How many kind of fish do you target?

[Guest1]

I live in a place that has a Walleye fixation. If you asked 90% of the fishermen here, "How many kinds of fish do you fish for?" you would get the answer, "Oh, just Walleye." I am just curious if this single fish fixation is common in other areas as well.
The reason I asked "how many kinds" instead of how many species, is for fish like Trout. If you target Browns, Rainbows and Brookies it should be answered as 1 for Trout as a "kind". Trout and Salmon as 2. Panfish and Bass as 2, no matter how many species of Bass you target etc. After that you can be more specific in the comment portion.

 

[caseywise]

i hope im not cheating but im combining my local species here in illinois with the seasonal alaska fish i target every summer.
im not counting halibut because that is a deep sea gear deal.


casey

 

[Davo]

Freshwater is just trout for me. Saltwater is Bones, Tarpon, Permit, Snook and Reds. So my number is 6!!

 

[Guest1]

i hope im not cheating but im combining my local species here in illinois with the seasonal alaska fish i target every summer.
im not counting halibut because that is a deep sea gear deal.


casey

Nope, not cheating. You target other fish 'every year'.

I put 6 - 10 because Largemouth and Smallmouth are 1 kind, Crappie, Bluegill, pumpkinseed, Rock Bass and other assorted panfish are another kind for 2, Walleye and Sauger for 3, Pike and Musky for 4, Mooneye for 5, and Trout from the North Shore of Superior everytime I get down there for 6 etc. I didn't count everyone I have ever gone after because I don't live on the East Coast anymore and therefore can't fish for Bluefish for example. In fact I only got to fish for those while I was going to Sub School in Groton, CT. I only counted the ones I can do regularly now. 7 types and 16 species if I include Sturgeon which I only recently figured out how to do with a fly rod and am still refining the method. It's been a 'gear' type fish up till now, but I plan to change that thinking.

So far you guys are way more open to multiple species than the locals here.

 

[caseywise]

dan,
i cannot wait to get my hands on a mooneye!
they look like a heap of fun to catch


casey

 

[Guest1]

dan,
i cannot wait to get my hands on a mooneye!
they look like a heap of fun to catch


casey

Like tiny, angry Tarpon.

 

[jimw]

I picked more than 11 between cold, warm and saltwater its probally closer to 30 species. Im not picky but i think i like fishing for blue fish the most they are just plain mean.

 

[nickj]

Just trout for me.

 

[Rip Tide]

Trout, salmon, small mouth, large mouth, panfish (bluegill, crappie, white perch), northern pike, striped bass, bluefish, bonito and false albacore.

 

[okuma]

White bass, blue gill, trout/steelhead, smallmouth. With white bass being my #1 pick

 

[caseywise]

Like tiny, angry Tarpon.

dan,
i was wondering if i could find these guys here in the chicagoland area?
if so, what kind of gear might i use? im assuming a 4 or 5 weight rod would suffice.
and what about fly selection?



casey

 

[rangerrich99]

Whoops. Guess I should have read your initial post before I voted, Dan. I voted "6-10," ticking off LM bass, SM bass, white bass, stripers, brown trout, rainbows, brooks, splake, tiger, and cutts. But according to your qualifier, I guess I'm down to two (bass and trout), unless you count the bluegill I've caught while trying to catch bass. Oh, and two minnows, and one very stubborn crawdad.

 

[littledavid123]

Just one for me Trout

But I go thru phases every 7 or 8 years.

Trout or salmon will probably finish out my life, well maybe a few pike too and yeah some walleye. But without a doubt I am thru with bass fishing, well perhaps on a fly rod and that's all...period. Would like to catch a few more grayling and at least one bull trout.

Dave

 

[Guest1]

dan,
i was wondering if i could find these guys here in the chicagoland area?
if so, what kind of gear might i use? im assuming a 4 or 5 weight rod would suffice.
and what about fly selection?



casey

I looked and they have them listed as an Illinois species, but they have no state record for them. That may just mean nobody has tried to turn one in for the record. A 4 or 5 wt is plenty big enough for them. The best flies I have found are small white may fly imitations. We have hatches of them all summer long. You can watch them pick them off the surface as they drift down the river. I'm sure you can find a similar type thing there if you have mooneye. Try calling your local fisheries office and ask them where the nearest river is with Mooneye. Here are some of the flies that work for me.

 

[swirlchaser]

I've been fishing since I'm a little boy, 5 years ago I decided to go back and recatch every type of fish again, but on a fly rod (minus the offshore and deep sea fish). So far I have:
Bass- LM, SM
Panfish
Trout, Brown and Rainbow
Pikerel
White Perch
Perch
Common Carp
Striped Bass
Bluefish
Fluke
Weakfish
False Albacore

 

[dean_mt]

Just the fine-spotted kind for me!

Trout that is. O wait, what about Whiteys?! I don't usually "target" them though. Maybe once in awhile for the smoker...

I am not opposed to catching other species, there just happens to be trout everywhere I go!

 

[zug buggin]

trout and crappie for me

 

[theboz]

If it swims it's a target. It's alot of fun catching multiple species and everyone of them has something to offer. Never upset when fishing smallies with a leech and a big carp latches on .
Can't count how many times bluegills saved a largemouth trip or cocktail blues filled in for a lack of stripers.
Sometimes I even target the oddballs just because they offer a new challenge. And man some of them are tough to get to take a fly but when you figure it out very satisfying !

 

[wannafish]

I somehow missed this poll when it was first posted. I fish trout and salmon and the odd time my best friend will twist my arm to go after bass and pickerel with him. He fishes them with hardware but I refuse to stoop to that [poke]

 

[grassonfly]

Nope, not cheating. You target other fish 'every year'.

I put 6 - 10 because Largemouth and Smallmouth are 1 kind, Crappie, Bluegill, pumpkinseed, Rock Bass and other assorted panfish are another kind for 2, Walleye and Sauger for 3, Pike and Musky for 4, Mooneye for 5, and Trout from the North Shore of Superior everytime I get down there for 6 etc. I didn't count everyone I have ever gone after because I don't live on the East Coast anymore and therefore can't fish for Bluefish for example. In fact I only got to fish for those while I was going to Sub School in Groton, CT. I only counted the ones I can do regularly now. 7 types and 16 species if I include Sturgeon which I only recently figured out how to do with a fly rod and am still refining the method. It's been a 'gear' type fish up till now, but I plan to change that thinking.

So far you guys are way more open to multiple species than the locals here.

Dan sturgeon is amazing please do tell how you catch them. also i fish for largemouth grass carp and sea trout.