Counting Fish

Cutthroat Trout

    Before  I went through all of my herp photos, I made a list of every fish species that I've seen and identified. I broke the list into four groups. In order of most important to me they are: 

1.  I caught them fishing with a fishing pole on a hook Snagging does not count as fishing
2.  Seen snorkeling
3. Caught with a net or a seine
4. Seen in the water looking from above
5.  Someone else caught this species and I saw it

   (5)   Working my way back from the least important list, I almost find it embarrassing to see a fish someone else has caught but I didn't because I am a fisherman. However, when you are fishing bait on the bottom, you never know what you are going to catch. Case in point, I thought for sure I'd catch catfish in the Mississippi River but caught stripers. Luckily, this category is very small for me.  I've only seen five species of fish this way. I saw my one Weakfish at Charlestown Breachway fishing next to another guy in the middle of the night. I saw a slot Red Drum (also known as Redfish) on a bridge in North Carolina. Someone caught a Flathead Catfish in Minnesota in 2010 while DJ caught bullheads. I saw a guy snag a Gizzard Shad in Hannibal, MO. I've seen Bonito caught but have never actually caught one.

(23)  I'm quite cool with seeing fish in the water from above. They are still in their natural habitat.  If the water is clear than it's no different than seeing them snorkeling except I'm drier. I'll spare you all of the twenty three species I've seen this way. But I'd like to highlight some favorites. Probably my favorite fish I've seen from above is Peacock Bass. They are beautiful and one of the fish high on my bucket list to catch. Also on my bucket list to catch are Tarpon. I saw a school at Flamingo Marina in Florida along with Snook. I saw Blind Cavefish last month in Indiana. On whale watches I've seen Blue Sharks and Mola Mola. Unfortunately, I've seen two pike this way but caught neither. One was following my spinnerbait but turned away.

(13) I've seen thirteen species that I've caught with a net or a seine. If I happen to catch any of them with a fishing pole or see them while snorkeling I'll take them off of this list and put them on the one they belong on. I got all thirteen of these species this year. This is due to my newfound friendship with Charles Avenengo and the BioBlitz. We caught Banded Sunfish, Swamp Darters, Banded Killifish, and Bridle Shiners at BioBlitz.

   Charles and I went seining four times. Three times in saltwater and once in freshwater. By far, the rarest fish was a Tidemaster Mojara which live in the Gulf of Mexico. Probably the coolest saltwater was a Windowpane Flounder. I had never heard of this species but it is beautiful. 

   

Nine Spined Stickleback

We caught (Charles caught, I scared with my shadow) a Western Mosquitofish with a net last week. I've caught other species in a net but I have also caught them fishing. A fish only gets counted once so if it ends up on a list more important to me then I move it there.

(10) Snorkeling. For sure I've seen a lot more than ten species of fish snorkeling. However, I couldn't identify most of them. When I was in the Florida Keys I went on two different snorkel trips. I also snorkeled at multiple beaches. The reefs and beaches were teaming with life. But if I couldn't identify the species I'm not adding it to my list as a number. 

Snorkeling is my second favorite way to see fish. Being in the water with them in their environment is amazing. I got an amazing tropical fish in Newport in August when Charles found a Beau Gregory. Just a piece of art with an electric blue back and bright yellow sides and belly.

(49) My favorite way to count a fish is too catch them. It was tough to decide what's more of a priority fishing or snorkeling. I choose fishing for now but maybe I should have a separate list for fish I've seen snorkeling even if I've caught them.  

   I've caught forty nine species that I am positive of. I could add to the list if I find my photos from North Carolina from 2007. I only wrote in my journal the species that DJ and I caught as a team but didn't separate them into what he caught and what I caught. I'm hoping I may have a photo or two of me holding a fish. We fished from the Oregon Inlet Bridge and also took a deep sea fishing trip on a head boat. The only species I know I caught were Sheepshead. But I know between us we caught Croaker, Pigfish, and Spot. For now those three species are on the seen only list.  

   The same is true of a deep sea fishing trip we took out of Plymouth. For sure we saw Cod and Dogfish. But I can not remember if we caught either. I spent most of the trip adding to the chum over the railing.

   I guess if pressed I'd have to say my favorite species are Striped Bass, Smallmouth Bass, and False Albacore. I love caching these species. But the truth is, I probably enjoy catching new species more. I was really excited to catch my first Landlocked Salmon and Lake Trout out of Wachusett Reservoir. I caught little Grayling and Cutthroat Trout in Yellowstone. I'd say the prettiest fish I've ever caught are Kokanee and Red Breasted Sunfish.  

Kokanee

Conclusion

   If you add up all of those numbers of the five categories, it comes out to an even one hundred. I didn't plan it that way. I also hadn't been keeping track and figured I'd write a post once I reached one hundred. It just worked out that when I wrote all of the species on the list it came out to the century mark. 

   I'm not sure keeping track of fish species is a rabbit hole I want to go down. I already try to catch fish I haven't caught. The only fairly common "gamefish" in New England I haven't caught are Walleye and Pike. There are some others that are either rare to catch (Tiger Musky and Round Whitefish) or have a very small range (Musky in the St John's River Maine/Canada border and Arctic Char in a couple of Maine lakes). I don't know if I want to  make specific trips to try to catch these fish. 

   There are a lot of small fish such as Darters and Minnows I could try to catch even within a half hour.  of my house. I'm sure I will attempt to do that with my net. I also have a minnow trap. Seeing the fish we caught at BioBlitz and with Charles was really fun.

    I just found out about native fish get togethers where you travel to a destination  where a bunch of people go seining, netting, snorkeling, and micro-fishing for all sorts of fish. They have lodging and a banquet. There are guest speakers. It sounds a lot like bird festivals except you get wet. This sounds right up my ally. I can add to a lifelist and talk about fish for four days. However, I am already taking vacations to see snakes and other herps. Laurie is not going to like it if I suggest we go to Oklahoma for vacation to look at little fish. This rabbit hole keeps getting bigger.

   Lastly, I know very few people that have caught forty nine species while fishing. It is possible I only know one person that has caught more than me. His name is Roy Levya. I asked him the other day if he knew how many fish species he has caught. He told me he hasn't added it up in a while but somewhere around FIVE HUNDRED!!! I'm sure I couldn't name two hundred species never mind physically catch (this is while fishing not with a net!) five hundred!!!

   In 2012 Charles did a fish big year. He is not a fisherman so he found other ways to see fish. He is the naturalist at Norman Bird Sanctuary so he saw many of the fish seining. We stopped and looked at the water in various places to see what he could find. He went on party boats to watch fish get caught. Most importantly, he took a trip to northern Ohio and one to Tennessee to see fish. The Tennessee trip was like I was explaining above where he went to a fish meeting. He saw forty fish species in Tennessee. Overall he saw one hundred and ten fish species in a year. Ten more than I have seen in my life and I have the advantage of fishing for them. Between Roy and Charles, it is easy to be humble (and jealous!).

   Alice, that rabbit hole is looking mighty tempting!

Smallmouth Bass