After binging on salt water fishing videos on YouTube I was thinking about the other fish I would love to fish for. Cobia have been on my list since I saw a pic of a huge one caught off a jetty by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel. I've put Amber Jacks on the list as well, along with a big snook and a 20# redfish. All of my fish are salt water because living in PA I don't get to salt water fish. Let's hear from you. What fish are on your list?
Monster Peacock Bass on the Amazon. Not really a bass but carries the name.
Oh man. A big redfish and a giant musky would probably be the 2 at the top of my list
Big Lake Trout!
This one here.
My last trip to Thailand, I went with him a whole day hopped two big pond but didn't catch one.
Tarpon. Peacock Bass being a close second.
Always wanted to do battle with a huge Tanzanian Tiger Fish on the Kilombero and Ruaha rivers in the Selous game reserve. Just not a big fan of yellow fever and malaria.
Wild looking beast of a fish though.
A-Jay
Payara and Dorado.
Was lucky enough to spend 2 weeks in a non tourist area of Colombia a few years ago and packed a 5 pcs fly rod in my luggage. Caught some different species, not a Payara or Dorado.
The family friend that was the "fisherman" was confused with my methods of using a rod and upset when I released fish. Beautiful country but a completely different fishing culture.
Number one on my species bucket list is the Goliath Grouper. I can’t wait to catch one of these beasts. Pure Muskie and tarpon are also on the list.
On 7/20/2018 at 3:14 AM, JustJames said:This one here.
My last trip to Thailand, I went with him a whole day hopped two big pond but didn't catch one.
What kind of fish is that?
On 7/20/2018 at 6:44 AM, Gundog said:What kind of fish is that?
Barramundi
Fact 1 Barramundi’s native waters span from Northern Australia up to Southeast Asia and all the way west to the coastal waters of India and Sri Lanka.
Fact 2 Barramundi is known by many around the world as Asian Seabass, although its Scientific common name is Barramundi Perch. Some of the other names it’s called include: Giant Perch, Palmer, Cockup, Bekti, Nairfish, Silver Barramundi and Australian Seabass.
Fact 3 The name barramundi is Aboriginal for “large-scaled silver fish.”
Fact 4 Virtually all barramundi are born male, then turn into females when they are three to four years old. This means female barramundi can only be courted by younger men!
Fact 5 Barramundi live in freshwater, saltwater and estuaries (where fresh and saltwater meet).
Fact 6 Barramundi are catadromous fish, meaning that they are born in the ocean and live in freshwater — basically the opposite lifestyle of the salmon. However, they also are able to live purely in saltwater.
Fact 7 A Barramundi’s age is determined by counting growth rings on their scales (much like counting growth rings on a tree).
Fact 8 Large female barramundi can produce upwards of 32 million eggs in a season.
Fact 9 Barramundi have been recorded to be over 4 feet long and weighing over 90 lbs!
Fact 10 Barramundi can travel great distances in a lifetime; one fish was tagged and found 400 miles away.
Fact 11 Juvenile barramundi have a distinguishing characteristic: the presence of a white dorsal head stripe when they’re between one and five centimeters long.
Fact 12 Barramundi spawn on the full moon, and their iridescent skin can be seen shimmering through the water.
A-Jay
Thanks @A-Jay
i hope I can post this video.
This fish is a great pull, great jump and taste so d**n good.
I’ve done decently checking species off my list but I still have permit, snook, sailfish, roosterfish, cuberra snapper and a few others ahead of me.
Great topic, I really had to think about that one. Most of my bucket list has just been trophy sizes of species I already fish for (brookies, salmon, Lakers, bass of course etc..). But one species really stands out to me;
The Arctic Char. We have a few native dwarf populations of them here in Maine, but a true far north Arctic Char is on my list for sure. I think Brook Trout IMO are among the most pretty fish in existence (strange tropical fish aside) but a spawning char is right up there if not prettier;
My profile pic, just a small yet pretty example of A Brook Trout
an Arctic Char off Google;
On 7/20/2018 at 10:54 AM, Arcs&sparks said:
an Arctic Char off Google;
Wow that is amazing looking.
Tarpon, snook, redfish and marlin would all be bucket list fish.
On 7/20/2018 at 10:54 AM, Arcs&sparks said:Great topic, I really had to think about that one. Most of my bucket list has just been trophy sizes of species I already fish for (brookies, salmon, Lakers, bass of course etc..). But one species really stands out to me;
The Arctic Char. We have a few native dwarf populations of them here in Maine, but a true far north Arctic Char is on my list for sure. I think Brook Trout IMO are among the most pretty fish in existence (strange tropical fish aside) but a spawning char is right up there if not prettier;
My profile pic, just a small yet pretty example of A Brook Trout
an Arctic Char off Google;
Tree River will get it done.
I plan on traveling to catch the following fish; arapaima,payara,goliath tigerfish,barramundi, and other species. For me it's important to catch these fish in the wild and I don't see much of a challenge to catch a exotic species in a private pay lake or private body of water. I will not waste my time with pet barramundi that live in some Florida pay lakes or pet exotic fish that live in some private lakes of South Florida.
On 7/21/2018 at 10:37 AM, soflabasser said:I plan on traveling to catch the following fish; arapaima,payara,goliath tigerfish,barramundi, and other species. For me it's important to catch these fish in the wild and I don't see much of a challenge to catch a exotic species in a private pay lake or private body of water. I will not waste my time with pet barramundi that live in some Florida pay lakes or pet exotic fish that live in some private lakes of South Florida.
I agree. The destination is half the fun of catching a unique species. For me, just being out on a boat in the Keys or Venice, LA would be a blast. Even without fishing.
@soflabasserif I lived in Florida, I would called it a heaven of fishing. It happens to have 3 of my favorite fish to catch and eat. King mackerel, Barramundi and crown knife. I don't mind fishing for barramundi in pay Lake at all as long as I use artificial lures. Also those snake head, peacock bass and all those groupers/snappers, I am not even sure if I'm gonna target LMB if I live in FL.
-Murray Cod
-Nile Perch
-Arapaima
-Musky
-Goliath Tiger Fish
-etc etc etc...
If it´s big, swims and have a bad attitude... i would love to catch it!
My number one bucketlist fish for this year is a shark!!
On 7/22/2018 at 2:00 AM, JustJames said:@soflabasserif I lived in Florida, I would called it a heaven of fishing. It happens to have 3 of my favorite fish to catch and eat. King mackerel, Barramundi and crown knife. I don't mind fishing for barramundi in pay Lake at all as long as I use artificial lures. Also those snake head, peacock bass and all those groupers/snappers, I am not even sure if I'm gonna target LMB if I live in FL.
I agree with you that South Florida is a fisherman's paradise since it offers so many species of fish both in freshwater and saltwater. We have fish from at least 5 continents and many of these fish can be caught from land in public waters. I am very fond of bass fishing but admit that I spend most of my fishing time targeting other species of fish such as snook,tarpon,peacock bass,clown knifefish, bullseye snakehead, various species of sharks, and other species of fish. Also do deep sea fishing, freedive spearfishing, lobstering, especially in the summertime.
On 7/22/2018 at 6:48 AM, Joshua van Wyk said:My number one bucketlist fish for this year is a shark!!
Go to the Florida keys bridges with appropriate shark fishing tackle and you will have a good chance at catching a shark. Good baits to use are stingray, jack crevalle, mullet, barracudas,and mackerel. I prefer using fresh cutbait and have noticed more bites with fresh cutbait vs old previously frozen cutbait.
On 7/22/2018 at 7:51 AM, soflabasser said:I agree with you that South Florida is a fisherman's paradise since it offers so many species of fish both in freshwater and saltwater. We have fish from at least 5 continents and many of these fish can be caught from land in public waters. I am very fond of bass fishing but admit that I spend most of my fishing time targeting other species of fish such as snook,tarpon,peacock bass,clown knifefish, bullseye snakehead, various species of sharks, and other species of fish. Also do deep sea fishing, freedive spearfishing, lobstering, especially in the summertime.
Go to the Florida keys bridges with appropriate shark fishing tackle and you will have a good chance at catching a shark. Good baits to use are stingray, jack crevalle, mullet, barracudas,and mackerel. I prefer using fresh cutbait and have noticed more bites with fresh cutbait vs old previously frozen cutbait.
Unfortunately I live in Virginia and a Florida vacation isn't an option right now, we are going to obx in September. So that's when im hoping to hook into a shark and some drum.
You should be able to catch sharks in North Carolina as well but they tend to be smaller on average compared to sharks in South Florida. You can surf cast the bait or kayak your bait out for a better chance at catching a bigger shark.
Most any fish I haven't caught yet is on my bucket list. Oddly enough, the fish that don't really appeal to me are the ones that a lot of people dream of catching, the salmons and the billfish. I wouldn't be opposed to catching them, just not high on my list. I'd rather catch the big uglies, sharks, groupers, white sturgeon, Wels catfish. A Golden Dorado looks like a blast, so does most fish in the Amazon river. A GT has to be on my list somewhere for the strikes if nothing else.
On 7/22/2018 at 9:19 AM, soflabasser said:You should be able to catch sharks in North Carolina as well but they tend to be smaller on average compared to sharks in South Florida. You can surf cast the bait or kayak your bait out for a better chance at catching a bigger shark.
I was planning on fishing a nearby pier as well, is this a good idea?
for me it's a big salmon in Alaska.....on fly tackle.
On 7/22/2018 at 9:41 PM, Joshua van Wyk said:I was planning on fishing a nearby pier as well, is this a good idea?
Make sure to not let the shark go under the pier and be careful not to let the line get cut off by the pillings or other structure. Landing small sharks ( under 3 feet) from a pier is relatively easy, medium to large sharks are hard to land from a pier. Many people fight the shark from the pier and walk down to the beach to properly land the shark. Make sure to release the shark as soon as possible once you catch it so it doesn't die.
On 7/23/2018 at 2:47 AM, soflabasser said:Make sure to not let the shark go under the pier and be careful not to let the line get cut off by the pillings or other structure. Landing small sharks ( under 3 feet) from a pier is relatively easy, medium to large sharks are hard to land from a pier. Many people fight the shark from the pier and walk down to the beach to properly land the shark. Make sure to release the shark as soon as possible once you catch it so it doesn't die.
Thanks for the tips, do you think 350 yards of line would be enough?
I recently took a 4 day saltwater fishing trip this past spring to Key West, FL and caught some of the fish people have on their bucket list like tarpon, cobia, and barracuda. Its something I won't forget. I well tell you another fish that fights like a truck is a Jack Crevalle. I've never fought a fish that long in my life. The power of these saltwater fish is incredible. There is just no comparison in freshwater.
I would like to go sturgeon fishing sometime. There is an open season every April on the Rainy River which isn't more than a few hours from the Twin Cities.
On 7/23/2018 at 3:33 AM, Joshua van Wyk said:Thanks for the tips, do you think 350 yards of line would be enough?
You are welcome. What pound test line you plan on using? I would advise against using braid since it has poor abrasion resistance against structure and would recomend mono as your mainline.You can get lucky and land a shark with 30 pound braid and no leader but that is rare compared to using thick mono with a wire leader.I like using 50-60 pound test mono mainline,5-8 feet 100 pound test mono topshot, and 3-5 feet of 120-200 pound test wire leader when fishing for medium sized sharks(4-8 feet long). I use heavier line/wire leader when targeting bigger sharks (8 feet and above).
On 7/24/2018 at 8:27 PM, soflabasser said:You are welcome. What pound test line you plan on using? I would advise against using braid since it has poor abrasion resistance against structure and would recomend mono as your mainline.You can get lucky and land a shark with 30 pound braid and no leader but that is rare compared to using thick mono with a wire leader.I like using 50-60 pound test mono mainline,5-8 feet 100 pound test mono topshot, and 3-5 feet of 120-200 pound test wire leader when fishing for medium sized sharks(4-8 feet long). I use heavier line/wire leader when targeting bigger sharks (8 feet and above).
I have 20 pound mono with 4 feet 80 pound mono leader with 3 feet of steel leader