rough fish

noun

: a usually freshwater fish (such as a buffalo or freshwater drum) considered undesirable as a food or sport fish and often viewed as a competitor of more desirable fishes

Examples of rough fish in a Sentence

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They’re classed as rough fish by many anglers, especially in Montana where trout reign supreme with most fishermen. —

Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 3 July 2024 Usually that fish is a catfish, though turtles and rough fish like carp may also be caught by hand in some states. —

Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 15 Nov. 2023 Just last year, DNR championed a bill at the Legislature that elevated eelpout (burbot) from unprotected rough fish to game fish. —

Tony Kennedy, Star Tribune, 1 Apr. 2021 Texas studies have shown that eagles commonly eat coots, catfish, rough fish and soft-shell turtles. —

Matt Williams, Dallas News, 6 Jan. 2023 Nicknamed in various parts of North America as ling, lawyer, cusk or mud shark — the once-lowly burbot is being elevated in Minnesota from unprotected rough fish to game fish. —

Tony Kennedy, Star Tribune, 14 Jan. 2021 Beka Garris, a diehard bowfisher from Ohio, recommends referencing your state’s freshwater lists to quickly determine which bodies of water hold carp and other rough fish. —

Popular Science, 3 Nov. 2020