There seems to be some here that think a skunk is not catching any fish at all and some here that consider a skunk to not catch any of the species that is specifically being targeted.  Weigh in if you'd like.

A skunk is not catching any bass to me.

If I target bass, but only catch mudcat, crappie, bluegill, pickerel and catfish....I got skunked.

I call it like it is: a skunk is a skunk, no fish, nada, see ya later alligator 

Despite not getting any of the targeted species, if I at least caught something with fins, I wasn't skunked.

26 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Despite not getting any of the targeted species, if I at least caught something with fins, I wasn't skunked.

 

What Mr. Fisher said.

When I hunt bass it's LM and Spots. If I only catch Hybrids and Stripers, I consider that a skunk, albeit a fun skunk. 

I used to call this a skunk. Now I call it embarrassed but not skunked.

 

48 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

I used to call this a skunk. Now I call it embarrassed but not skunked.

Don't feel too bad - one of my shore expeditions yielded this as my best bass,

3 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Despite not getting any of the targeted species, if I at least caught something with fins, I wasn't skunked.

 

I think that's where I'm at too. As long as it bit.  A freak snagging wouldn't count.

 

 

I dont get skunked.

If the bass arent biting ill go for trout or panfish.

If none of the above species want to bite, ill throw a lipless in the worst vegetation the lake has.

Ill catch between 25-100lbs of grass, weeds, and slime.

If thats still not working ill count the mosquito bites.

Some people are in debt for life (college) just to get an education like i just gave.

If I'm targeting Bass and only catch a Crappie, Bluegill, etc I consider it as getting skunked. Went out recently targeting Bluefin Tuna, only managed some Rockcod on an outer bank. I considered it a "skunk" trip, but not necessarily a "bad" trip. I have been enjoying eating the various Rockcod we brought home. 

Split pretty even on this so far.

 

Don’t forget to vote above.

No bass, yes skunk. I'm not out there for pickeral and panfish.

2 years ago while bass fishing I caught an 11 lb Striper.

If that's a skunk I'm good with that.

 

Yes bluegill and Crappie may ease the pain but I wouldn't argue that it wasn't a skunk.

Kinda fortunate here because it's nearly impossible to get skunked out in the everglades. Even if you tried to get skunked, you still couldn't get skunked. It's actually a situation where you have to use baits that repel all the smaller fish in favor of those bigger bites. But even at that, I still get bit. I catch just as many smaller fish using big fish baits than I do using small fish baits. They all gonna eat no matter what and if you so happen to have a bait in their way, they gonna gobble it up no matter what it is. What all this means is going through about 20-30 fish to get to that one BIG bite. 

 

That all happens in the daytime. Turn off the lights and it's a different story. No more smaller fish. Things become very strategic and time spreads out. The hits are sneaky and when they do happen, they gonna be BIG hits, sometimes well over ten pounds of bone jarring muscle. 

I only target Bass.  I've been skunked a handful of times since I bought my current boat in Dec 2021.  Only one time have a caught some kind of fish, but no Bass.  I caught a White Perch and a Channel Cat.   It didn't smell good but I didn't consider it a .Skunk

Yeah in NC we set the bar appropriately low.  If you catch a fish, you didn't skunk!

Musky fishing anything but a musky is a skunk.

 

fishing for anything else and not catching the target isn’t a skunk. I still did not meet the goal. Any fish does away with the smell. 

 

^definition of a skunk 

10 hours ago, Susky River Rat said:

Musky fishing anything but a musky is a skunk.

 

fishing for anything else and not catching the target isn’t a skunk. I still did not meet the goal. Any fish does away with the smell. 

Some musky guides consider raising a fish or a follow as not a skunk. 

@Dwight Hottle I was actually going to add that but figured the none musky heads wouldn’t get it 

If I catch any fish at all I consider it not getting skunked.

If I get a good fish on but it gets off just before I get it in the boat, is that a caught fish?

2 minutes ago, padlin said:

If I get a good fish on but it gets off just before I get it in the boat, is that a caught fish?

 

No.

 

It needs to enter the boat or reach the shore before it counts.

 

Unless you're tarpon fishing.  Then you can't legally lift them out of the water so a caught fish is when they are boat side in the water.