Ham

64) Wedgespot Shiner (Notropis Greenei) The Notropis family of shiners are the ultimate trolls

I have a pretty reliable location. I found it searching for Yellowcheek Darters

63) Steelcolored Shiner (Cyprinella whipplei)

Dave, you got a hardhead on a fly ???? That’s Crazy !

I like to fish. Everywhere I can. Anyway I can. I want to catch every fish that swims. At least once. Red Fish, Blue Fish, Green Fish, All Fish. I already regret that I didn’t fish more. I suspect that will get worse as my years advance. Let’s Keep Fishing Guys!

62) Hardhead Catfish. Lifer. I would not have thought I would get this far along without a catfish, but that’s how it played out. Ppl that know that I am from Louisiana and that I fished Venice growing up couldn’t believe that I had never caught a Hard Head, but my Dad would not fish with shrimp or other natural baits down there. I caught mine using Gulp Shrimp. I got a bit of a Nantucket Sleigh ride from the second one. I still need to Get a Gaff Top.

I’ve been called worse

I want a Baby Tarpon real Bad!

I was Super excited when I got my Slender Mad Tom Monday night. I still needed a Yellow Bullhead though so back to the creek I went Tuesday night. i was using two rods. One with a size 6 and one with a size 4. Looking for Bullhead and American Eel. Almost immediately, I started getting bites. Me being an artificial lure guy makes it tough for me to be patient with natural baits. I waited as long as I could stand it and set the hook. No fight but I could tell I had something on the line. that something turned out to be the third of the 40. A Checkered Mad Tom !!!!

The second of the 40 has been caught ! On Monday, I hit a Local creek after dark looking for a Mad Tom. I had tried previously and seen fish, but had not been able to get bites. this time I used a jig to help me track my bait. I was able to get my tiny worm and hook closer to the fish I could see. Bingo! I got multiple Bites and got my Lifer Slender Mad Tom!

Hey Pete, probably about 30 inches or so. That species doesn’t get Huge. It was plenty for 6 lb line.

61) Black Nosed Shark Lifer After my surprise pompano the day before, I broke out the big guns, I set up my 7 foot Air Stream which is more of a Light than a UL. I had my usual 6 lb nano and 6 lb leader. I when with an 1/8 oz crappie jig head and a bigger piece of synthetic shrimp chunk to appeal to a better fish. I wanted another pompano for a picture. I waded out to the first bar and could cast out to just beyond the second bar. It didn’t take long and I got a heavy hit. Long peeling run ; I sure was glad I had the 6 lb line. A few minutes later and I’m still waiting to see my pompano. A couple minutes later and I finally see that I won the lotto. I had hooked my first shark. I sweated it out for a few more minutes until I could beach it and we went a little further up on the sand this time. my little crappie jig was in a perfect spot. You could just see it peeking out the corner of the sharks mouth I let him keep it. My first shark of any kind ever.

60) Florida Pompano. I have read that there is a very nice “run” of Pompano along the beach in the Spring. I did not expect much since I was 3 or so months late. I was throwing out past the first bar looking for a group of Pinfish I had seen while snorkeling. I got a lot more than I hoped for. Hard bite. Long runs. What did I have? a couple minutes in I see that I have a pompano. On 2 pound line, with a 4 1/2 foot true UL rod. amazingly, it worked out. I was able to beach it. While fumbling around trying to get my phone out and get a picture, the pampano threw the crappie jig and rode a receding wave to freedom. i hope this will be the only fish in the thread without a picture.

Northern Kingfish

Southern Kingfish

Gulf Kingfish

I knew about these little guys, but I knew them as Whiting. @Johnsfolly helped a brother about and gave me the skinny. I wish I had taken oictures of everyone I caught, but I took enough pictures to convince myself after the fact that I had caught all three species of Kingfish. 57) Southern Kingfish (Menticirrhus americanus) 58) Gulf Kingfish (Menticirrhus littoralis) 59) Northern Kingfish (Menticirrhus saxiatlis) They were all Liifers and all were as easy as falling off a log to catch. I still enjoyed presenting the bait to schools of them and catching them on a UL rod with 2 lb line

I met this really cool kid from Near Chicago. Silas was a smart kid and crazy about fishing. I wish I could mentor him and be his friend. He’s going to be Great.

56) Pinfish Very pokey. Normally bait stealers, but I used a synthetic bait and a small jig. Caught lots. helped some kids catch their first fish

55) Ladyfish Easy to hook ; Hard to land. They jump a lot.

That’s Great!!!!

Teasing it out Pete. It is a catfish that I had to work for.

54) Spotted Sunfish (Lepomis punctatus) Lifer ; I was so excited about catching the Blacktails and the beautiful Red Breasted SF that I caught a couple of these before I woke and realized these were a new species for me. Very similar in appreance to Red Spotted, but a little longer in body and no Red Spots. (Lifer)

53) Blacktailed Shiner (Cyprinella venusta) Lifer ; I caught this fish on Econfina Creek in Florida. Heavily spring fed, sandy bottomed, and tannic water. Cool area heavily damaged by Hurricane Michael. I caught a bunch of them and could have caught more, but switched to trying for other species

I got my 75 th species Last Night ! Wooooooooot !