What Does Skunked Mean in Fishing?

Skunked in the world of fishing simply means not catching any fish. It can be used as a verb or a noun. Someone might say after catching their first fish of the day, "Well that got the skunk off the boat". Or when asked how their fishing trip went, they might say, "Terrible, I got skunked!".

Although this slang is popular amongst anglers, it doesn't have an origin story among fishermen. The word has been used since at least the 1800s to describe when one side has badly lost in a game or sport. Similar in nature to other phrases like a shutout or walkover. The actual connection to the animal likely comes from a skunk's ability to spray smelly liquid from their anal glands, which is quite unpleasant!

The more inclusive definition of skunked in fishing means that you didn't actually land any fish. Depending on the culture of the fishery, an angler might have to physically touch the fish or only their leader line for it to count. The more exclusive definition of skunked means you didn't even get a fish to bite your lure or bait. Anglers talk of beating the skunk, sometimes catching any fish by any means necessary to avoid getting skunked. Most anglers will agree however, not fishing at all is worse than getting skunked.

Fishing Culture