My Sportfish Life List
How many different species of fish have you caught? I know that some people endeavor to capture all of the different billfish, or the widest variety of trout, or even “micro species,” but after decades of primarily chasing bass, in recent years I’ve expanded that focus. Now I want to sample a little bit of everything.
Until I sat down and did the work, however, I wasn’t sure exactly how many I caught. It made sense to catalog them before my ancient memory started to fade. Here’s what I think is the complete list, based on records kept by the IGFA, in alphabetical order:
Barracuda, Great
Bass, Largemouth
Bass, Smallmouth
Bass, Spotted
Bass, Striped
Bass Striped (landlocked)
Bass, White
Bass, Yellow
Bicuda
Bluefish
Bluegill
Bonito, Pacific
Bowfin
Bullhead
Carp, Common
Carp, Grass
Catfish, Blue
Catfish, Channel
Crappie, Black
Crappie, White
Croaker, Atlantic
Dolly Varden
Dolphinfish (AKA, Mahi Mahi or Dorado)
Flounder
Gar, Longnose
Grayling, Arctic
Halibut, Pacific
Jack, Alamco
Jack, Crevalle
Jacunda
Ladyfish
Lingcod
Lizardfish
Marlin, Blue
Matrinxa
Muskellunge
Muskellunge, Tiger
Needlefish, Atlantic
Oscar
Payara
Peacock, Butterfly
Peacock Speckled
Perch, White
Perch, Yellow
Pickerel, Chain
Pike, Northern
Piranha
Pumpkinseed
Redfish
Rockfish, Black
Rockfish, Canary
Rockfish, Yelloweye
Roosterfish
Sailfish, Pacific
Salmon, Chinook
Salmon, Chum
Salmon, Coho
Salmon, Pink
Salmon, Sockeye
Sauger
Saugeye
Sea Robin
Sea Trout, Spotted
Shad, American
Shad, Gizzard
Shad, Threadfish
Shark, Bonnethead
Shark, Dogfish
Shark, Nurse
Skate
Snakehead, Northern
Snapper, Mullet
Snapper, Mutton
Snapper, Pacific Cubera
Snook, Atlantic
Spot
Sunfish, Redbreast
Tautog
Tilapia
Tigerfish
Trahira (Wolffish)
Trevally, Bluefin
Tripletail
Trout, Brown
Trout, Cutthroat
Trout, Cutbow
Trout, Lake
Trout, Rainbow
Tuna, Bigeye
Tuna, Yellowfin
Walleye
I may have missed a few, but this is a good start. I’ll continue to update this list as I catch more species.
