I decided to start lifelisting since it's fun and I mostly catch and release -- my photos were becoming quite disorganized and I was curious to find out how many different kinds of fish I've caught. Unfortunately this led me to a few realizations:
- I didn't take pictures of every species I've ever caught. I'm regretting it now, because I would feel bad if I included those fish. I'll have to get them again.
- Some fish look different within the same species; e.g male vs female, barred vs unbarred, anadromous vs freshwater only.
- I've hooked up with some fish but failed to land and get a picture of them.
At any rate I'll catch, photograph, and release the fish I missed / failed to get pictures of in due time.
Note: This list contains (usually) the first fish of each species that I managed to photograph, chronologically. The fish pictured is not usually the largest of the species that I caught, nor is it the first of that species that I ever caught -- it's just (usually) the first to get on film. This list is also not that reflective of how much I fish, because I mostly do catch the same kinds of fish at my local spots. I don't go super out of my way to add species to this list. I haven't been bitten by the microfishing game just yet, for example :)
59 unique species caught and fully identified as of September 13, 2023. 4 additional species caught but not fully identified, and a bunch caught but not recorded in pictures so omitted here.
- California Halibut (Paralichthys californicus) - On a live-lined anchovy. Caught in SF bay on a charter boat.
- Pacific Mackerel (Scomber japonicus) - On a sabiki rig. Caught at Pacifica Pier.
- Pacific Pompano (Peprilus simillimus) - On a sabiki rig. Caught at Pacifica Pier; almost mistook it for a surfperch! These things are rare in NorCal.
- Walleye Surfperch (Hyperprosopon argenteum) - On a sabiki rig. Caught at Santa Cruz Wharf.
- Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) - On an inline spinner. Caught in the Charles River, Cambridge MA.
- White Perch (Morone americana) - On an inline spinner. Caught in the Charles River, Cambridge MA. Darker variety.
- Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) - On an inline spinner. Caught in the Charles River, Cambridge MA.
- Bat Ray (Myliobatis californica) - On cutbait (mackerel). Caught near the channel islands in a sailboat. Fuzzy image was screencapped from video.
- Mahi Mahi / Dolphin / Dorado (Coryphaena hippurus) - On a wood plug, trolled. Caught off the coast of Todos Santos, MX on a panga boat.
- Pacific Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares) - On a wood plug, trolled. Caught off the coast of Todos Santos, MX on a panga boat.
- Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) - On an inline spinner. Caught in the Guadalupe River, San Jose CA.
- Queenfish / Queen Croaker (Seriphus politus) - On shrimp. Caught off a pier in San Diego, CA.
- Northern Pike (Esox lucius) - On an inline spinner. Caught in Bay Lake, MN.
- Rock Bass (Ambloplites rupestris) - On an inline spinner. Caught in Bay Lake, MN.
- Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) - On an inline spinner. Caught in Bay Lake, MN.
- Spotted Bay Bass (Paralabrax maculatofasciatus) - On 3/8oz underspin. Caught in San Diego Bay, CA.
- Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) - On a nightcrawler. Caught in the Rogue River, OR.
- Yellow Bullhead Catfish (Ameiurus natalis) - On hot dog on the bottom. Caught at Gompers Lagoon, Chicago IL.
- Jacksmelt (Atherinopsis californiensis) - On sabiki rig. Caught in Santa Barbara, CA.
- Black Crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) - On hot dog under a bobber. Caught at Gompers Lagoon, Chicago IL.
- Barred Surfperch (Amphistichus argenteus) - Caught at Half Moon Bay, CA.
- Northern Pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus oregonensis) - Caught in the Rogue River, OR.
- Leopard Shark (Triakis semifasciata) - On squid/salmon combo bait. Caught in the SF Bay, on a friend's boat.
- Sevengill Shark (Notorynchus cepedianus) - On squid/salmon combo bait. Caught in the SF Bay, on a friend's boat.
- Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) - Note to those silly striper guys: I mainly use a fish grip for their benefit. Much easier to get the hook off and avoid touching them with dry hands. On a bucktail in Quonochontaug, CT.
- Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) - On whole kernel corn. Caught at Stevens Creek Reservoir, Cupertino CA.
- Bluefin Trevally (Omilu) (Caranx melampygus) - On a whipping rig, curly tailed grub. Caught at Anini Beach, Kauai.
- Pacific Jack Crevalle (Papio) (Caranx caninus) - On a whipping rig, curly tailed grub. Caught at Anini Beach, Kauai.
- Bluespotted Cornetfish (Fistularia commersonii) - On a whipping rig, curly tailed grub. Caught at Anini Beach, Kauai.
- Gray/Bermuda Sea Chub (Nenue) (Kyphosus sectatrix/bigibbus) - On bait. Caught at Riviera Maya, MX.
- Atlantic Blue Tang (Blue Tang Surgeonfish) (Acanthurus coeruleus) - On bait. Caught at Riviera Maya, MX.
- White Grunt (Haemulon plumierii) - On bait. Caught at Riviera Maya MX.
- Mangrove Snapper (Lutjanus griseus) - On bait. Caught at Riviera Maya, MX.
- Sergeant Major (Abudefduf saxatilis) - On bait. Caught at Riviera Maya, MX.
- White Croaker (Genyonemus lineatus) - On a sand crab. Caught in Aptos, CA.
- Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) - On the fly. Caught in a creek near Bozeman, Montana.
- Mountain Whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni) - On the fly. Caught in a creek near Bozeman, Montana. The adipose fin is the giveaway that it isn't a sucker -- it's actually a salmonid!
- Shellcracker / Redear Sunfish (Lepomis microlophus) - Caught on a little worm in Montana's Lake Josephine.
- Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu) - On a 1/8oz jig w/ paddletail swimbait. Caught in the Allegheny River from the banks of Pittsburgh, PA.
- Atlantic Menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) - Snagged on my deadly dick spoon when going for stripers; normally don't count snags but you can't really catch Menhaden any other way + it was unintentional. Caught on the surf in Sandy Hook, NJ.
- Hickory Shad (Alosa mediocris) - On a sand eel fly used as a bucktail teaser. Caught on the surf in Sandy Hook, NJ.
- Tautog (Tautoga onitis) - On a sand crab on a high-low rig. Released quickly, sad I didn't have wet hands but was high up from the water. Caught in the Manasquan Inlet, NJ.
- Guadalupe Bass (Micropterus treculii) - On a drop shot worm. Caught in the Colorado River from Austin, TX.
- Longear Sunfish (Lepomis megalotis) - On a tiny drop shot. Caught in the Colorado River from Austin, TX.
- Stocky Hawkfish (Po‘opa‘a) (Cirrhitus pinnulatus) - Caught on a whipping rig with a grub. Anini Beach, Kauai HI.
- Bluestripe Snapper (Ta‘ape) (Lutjanus kasmira) - Caught on a Hawaiian Angler Strip, blue, with tiny hook. Kalihiwai beach, Kauai HI.
- Christmas Wrasse (Thalassoma trilobatum) - Caught on shrimp. Tunnels beach, Kauai HI. Note: as of August 2021 there were not yet regulations for fishing on this beach, but in the future it will probably require a permit.
- Blackspot Damselfish (Blackspot Sergeant) (Kupipi) (Abudefduf sordidus) - Caught on shrimp. Tunnels beach, Kauai HI.
- Saddle Wrasse (Hinalea lauwili) (Thalassoma duperrey) - Caught on shrimp. Tunnels beach, Kauai.
- Bigeye Scad (Akule, halalu) (Selar crumenophthalmus) - Caught on a hawaiian angler strip in aqua blue, with 4lbs test leader about 8ft long, at Moloaa beach, Kauai HI. Very tricky fish to catch.
- Spotted Bass (Micropterus punctulatus) - Caught on a keitech paddletail in Lexington Reservoir, CA, near the dam but not on it.
- Ladyfish (Elops Saurus) - Caught on a 3/8oz orange/white goofy jig tipped with orange/white sand flea "fish bites." Jigged with pop-pop-pause pattern.
- Gulf Flounder (Paralichthys albigutta) - Caught on an olive/white sand eel teaser tied above my goofy jig. Identify this using the dark spots near the tail - they form a triangle.
- Northern Kingfish (Menticirrhus saxatilis) - Caught mostly on sand flea fishbites on size four hook.
- Gulf Kingfish (Menticirrhus littoralis) - There were a lot of these and I caught them on goofy jigs, size 0.75L silver holo deadly dick, and sand flea fishbites on a size four hook.
- Florida Pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) - Caught on goofy jig tipped with sand flea fishbites. Orange/white.
- Crevalle jack (Caranx hippos) - Caught on goofy jig tipped with sand flea fishbites. Orange/white.
- Leatherjacket (Oligoplites saurus) - in the Jack family; caught on goofy jig tipped with sand flea fishbites. Orange/white.
- Hardhead Catfish (Arius felis) - Caught a lot of these on size 16 sabiki tipped with finger mullet, at night.
These are not unique species but are different versions of species on the unique list.
- Rainbow Trout - Steelhead - Caught at Stevens Creek Reservoir, Cupertino CA. Rare native (not stocked).
- Barred Surfperch - unbarred Version - Caught on the northern california coastline near Daly City.
- Black Crappie - light colored version - Caught at Stevens Creek Reservoir, Cupertino CA. Despite being light in color, this is indeed a black crappie (7-8 dorsal spines vs 5-6 on a white crappie; not barred pattern).
- Gray/Bermuda Chub - different color - It's actually impossible to tell the difference between a Bermuda (Kyphosus sectatrix) or Gray chub (Kyphosus Biggibus) without counting gill rakers, so I will never know which one I caught -- I'm counting them as a single species since they're a complex now. The one on my lifelist is more mature.
- Vermillion Rockfish
- Blue Rockfish
- Black Rockfish
- Pumpkinseed Sunfish
- Redbreast Sunfish
- Atlantic Stingray (when I was young)
- Anchovy
- Topsmelt silverside
- Channel Catfish (high school, Holmdel Park Pond)
- Barracuda - 6ft ate the 4-5lbs fish at the end of my line, pulled out drag until my 20lbs line frayed from its teeth.
- Cutthroat trout - Jumped out of the water when it hit my hopper near mammoth lakes.
- Summer Flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) - Got off before I could hoist it up the rocks.
- Largemouth Bass - 10lbs
- First Topwater Bass - Zara Spook
- First Rainbow Trout on the Fly - Zebra Midge
- First Largemouth Bass on the Fly - Black wooly bugger
- First Bluegill on the Fly - Brown clouser/bugger hybrid
- Lizardfish (Synodontidae ???) - On a ceramic popper bigger than itself! Caught at Anini Beach, Kauai. Not sure if I can get a better identification :(
- Some kind of needlefish in Kauai, HI
- Another needlefish, probably same as above
- Looks like an alewife or smelt type thing, Riviera Maya MX
- Split tail, forgot to get a closeup. Riviera Maya MX
I haven't caught that many rare fish, so mostly they are easy to recognize. But a few times now I've had to defer to experts or scour through indices. Here are some of the tools I use: