaya on here in one of the threads. THis means it's a fish dipatcher to the nether world. (I love that name).

Noodle rod: long springy rod that takes the fight outta the fish.....preferrably steelhead.

Corky: little drift rigging like a small ball/floater.

boondogglin: driftin in yer boat and letting your line drift along with ya whilst keeping in step with the current same as side drifting.

Cocktail Sh.......... whoops......you dont know what that is.

spooledagain · 12-11-2006, 06:31 PM

GI JOE no fish catching mo(bleep): The guy who comes down the bank with all the gear he owns because he just bought it all an hour ago still in the plastic GI JOE bag and the yellow Eagle Claw rod reel combo still has the price tag on the eyelet

Mokai · 12-11-2006, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spooledagain

GI JOE no fish catching mo(bleep): The guy who comes down the bank with all the gear he owns because he just bought it all an hour ago still in the plastic GI JOE bag and the yellow Eagle Claw rod reel combo still has the price tag on the eyelet

Yea , and then he leaves all the plastic and trash on the bank for the rest of us to admire...

IDWITHELD · 12-11-2006, 07:54 PM

"wham-slamma-bamma". aka "whammo" aka "whaminator" aka "whamola"

The act of your rod folding in half due to fish on.

Mokai · 12-11-2006, 08:56 PM

I always enjoy the "wham-slamma-bamma"

C-lice · 12-11-2006, 10:05 PM

BOOT: A shallow puddle worn on the foot.

DARRELLS: Drift fishermen common to hatchery holes. They usually have mullets, 24 ounce Busches at 6:30 AM, NASCAR hats, scraggly facial hair, and 8-foot leaders.

EGGS, THERMOS, CAMERA, NET: Items typically left at home for a day trip.

GAME WARDEN: An exclamation guatanteed to make a Darrell flinch, hydroplane his/her line in, hide his/her Busch (if underage) and contract severe whiplash, even if he/she wasn't doing anything wrong.

RvW · 12-11-2006, 10:40 PM

Geez, cmon kids.
"cark" "Carking", "shaker" "boat ho" "zipperlip"
"Tuna Newbie" "tunagin" "puss pocket" "flavor nodule"
"meat hole" "club" "dropper" "flat lining" "shrimp cocktail" "lowholed" "hogline" "bank maggot" "Big C" "Big Blue" "Blue pond" "chicken ranch" (not the one in Nevada) "shuttle" "floatilla" "Ifishstock"

.

Hogmaster · 12-12-2006, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Row Vs. Wade

Geez, cmon kids.
"cark" "Carking", "shaker" "boat ho" "zipperlip"
"Tuna Newbie" "tunagin" "puss pocket" "flavor nodule"
"meat hole" "club" "dropper" "flat lining" "shrimp cocktail" "lowholed" "hogline" "bank maggot" "Big C" "Big Blue" "Blue pond" "chicken ranch" (not the one in Nevada) "shuttle" "floatilla" "Ifishstock"

.

RvW -

You didn't define any of those for Jimbo! Help him (and others not in the know) out.

Net Foul: The act of losing a fish at the net, usually by trying to "swoop" the fish by bringing the net up from the tail instead of "head in". Sometimes caused by hooking gear in the net during periods of excited flailing, resulting in the fish throwing the hook.

Jimbo · 12-12-2006, 10:06 AM

[quote=Hogmaster;1351982]RvW -

You didn't define any of those for Jimbo! Help him (and others not in the know) out.

Thanks Hogmaster. I don't know any of those fishing terms

Jim

driven2fish · 12-12-2006, 11:29 AM

Swamp Donkey=Large Fish

That one is courtesy of Starfish but I love it.

jokester · 12-12-2006, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by driven2fish

Swamp Donkey=Large Fish

Careful with this one. On the fishing board it might be, but "Swamp Donkey" is also slang term for a moose. BUT...since this isn't the hunting board, i'll let it slide...this time

:grin:

-jokester

IDWITHELD · 12-12-2006, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by driven2fish

Swamp Donkey=Large Fish

That one is courtesy of Starfish but I love it.

I just spewed coke all over my work monitor! swamp donkey is a crack-up

RvW · 12-12-2006, 12:44 PM

Ill do a few while Im eating lunch.

"Cark" Usually applies to tuna. You dont fillet tuna, and the word "cleaning" is simply gutting a tuna. But when you "cark" one (which is just a play on the word "carcass") you remove the loins and the belly leaving a carcass.

"Shaker" usually applies to an undersized sturgeon. They shake the line and thats all theyre good for. Can also apply to any fish that has a minimum size to be retained.
"We caught shakers all day, but no keepers"

"Boat Ho" The word "ho" is slang for a word you probably cant or wouldnt want to use here. Not hard to figure out.
A "boat ho" is basicly an unpaid deck hand, they cut bait, bait hooks, pull and biat crab pots, they swab the deck, steer the boat when trolling, net and bonk and unhook fish, or anything else that "pays" for their ride on someone elses boat.

"Zipperlip" is when someone isnt specific about where they caught fish or how they caught them. "Zipperlip" can apply to a person or a place or a post here..

"Tunagin" No, this is not a fish flavored cocktail.
A "tunagin" is a tuna virgin or someone who has never fished for or caught a tuna.

A "Puss pocket" or "flavor nodule" is a small white cyst like growth in a salmons meat caused by a parasite. There can be only one, or many throughout the fillets. You know it when you see it. Most people will not eat the fish that have these, and many more of them seem to be showing up recently.

A "Club" is a fishing rod that is generally large and or beefy/stiff
Also maybe refered to as a rod that is too big for what you are using it for.

A "shrimp cocktail" is generally a glob of salmon eggs and a sandshrimp together on a hook.
Can also apply to shrimp and anchovy, shrimp and herring, ect. but it mostly identifies a shrimp and egg combo bait.

"Flat lining" is a method of using a quickfish or other lure without using a weight or diver to submerge it.

Thats all I have time for.

Stretch · 12-12-2006, 01:22 PM

Boondogle = Drifting gear behind the boat as you float down river. Often a futile effort after long day getting skunked!

Fishin Magician · 12-12-2006, 05:15 PM

"Hooked 5" - really means you think you might have hooked one but are too ashamed to admit you got skunked......