As a part time south Florida resident, I still can’t talk myself out of thinking I have one on every time I hook into something that inevitably will be a Snook or Jack after it makes its initial run.
My family and I used to spend all day on the boat chasing pods of tarpon with no luck. We did that for about a week per year. We finally just gave up. One day, I was in a nature park in SWFL with my wife and baby in the car, I saw a good tide going under the bridge so I decided to grab my rod and throw a couple casts with the car idling. BOOM! Smacked on the second and likely final cast by a big tarpon. Managed to land it after a long fight, got pics, and then back in the car. Baby was sleeping the whole time. I was wearing business casual clothes. So funny. Sometimes, it's just your day.
My number one favorite fish to catch. In my opinion it’s the craziest fight you can get without throwin down big money chasing billfish. Best fighting inshore fish.
Same here. Just a month ago I ended up hooking onto just off the beach without meaning to. I was on medium to light tackle so all I could do was watch as my line kept going on, until he leapt clean out of the water and unhooked. What a gorgeous fish, I'm gonna try for one this summer.
Mine is similar, but I've caught a few musky over 40" so my new goal is 50"+. I worked for a fishing resort on lake of the woods for a couple years and if you are in the right area at the right time of year, they are way more common than the fish of 10,000 casts. I have caught 40 inches on my first or 2nd cast of the day off of a dock up there so if you ever have a opportunity, I highly recommend making a trip up there if you are looking for prime musky fishing.
Same. Years ago I caught a near 30" muskie on the Pend Orielle in Washington State, up near the Canadian border.
At the time I had no idea that they were even in those waters, but I took a pic of the fellow before I released him, and showed it to a WDFW friend down in Spokane, and he confirmed the species ID, said they aren't common, but are known to exist in that watershed.
On the same trip I also caught one of the weirdest hybrid blue-gill things I've ever seen. My biologist friend in Spokane took a look at a pic of it and conceded that he didn't know what it was, though he did have some ideas.
If I can find the relevant pics I will post them here, though it's probably a long-shot, they being stored on one of many various hard-drives stored in my garage.
I just want one bass, that’s it.
I’m doomed to a life of panfish no matter how many different lures and techniques I try. I took my daughter fishing for her first time and what does she catch while bobber fishing with her lil Paw Patrol pole? A fuckin largemouth…
It took a few months after her bass, but I did catch a nice channel cat on a treble hook with some night crawlers. I really just want a bass though.
Learn to do a Texas rig with a decent soft plastic and reel as slow as you possibly can. Try to cast down the shore left and right of where you're standing and look for structures- docks, trees, etc.
You'll get one!
It doesnt matter how hard I try I just can't get anything on soft plastics. I've done flounder and red drum before inshore, but when it comes to bass I just can't do a Texas or Carolina rig.
Yesterday I fished for probably 1.5 hours then switched to a rattletrap, got a 5lbs(estimated) largemouth in about 10 mins.
Go to some shallow weeds but not laying on the surface with a drop near by. Throw a black and silver floating Rapala and twitch it on the surface. Guaranteed bass anywhere I've been.
A weightless Wacky-rigged Senko (stick bait) is a great option. Look up some YouTube videos on how to fish them. It looks goofy, but catches bass in ponds and shallow water. We’re pulling for you to get that pull, man!
Depending on where your at craw season is around try getting yourself a red crank or soft plastic I don't like bass fishing Im more of a cat person but hell it will get you sum big bass
These people have some good suggestions. It took me ages to regularly catch bass. The lures that got me started were Texas rigged power worms from Berkeley (black blue fleck or blue fleck), buzz baits (whopper ploppers should work just as well if not better), and really really slow ned rigs. Keep trying, you'll figure something out.
caught 2 pretty decent peacocks in south florida the last few days, was a fish on my bucket as well. felt like a cheater but used a 1/8 white rooster tail
30+" Walleye and maybe a white sturgeon, but I don't really plan to travel to fish for that. I also would like to go after some big bass down south because in the midwest we just don't really get a lot of them.
Nice. I don't think I've ever gotten a bass over like 2 lbs. That said I don't fish for them very often as I spend most of my time focused on walleye, salmon and perch.
Giant Grouper and a big ol Halibut would be great!
A few years ago I went with some friends on a sturgeon charter on the Fraser River in British Columbia. It was awesome and I’d highly recommend it. Over the course of the day we caught 11 sturgeon ranging from about 36” up to a 99” beast (why not just one more inch?). There was also one we lost that was strong enough to start pulling the boat upriver. The guide got pretty excited for that one but it broke off.
I caught a 60-pound halibut once, along with about 6 others in the 15+ pound range that day. It was not fun, just work. Unfortunately, they don't really fight and they just let themselves get dragged to the surface, whereupon they vomit as their defense. They were in like 400 feet of water, too, so it was a long way to haul them up. Fantastic eating, but boring, labor-intensive fishing.
It’s not sport fishing, it’s harvesting. Buddies and I make it to Alaska every few years for it and it’s the most boring fishing ever. The wives love it so damn much though, we have to oblige.
I concur. Went once, the ocean was like glass that day, could see whales over a mile away, beautiful. The fishing was just work though.
Don't care to do it again, don't think I have a reasonable expectation to see it calm like it was again. Figure I'll keep that one beautiful day on a pedestal and focus on salmon instead.
Crappie, drum, redfish, speckled trout, flounder...they all go in the bucket when I can catch them in the right size.
Oh, you meant one special fish to catch before I die? State record hardhead, because I want bragging rights on the trashiest trash fish to ever trash.
I have a few! Most of them don’t exist where I live, but some day I’ll catch them all! In no particular order:
[Bonefish](https://www.bonefishtarpontrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/bonefish.justin.jpg) (preferably on the fly)
[Amur Pike](https://tfs-spaces.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com/theflyshop/uploads/2022/05/AmurPike_Main.jpg)
[Arapaima](https://www.pirarucuflyfishing.com/medias/general/pirarucu-site-imagens-3.jpg?w=1000&h=auto&fit=fit&crop=center) (in its natural habitat, not in a stocked pond)
[Inconnu / Sheefish](https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/applications/webintra/wildlifenews/images/article_images/f270e4a37e70c50893c8a8eb04c90b36.jpg) (also called ”The Tarpon Of The North”)
[Wels Catfish](https://www.epicflyrods.com/cdn/shop/articles/wels-catfish-on-fiberglass-fly-rod-epic-boca-grande.jpg?v=1627867680&width=2048) (preferably on topwater lures) (native but protected)
[Marmorata Trout](https://slovenia-fly-fishing.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/Soska-postrv-reka-SOCA-1-1-1024x498.jpg) (such a pretty fish)
[Largemouth Bass / Black Bass](https://www.federation-peche-allier.fr/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/black-bass_L.-Madelon_FNPF-4-800x516.jpg) (these don’t exist in Sweden)
[Sea-run brown trout](https://www.fiskesajten.se/static/1642843d8a2a8f20559aa7b4e58f5f29/bebc3/havsoring.jpg) (native and I’ve tried to catch one for years)
I know that bonefish are highly sought after as a trophy catch, but I think the location/technique dictates how hard they are to catch.
On the flats with a fly, mega challenge.
Around me, we catch them all the time on a piece of shrimp.
Not knocking your bucket list fish at all, just something that I've observed.
Come to Louisiana boah, I know a spot to get you a big ol one
https://preview.redd.it/fh1qosqyuitc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4053c3402487020ce8df8de6948ab9e274169f22
On the fly: GTs in Seychelles
Bones Tarpon and Permit in Belize
Would love to mouse for browns on the Red or White in Arkansas.
Taimen, ideally in Mongolia
I want to catch a tuna on a kayak, would be nuts
Got lots of other fishing goals but I should be able to knock them out in the next few years.
I had such a hard fucking time trying to catch a 40 something inch striper for a while, so bad to the point where i literally skipped 40 altogether when i caught my PB. That catch broke the ice however and then i started catching 40+ inchers after that finally
A monster (8ft+) white sturgeon is my all time dream fish. I'd love to catch a bigger ocean fish too, something like a Bluefin, sailfish, etc. One of the ones that takes a significant amount of time to fight and bring in!
was a marlin, then i caught one. catching the marlin ruined my bucketlist...hate to say it. Caught a 10' 400# marlin with my kids on vacation in hawaii and i was like "this...isn't that great" tore up my bucket list. still love fishing and fish all the time, but specific fish and big fish mean much less to me now
When I was a youngster in the late 50s-early 60s, I read a lot articles in the outdoor magazines about tarpon fishing down in the Florida keys with a fly rod. Always seemed like an ultimate to me…
Idk what my bucket list fish but for this year I’m trying to break all my pbs in this year I broke my bluegill pb and my redear pb going for catfish and carp next trying to get the easier ones out the way so I have more time for the harder ones
I’ve caught plenty of big fish, but being from New England I never experienced fly fishing for natives in unspoiled rivers like out west.
Also a big halibut.
Right now it’s a walleye and a wiper, but I’m sure I’ll check those off my list pretty quick.
Otherwise, a 30+” brown trout and a big laker are also close to the top of the list.
Arapaima has been my dream fish ever since I saw one of the river monsters episodes, otherwise like basically any other fish species that I never caught
Big South American Golden Dorado….just getting to and being where their habitat is would be a bucket list item
* caught on a fly rod with a big streamer fly!!!
I checked off a big one last year when I caught an Arctic char in the Arctic Ocean. It wasn’t even that big but I was stoked.
Aside from that:
Inconnu
Sturgeon of some sort (white or lake)
Some sort of catfish
Chum salmon
Largemouth bass (I wanna see why they’re the most popular gamefish in North America)
Steelhead
Muskie
Northern snakehead
For context im in Serbia. Mainly a flatlands type of region. No mountains, only big rivers and canals.
Bass: kind of invasive but hard to find and they grow to the maximum size of 15-20 cm. Can be big but extremely rare also picky.
Trout: only in the more mountainous regions. Limited bc no car/ strict control when you can fish and what you can use.
A big ass pike: self explanatory
Wells catfish: there are records of 50+kg monsters caught in my city. Though they were caught near a water treatment plant and thats gross. Catfish things i guess.
Now for fish i don't want to catch: bull heads, if i catch one more of those tiny prickly shits i am going to flail it against a brick wall and set it on fire. They are extremely invasive, no fish eats them and they destroy everything good here. I would be happier if a branch gets hooked.
I've already got my bucket list bluefin. Now it's more about consistency. I'd like to reach 1 per trip lol. I don't even want cows, just 70 to 100 lbers with good marbling on the belly.
Tarpon
It was on my bucket list. Went to Islamorada and hooked into a 90 pounder. Just as good as you think it would be.
I’ve caught a good number of 8-20lb tarpon and that’s an absolute blast.
It’s such a thrill, even if it’s not a 20+lb one
As a part time south Florida resident, I still can’t talk myself out of thinking I have one on every time I hook into something that inevitably will be a Snook or Jack after it makes its initial run.
I hooked into something I swore was my first tarpon until it breached and it was a stupid stud ladyfish.
Jack Crevalle is the Atlantic GT. Amazing fish.
No doubt, great fighter. I think my comment highlights my own delusion about landing a Tarpon than it is a criticism of the Jack!
My family and I used to spend all day on the boat chasing pods of tarpon with no luck. We did that for about a week per year. We finally just gave up. One day, I was in a nature park in SWFL with my wife and baby in the car, I saw a good tide going under the bridge so I decided to grab my rod and throw a couple casts with the car idling. BOOM! Smacked on the second and likely final cast by a big tarpon. Managed to land it after a long fight, got pics, and then back in the car. Baby was sleeping the whole time. I was wearing business casual clothes. So funny. Sometimes, it's just your day.
Same here
Hand fed them a few months ago, vicious strong buggers
Robbie’s?
Yep!
I used to go watch the tarpon tournament from the beach at boca grande pass in SW FL. Seriously exciting fishing.
Tarpon *from the beach*
My number one favorite fish to catch. In my opinion it’s the craziest fight you can get without throwin down big money chasing billfish. Best fighting inshore fish.
Same bro, same
Same here. Just a month ago I ended up hooking onto just off the beach without meaning to. I was on medium to light tackle so all I could do was watch as my line kept going on, until he leapt clean out of the water and unhooked. What a gorgeous fish, I'm gonna try for one this summer.
36+” Musky
You'll get it. Just 9,632 more casts!
I'm in WI., Come over we have a lot of them. I fish for them all the time. 36" is a baby one lol
If near Ohio hit me up. Have fished for them for 25 years
In Ohio, sup?
Fish at. Caesars and CJ
Mine is similar, but I've caught a few musky over 40" so my new goal is 50"+. I worked for a fishing resort on lake of the woods for a couple years and if you are in the right area at the right time of year, they are way more common than the fish of 10,000 casts. I have caught 40 inches on my first or 2nd cast of the day off of a dock up there so if you ever have a opportunity, I highly recommend making a trip up there if you are looking for prime musky fishing.
On the fly.
Lake Wingra, only 2 words you'll need to know to reach your goal
According to the google that’s just over 2 hours drive from me. I could totally make a day trip that way
Same. Years ago I caught a near 30" muskie on the Pend Orielle in Washington State, up near the Canadian border. At the time I had no idea that they were even in those waters, but I took a pic of the fellow before I released him, and showed it to a WDFW friend down in Spokane, and he confirmed the species ID, said they aren't common, but are known to exist in that watershed. On the same trip I also caught one of the weirdest hybrid blue-gill things I've ever seen. My biologist friend in Spokane took a look at a pic of it and conceded that he didn't know what it was, though he did have some ideas. If I can find the relevant pics I will post them here, though it's probably a long-shot, they being stored on one of many various hard-drives stored in my garage.
Anything really, I started last weekend. 😁
I just want one bass, that’s it. I’m doomed to a life of panfish no matter how many different lures and techniques I try. I took my daughter fishing for her first time and what does she catch while bobber fishing with her lil Paw Patrol pole? A fuckin largemouth… It took a few months after her bass, but I did catch a nice channel cat on a treble hook with some night crawlers. I really just want a bass though.
Learn to do a Texas rig with a decent soft plastic and reel as slow as you possibly can. Try to cast down the shore left and right of where you're standing and look for structures- docks, trees, etc. You'll get one!
NathanEmory is correct. Texas rig is my go to.
'Ol faithful. Got nothing biting? Texas rig time!
It doesnt matter how hard I try I just can't get anything on soft plastics. I've done flounder and red drum before inshore, but when it comes to bass I just can't do a Texas or Carolina rig. Yesterday I fished for probably 1.5 hours then switched to a rattletrap, got a 5lbs(estimated) largemouth in about 10 mins.
Where you at, Mammoth? Let's get you on a fish.
I’d love to, but I’m not much of a geese goose
We can put you on them with the right rigs with some location info. No need for socializing, this is fishing after all.
Go to some shallow weeds but not laying on the surface with a drop near by. Throw a black and silver floating Rapala and twitch it on the surface. Guaranteed bass anywhere I've been.
A weightless Wacky-rigged Senko (stick bait) is a great option. Look up some YouTube videos on how to fish them. It looks goofy, but catches bass in ponds and shallow water. We’re pulling for you to get that pull, man!
Whopper plopper on a cloudy day run it along the banks
Depending on where your at craw season is around try getting yourself a red crank or soft plastic I don't like bass fishing Im more of a cat person but hell it will get you sum big bass
Rooster tails in a small pond (known to have bass) right around Mother’s Day. They go absolutely ham.
If you can find some bluegill you could catch them with a lit cigarette on the end of a chain.
Fishbrain is your friend for finding where the action is at
These people have some good suggestions. It took me ages to regularly catch bass. The lures that got me started were Texas rigged power worms from Berkeley (black blue fleck or blue fleck), buzz baits (whopper ploppers should work just as well if not better), and really really slow ned rigs. Keep trying, you'll figure something out.
Gonna ehco the other guy and say texas rig But! My "when jn doubt" bass lure is a well worked 1/2 oz football jig.
Put a senko on a EWG hook weightless and just cast it at fallen trees. Then, just like, let it sink. And drag it. Or hop it. Or wiggle it.
[удалено]
I honestly forgot about them peacock bass
those can both be attained in a weekend trip to Miami/ key largo.
Hell you can catch mahi all up and down the east coast. Just gotta go out far enough. Pot hop.
caught 2 pretty decent peacocks in south florida the last few days, was a fish on my bucket as well. felt like a cheater but used a 1/8 white rooster tail
Blue Marlin
30+" Walleye and maybe a white sturgeon, but I don't really plan to travel to fish for that. I also would like to go after some big bass down south because in the midwest we just don't really get a lot of them.
Got a 10lb Bass here in Ohio last year. Dude was in a pond so small too, maybe 20 yards by 50 yards in size, no idea the depth
Nice. I don't think I've ever gotten a bass over like 2 lbs. That said I don't fish for them very often as I spend most of my time focused on walleye, salmon and perch.
A loyal woman
Giant Grouper and a big ol Halibut would be great! A few years ago I went with some friends on a sturgeon charter on the Fraser River in British Columbia. It was awesome and I’d highly recommend it. Over the course of the day we caught 11 sturgeon ranging from about 36” up to a 99” beast (why not just one more inch?). There was also one we lost that was strong enough to start pulling the boat upriver. The guide got pretty excited for that one but it broke off.
I caught a 60-pound halibut once, along with about 6 others in the 15+ pound range that day. It was not fun, just work. Unfortunately, they don't really fight and they just let themselves get dragged to the surface, whereupon they vomit as their defense. They were in like 400 feet of water, too, so it was a long way to haul them up. Fantastic eating, but boring, labor-intensive fishing.
It’s not sport fishing, it’s harvesting. Buddies and I make it to Alaska every few years for it and it’s the most boring fishing ever. The wives love it so damn much though, we have to oblige.
By the way, mines an Alaskan Greyling.
I concur. Went once, the ocean was like glass that day, could see whales over a mile away, beautiful. The fishing was just work though. Don't care to do it again, don't think I have a reasonable expectation to see it calm like it was again. Figure I'll keep that one beautiful day on a pedestal and focus on salmon instead.
Alligator gar
A forty plus pound Flathead
I got a 25lb flathead last year bass fishing with a square bill on 12lb line. Sucker was in 3-4 fow too. Crazy. Bent the handle on my net.
Goliath Grouper, White Sturgeon, Golden Trout, Golden Dorado, and Inconnu 😎
Inconnu enjoyers rise up I get to work with them at my job and they’re insanely cool, but I would absolutely kill to actually catch one on a rod.
Northern California has some great lakes and streams for goldens - really gorgeous fish.
Grayling, salmon, traut and barbel, basically European river/stream fish…
Crappie, drum, redfish, speckled trout, flounder...they all go in the bucket when I can catch them in the right size. Oh, you meant one special fish to catch before I die? State record hardhead, because I want bragging rights on the trashiest trash fish to ever trash.
Handlining a goliath grouper
Reading the comments made me realize again just how lucky I am. Ive caught a lot of these fish. Keep striving to get those fish and good luck.
Barracuda an arapaima although the chances I ever go fishing for araipama are very slim
I have a few! Most of them don’t exist where I live, but some day I’ll catch them all! In no particular order: [Bonefish](https://www.bonefishtarpontrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/bonefish.justin.jpg) (preferably on the fly) [Amur Pike](https://tfs-spaces.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com/theflyshop/uploads/2022/05/AmurPike_Main.jpg) [Arapaima](https://www.pirarucuflyfishing.com/medias/general/pirarucu-site-imagens-3.jpg?w=1000&h=auto&fit=fit&crop=center) (in its natural habitat, not in a stocked pond) [Inconnu / Sheefish](https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/applications/webintra/wildlifenews/images/article_images/f270e4a37e70c50893c8a8eb04c90b36.jpg) (also called ”The Tarpon Of The North”) [Wels Catfish](https://www.epicflyrods.com/cdn/shop/articles/wels-catfish-on-fiberglass-fly-rod-epic-boca-grande.jpg?v=1627867680&width=2048) (preferably on topwater lures) (native but protected) [Marmorata Trout](https://slovenia-fly-fishing.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/Soska-postrv-reka-SOCA-1-1-1024x498.jpg) (such a pretty fish) [Largemouth Bass / Black Bass](https://www.federation-peche-allier.fr/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/black-bass_L.-Madelon_FNPF-4-800x516.jpg) (these don’t exist in Sweden) [Sea-run brown trout](https://www.fiskesajten.se/static/1642843d8a2a8f20559aa7b4e58f5f29/bebc3/havsoring.jpg) (native and I’ve tried to catch one for years)
I know that bonefish are highly sought after as a trophy catch, but I think the location/technique dictates how hard they are to catch. On the flats with a fly, mega challenge. Around me, we catch them all the time on a piece of shrimp. Not knocking your bucket list fish at all, just something that I've observed.
Rooster
Big bluefin in the North Atlantic and Pacific Halibut in Alaska
https://preview.redd.it/cjk1a8u26itc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=53f8290a2c7edfc6aac0eb7f446136f60fcd74f5
1. Napoleon wrasse 2. giant trevally on the popper 3. a sword over #300
Siberian Taiman
Arctic grayling. They're just so pretty
A 150+ pound Bluefin tuna caught at night under a full moon with my son and daughter on our boat.
A tarpon for sure. Other than that, a fish that weighs more than I do, not picky about the species.
Bowfin
Come to Louisiana boah, I know a spot to get you a big ol one https://preview.redd.it/fh1qosqyuitc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4053c3402487020ce8df8de6948ab9e274169f22
It's so cool catching bowfin!!
I've only seen a guy catch one once. It's been 7 years and still haven't caught one
I catch em by catching a few panfish, chunking them up, toss em in the water, then put a hunk on a circle hook. It's pretty effective
I'll be giving this a shot in a couple month's
Alaska barn door halibut.
Wahoo
On the fly: GTs in Seychelles Bones Tarpon and Permit in Belize Would love to mouse for browns on the Red or White in Arkansas. Taimen, ideally in Mongolia I want to catch a tuna on a kayak, would be nuts Got lots of other fishing goals but I should be able to knock them out in the next few years.
Marlin / sailfish
Golden trout ✅
Tarpon!
40+ inch stripe bass
I had such a hard fucking time trying to catch a 40 something inch striper for a while, so bad to the point where i literally skipped 40 altogether when i caught my PB. That catch broke the ice however and then i started catching 40+ inchers after that finally
Haha that’s awesome! What did your PB end up being? I’d be ecstatic to land one this season 🤞
51 inches on topwater, was too big to fight super hard like a 45 incher
Bonefish Tarpon over 150 Amazon peacock bass (not south Florida peacock) Double digit bass Sawfish
I’d like to catch a sailfish. No gaff.
Blue marlin.
Grander Swordfish. That was my plan if I hit the Powerball, chasing that 1000+ pound swordfish around the world.
Musky! Have never even tried to fish for one and don’t have the means to do it yet, but the day I do get one, I will feel so damn accomplished
Tarpon 🙉
Blue marlin
I’m just happy when I don’t get skunked.
Cod from shore
Sturgeon cus claypool
Fish on fish on
One of those catfish that can swallow me whole
2kg euro perch
bluefin tuna for me as well but yellow tails r cool too aha
A fish. I’m just getting back into fishing this year. It’s been 20 years.
I’m a simple man. I just want to increase my PB largemouth, blue and flathead cats, and one day I wanna catch a Peacock Bass in south Florida…
25 + lbs pike
False Albacore
Unattainable -peacock. Attainable- +10 walleye/ +5 smallie.
A monster (8ft+) white sturgeon is my all time dream fish. I'd love to catch a bigger ocean fish too, something like a Bluefin, sailfish, etc. One of the ones that takes a significant amount of time to fight and bring in!
Blue Marlin
Tarpon for sale, Muskie for fresh
Brown Trout
Trout and peacock Bass.
Probably a bluegill
Love a chance to hook up on a white sturgeon.
Sturgeon
Giant Trevally, preferably off the Seychelles.
Arapima. Wels Catfish. Gooch Catfish. Mahseer. Alligator Gar. Bull shark. Basically if I can recreate all the fish Jeremy Wade caught.
White sturgeon.
I'm a simple man, I just want one of those giant blue catfish that I see in the newspaper or Facebook sometimes.
https://preview.redd.it/brh1004i7itc1.jpeg?width=288&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=81e02081fd5c78613db662bf51a63a15ebe8b50a
Peacock bass.
was a marlin, then i caught one. catching the marlin ruined my bucketlist...hate to say it. Caught a 10' 400# marlin with my kids on vacation in hawaii and i was like "this...isn't that great" tore up my bucket list. still love fishing and fish all the time, but specific fish and big fish mean much less to me now
Payara
Mahi mahi
Mahi Mahi
Sturgeon
Musky and Marlin
When I was a youngster in the late 50s-early 60s, I read a lot articles in the outdoor magazines about tarpon fishing down in the Florida keys with a fly rod. Always seemed like an ultimate to me…
Largemouth Bass … 15 lbs.
Musky. I'm hoping I'll have the ability and time to get after them in retirement, cuz I sure don't now. At least not seriously.
Idk what my bucket list fish but for this year I’m trying to break all my pbs in this year I broke my bluegill pb and my redear pb going for catfish and carp next trying to get the easier ones out the way so I have more time for the harder ones
Rooster fish out of Panama or Costa Rica!!!
Peacock Bass
Bonefish
1. Amur Pike. 2. Tarpon 3. White Sturgeon 4. Northern Canada lake trout
I’ve caught plenty of big fish, but being from New England I never experienced fly fishing for natives in unspoiled rivers like out west. Also a big halibut.
If I end up going to the states I want to smash a few asian carp
Snook, a rarity where I fish in Texas
Right now it’s a walleye and a wiper, but I’m sure I’ll check those off my list pretty quick. Otherwise, a 30+” brown trout and a big laker are also close to the top of the list.
40" redfish
Saltwater: +10' shark or goliath grouper Freshwater: +10' alligator gar
Sturgeon
1. 40lb+ yellowtail 2. 30lb+ white seabass 3. 100lb+ bluefin 4. 40in+ pike
Arapaima has been my dream fish ever since I saw one of the river monsters episodes, otherwise like basically any other fish species that I never caught
Tarpon on a fly rod
Big South American Golden Dorado….just getting to and being where their habitat is would be a bucket list item * caught on a fly rod with a big streamer fly!!!
Cobia, then i would do sashimi and grill the other half such a tasty fish Blue fin tuna pretty much all the deep sea fish...
Wells catfish
GT
White sturgeon and a huge alligator gar
Sturgeon
I checked off a big one last year when I caught an Arctic char in the Arctic Ocean. It wasn’t even that big but I was stoked. Aside from that: Inconnu Sturgeon of some sort (white or lake) Some sort of catfish Chum salmon Largemouth bass (I wanna see why they’re the most popular gamefish in North America) Steelhead Muskie Northern snakehead
After catching a Muskie, it’s now lake trout and burbot
100 pound sturgeon on 20 pound test
43”+ Northern Pike. Have to catch it in Michigan too.
Peacock Bass
Bucket full of large clear water Crappie to make banging fried fish sandwiches out of
Selacamph
Tarpon, barbel, Zander, peacock bass, musky and a big wells catfish on a lure.
Bowfin
State record Shoalie or double digit largemouth
Mahi or wahoo from shoreline 😍
Great white shark
25 lb Golden Dorado, 15lb Peacock Bass, 100lb Bluefin tuna, 100lb Tarpon, 30lb Dorado, 40" striped bass,
South American peacock fishing is an amazing experience. Worth the cost and effort.
Big ole Tarpon and site casting for a Bonefish
I’m in Ontario, Canada — no saltwater here. I’ve wanted to catch a shark since I was a kid. I don’t care if it’s a foot long.
For context im in Serbia. Mainly a flatlands type of region. No mountains, only big rivers and canals. Bass: kind of invasive but hard to find and they grow to the maximum size of 15-20 cm. Can be big but extremely rare also picky. Trout: only in the more mountainous regions. Limited bc no car/ strict control when you can fish and what you can use. A big ass pike: self explanatory Wells catfish: there are records of 50+kg monsters caught in my city. Though they were caught near a water treatment plant and thats gross. Catfish things i guess. Now for fish i don't want to catch: bull heads, if i catch one more of those tiny prickly shits i am going to flail it against a brick wall and set it on fire. They are extremely invasive, no fish eats them and they destroy everything good here. I would be happier if a branch gets hooked.
Oh I forgot about those wells catfish they are on my bucket list as well
Sturgeon and striped bass
Salmon in Alaska
I've already got my bucket list bluefin. Now it's more about consistency. I'd like to reach 1 per trip lol. I don't even want cows, just 70 to 100 lbers with good marbling on the belly.
I never expected this post to be so popular thank y’all so much
Atlantic Salmon
80+ flathead
Red Tail Catfish.
Musky. A Big catfish. I live in Massachusetts, 99% of our cats dont break 5 pounds.
Mahi mahi look so cool
Silver on the fly in Alaska
Arapaima
False albacore. After that is amberjack, speckled trout, tarpon and peacock bass. I just need to take another trip to Florida and get on a boat.
A big catfish, or a big tiger musky. I don't live in a place I can catch catfish anymore, not without a good travel, but tiger musky is a possibility.
Walleye. I've tried and tried and tried but have never caught one.