24 replies to this topic

[MuskieBait]

Was chatting with Chris K at Sail today and shared some of my fishing adventures with him. I've been busy so I've went off most of the fishing forums for the past year. Just didn't have time to chit chat.

 

But since I'm saying hi to Chris, I figure I can share my adventures with all of you as well. Enjoy!

[MuskieBait]

I spent 5 days in Florida between April 3-8, 2015. There were tickets to Fort Lauderdale on sale and my uncles lives in Coral Springs, so what the heck...let's go! Some of my long targeted species were finally captured...plus some very beautiful fish.

I caught 17 new species from 5 days of fishing, and there are many more species that were caught but I didn't photograph. I would figure a conservative guess of 40+ species caught during the 5 days.

Florida had given me 102 new lifer species over 38 total fishing days (over the span of 4 trips). And yet, there are still lots of fish that the state has to offer. Unbelievable! I'll definitely be back!

Here are the stories to share. But I will post most of the fish pictures below. It is never the same without reading the stories though. You'll never get the sense of struggles we went through to catch some of these species.

http://muskiebaitadv...rida-day-1.html

http://muskiebaitadv...rida-day-2.html

http://muskiebaitadv...rida-day-3.html

http://muskiebaitadv...rida-day-4.html

http://muskiebaitadv...rida-day-5.html

http://muskiebaitadv...rida-day-6.html

Yellow Sea Chub (Kyphosus incisor) - Species #413



Black Margate (Anisotremus surinamensis) - Species #414



Grass Porgy (Calamus arctifrons) - Species #415



Smooth Trunkfish (Rhinesomus triqueter) - Species #416



Initial phase Queen Parrotfish (Scarus vetula) - Species #417



Initial phase Stoplight Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Species #418



Terminal phase Redband Parrotfish (Sparisoma aurofrenatum)



Peacock Cichlid (Cichla ocellaris)



Hornet Tilapia (Tilapia buttikoferi) - Species #419



Spotted Tilapia (Tilapia mariae)


 

[MuskieBait]

Blue Tilapia (Oreochromis aureus) - Species #420



Pike Killifish (Belonesox belizanus) - Species #421



Jewelfish (Hemichromis bimaculatus)



Black Acara (Cichlasoma bimaculatum)



Mangrove Gambusia (Gambusia rhizophorae) - Species #422



Sheepshead Minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus variegatus) - Species #423



Blackear Wrasse (Halichoeres poeyi) - Species #424



Florida Pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) - Species #425



Bluehead Wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum)



Bermuda Sea Chub (Kyphosus sectatrix)


 

[MuskieBait]

Rainbow Parrotfish (Scarus guacamaia) - Species #426





Dollar Sunfish (Lepomis marginatus) - Species #427



Brown Hoplo (Hoplosternum littorale) - Species #428



Atlantic Lookdown (Selene vomer) - Species #429



These are so beautiful I just have to show the second one I caught...





Other species caught but not photographed...

Sergeant Major
Spottail Pinfish
Slippery Dick Wrasse
Redtail Parrotfish
Porkfish
Tomtate Grunt
French Grunt
Bigeye Scad
Atlantic Bumper
Slender Mojarra
Sand Perch
Houndfish
Bandtail Pufferfish
Yellow Bullhead
Walking Catfish
Eastern Mosquitofish
Mayan Cichlid
Seminole Killifish
Golden Topminnow

[MuskieBait]

My friend George invited me to his timeshare condo in Mazatlan. The trip took place from April 18 to April 26, 2015. We had 7 days in total and we spent most of our waking hours fishing and eating. At the beginning of the trip, I spent a few evenings grading Grade 10 Science ISU's. It was exhausting to say the least to mark assignments after a whole day of fishing. But even through that, I caught 33 new species in the 7 days...with many missed opportunities and heartbreaks. I will return to Mexico as soon as possible...this was just the first blood drawn...

As usual, these are the links to my blog posts.

http://muskiebaitadv...tlan-day-0.html

http://muskiebaitadv...tlan-day-1.html

http://muskiebaitadv...tlan-day-2.html

http://muskiebaitadv...tlan-day-3.html

http://muskiebaitadv...tlan-day-4.html

http://muskiebaitadv...tlan-day-5.html

http://muskiebaitadv...tlan-day-6.html

http://muskiebaitadv...tlan-day-7.html

This was my first ever species from Mexico...

Flathead Sea Catfish (Notarius planiceps) - Species #430



Raucous Grunt (Haemulopsis leuciscus) - Species #431



Yellowstripe Grunt (Haemulopsis axillaris) - Species #432



Striped Weakfish (Cynoscion reticulates) - Species #433



Spotted Rose Snapper (Lutjanus guttatus) - Species #434



Green Jack (Caranx caballus) - Species #435



Beaubrummel (Stegastes flavilatus) - Species #436



Rivulated Mutton Hamlet (Alphestes multiguttatus) - Species #437



Burrito Grunt (Anisotremus interruptus) - Species #438



Starry Grouper (Epinephelus labriformis) - Species #439

[MuskieBait]

Mexican Barracuda (Sphyraena ensis) - Species #440



Yellowspotted Grunt (Haemulon flaviguttatum) - Species #441



Brassy Grunt (Microlepidotus brevipinnis) - Species #442 (Standard length vs. body depth = 2.4)



Finescale Triggerfish (Balistes polylepis) - Species #443



Chili Sea Catfish (Notarius troschelii) - Species #444



At the end of my first fishing day, I caught my 16th new species from Mexico...the Pacific Dog Snapper.

Pacific Dog Snapper (Lutjanus novemfasciatus) - Species #445



Pacific Mutton Hamlet (Alphestes immaculatus) - Species #446



Dow's Mojarra (Eucinostomus dowii) - Species #447



This was a species that I caught but no one else did...

Pacific Sleeper (Gobiomorus maculatus) - Species #448



Largemouth Blenny (Labrisomus xanti) - Species #449

[MuskieBait]

Chameleon Wrasse (Halichoeres dispilus) - Species #450



Panamic Sergeant Major (Abudefduf troschelii) - Species #451



My favourite fish of the entire trip...because I've been trying for years to catch one from Hawaii and especially in Florida...

Longfin Yellowtail (Seriola rivoliana) - Species #452 (aka Almaco Jack)



Orangeside Triggerfish (Sufflamen verres) - Species #453



Pacific Graysby (Cephalopholis panamensis) - Species #454



Yellow Snapper (Lutjanus argentiventris) - Species #455



Pacific Crevalle Jack (Caranx caninus) - Species #456



Shortjaw Leatherjacket (Oligoplites refulgens) - Species #457



Pacific Red Snapper (Lutjanus peru) - Species #458



Cortez Rainbow Wrasse (Thalassoma lucasanum) - Species #459

[MuskieBait]

Panamic Frillfin (Bathygobius ramosus) - Species #460



Cortez Damselfish (Stegastes rectifraenum) - Species #461



And the last fish of the trip...

Mexican Night Sergeant (Abudefduf declivifrons) - Species #462



And here's A LOT of food porn...

[MuskieBait]

[MuskieBait]

My sister and I visited four provinces in Atlantic Canada between Jun 7 to 17. We spent most of our time exploring national parks. Although the primary focus of this trip wasn't about fishing, you won't catch me traveling without my gear!

I made a challenging but achievable goal to catch a new species from each province. In the end, I caught 7 new species and accomplished my goal!

Shorthorn Sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpius) - Species #464 (Newfoundland)



Rock Gunnel (Pholis gunnellus) - Species #465 (Newfoundland)



Winter Flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) - Species #466 (Prince Edward Island)



Blackspotted Stickleback (Gasterosteus wheatlandi) - Species #467 (Prince Edward Island)



Three-spined Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) - Species #468 (Prince Edward Island)



Atlantic Tomcod (Microgadus tomcod) - Species #469 (New Brunswick)



Longhorn Sculpin (Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus) - Species #470 (Nova Scotia)

[MuskieBait]

There were so much spectacular scenery that there isn't enough room to share here. I'll share my favourite panoramic view with you, but I so encourage you to visit my blog posts to see the rest.

 

[MuskieBait]

Here are the links to my blog posts.

http://muskiebaitadv...nada-day-1.html

http://muskiebaitadv...nada-day-2.html

http://muskiebaitadv...nada-day-3.html

http://muskiebaitadv...nada-day-4.html

http://muskiebaitadv...nada-day-5.html

http://muskiebaitadv...nada-day-6.html

http://muskiebaitadv...nada-day-7.html

http://muskiebaitadv...nada-day-8.html

http://muskiebaitadv...nada-day-9.html

http://muskiebaitadv...ada-day-10.html

http://muskiebaitadv...ada-day-11.html

[ChromeAddict]

That's freaking awesome Muskiebait.

[flowerjohn]

That is beyond amazing. You are one lucky man Muskie !!!

[NiagaraSteel]

Great stuff muskie! Gotta love the bay of fundy. Did you stop in at the margaree? I did some fishing at the forks there last year. Beautiful scenery, didn't wanna fish the rivers back here again!

[Bow Man]

Awesome, thank you for taking the time to post it.

[Berg]

This is an unbelievably boss post. So many species, you clearly know your fish. Thanks for the updates man! Beauty pics!

[MuskieBait]

Great stuff muskie! Gotta love the bay of fundy. Did you stop in at the margaree? I did some fishing at the forks there last year. Beautiful scenery, didn't wanna fish the rivers back here again!

Nope, we didn't have time on this trip. We had 4 provinced to cover in 10 days. Catching a wild Atlantic Salmon would be great, but it isn't too high on my bucket list at the moment. There are also other places in the world, like Iceland, where I can catch Atlantic Salmon much easier...or I can kelts on the Restoguche or Miramichi in the spring where it is possible to catch 20-30 per angler per day. Catching kelts is more conservation minded anyways since they had already spawned and contributed the genetics to the population...as opposed to fishing for fresh spawners on their way upriver.

Maybe one day...

[Shawarma]

Mind blowing colours on some of those. The Cortez Rainbow Wrasse is breath taking! 

[troutddicted]

I missed your reports - great to have you around and thanks for taking the time putting all that together - 500 is creeping up pretty quick