531 Species

George and his 531 species of fish.

He had an eyeball open for his 532nd species as well. The North American Eel, but it didn’t happen.

His 530th was a shovelnose out of Pool 4 a couple weeks ago.

That is an impressive number. Out of curiosity, how many years does it take to amass 531? I’ve always liked the idea of keeping track of such things and kinda started a list in 2011. I never back-dated fish I’ve caught in the past but in 3 years can only claim 22. Although, I can’t say I’ve been on a quest either.

I’m not sure when he started, but George did say that he started with a clean sheet of paper. He’s 70 now.

I’ll have to look at the listS he sent to see if there’s any dates on there. He does fish all over the world but mentioned the most (at one time) species where caught in the Inter Coastal Hiway in Florida.

Quote:

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George and his 531 species of fish.

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That’s freaking amazing! Is there a world record for something like this? To me, this is represents a true respect and love for the sport.

Congrats

He was telling me about a fella that had 1200+.

Earliest I spotted on the below North America list was 1952. He’s been at it a while.

Freshwater Species North America (USA, Canada, and Mexico)
(102 Sprcies)

Basses and Sunfishes
Alabama Spotted Bass (Lake Colin Martin May 2012) Micropterus henshalli
Black Crappie (Potholes Resevoir Washington July 1954) Pomoxis nigromaculatus
Bluegill (Coffee Pot Lake Washington June 1952) Lepomis macrochirus
Green Sunfish (Manhattan Kansas April 1970) Lepomis cyanellus
Largemouth Bass (Northern) (Coffee Pot Lake Washington June 1952) Micropterus salmoides
Largemouth Bass (Florida) (Gainesville Fla Aug 1980) Micropterus salmoides floridanus
Longear Sunfish (Lexington Kentucky May 1966) Lepomis megalotis
Ouananiche (Lewisport Newfoundland Aug 1993) Salmo salar
Pumpkinseed (Potholes Resevoir Washington June 1953) Lepomis gibbosus
Redbreast Sunfish (Flint River Georgia May 2012) Lepomis auritus
Redear Sunfish (Orlando July 1975) Lepomis microlophus
Redeye Bass (Chattooga River Georgia April 2013)Micropterus coosae
Rock Bass (Mitchel Lake Michigan July 1966) Ambloplites rupestris
Sauger (Red River Selkirk Manitoba May 1990) Sander canadensis
Saugeye (Red River Selkirk Manitoba May 1990) Sander vitreus x Sander canadensis
Shoal Bass (Flint River Georgia May 2012) Micropterus cataractae
Smallmouth Bass (Yakima River Washington May 1958) Micropterus dolomieu
Spotted Bass (Northern) (Lake of the Ozarks Missouri June 1970) Micropterus punctulatus
Spotted Sunfish (Haines City Florida July 2010) Lepomis punctatus
Walleye (Eau Clair Wisconsin July 1958) Sander vitreus
Warmouth (Fort Lauderdale Florida April 2013) Lepomis gulosus
White Bass (Lexington Kentucky March 1969) Morone chrysops
White Perch (Trent River Ontario (April 2000) Morone americana
White Crappie (Lake Odessa Michigan July 1967) Pomoxis annularis
Yellow Bass (Kentucky Lake Tennessee May 2012) Morone mississippiensis
Yellow Perch (Coffee Pot Lake Washington June 1952) Perca flavescens
Carps and Minnows
Altahama Shiner (Dec 2012 Potyato CreekThomaston Georgia) Cyprenella xaenura
Bigmouth Buffalo (Lake Summerville Texas Mar 1997) Ictiobus cyprinellus
Blacknose Dace (Shefferville Labrador Aug 2008) Rhinichthys falcatus
Chiselmouth (Yakima River Richland Washington April 1953) Acrocheilus alutaceus
Common Carp (Yakima River Richland Washington May 1952) Cyprinus carpio
Common Shiner (Eromosas River Guelph Ontario May 1976) Luxilus cornutus
Creek Chub (Eromosa River Guelph Ontario July 1990) Semotilus atromaculatus
Golden Shiner (Twin Lakes Washington Sept 2001) Notemigonus crysoleucas
Grass Carp (Orlando Florida April 2013) Ctenopharyngodon idelia
Hornyhead Chub (Eromosa River Rockwood Ontario Aug 2912) Nocomis biguttatus
Longnose Dace (Shefferville Labrador Aug 2008) Rhinichthys cataractae
Northern Squafish ( Yakima River Richland Washington July 1955) Plychocheilus oregonensis
Peamouth (Columbia River Richland Washington June 1955) Mylocheilus caurinus
Redside Shiner (Twin lakes Washington June 1952) Richardsonius balteatus
River Carpsucker (Lake Texoma Texas April 2008) Carpiodes carpio
River Chub (Eramosa River Rockwood Ontario Aug 2012) Nocomis micropogon
Rudd (Rice Lake Ontario April 2009) Scardinius erythrophthalmus
Tench (Cheney Washington July 1962) Tinca tinca
Catfish
Black Bullhead (Yakima River Richland Washington July 1952) Ameiurus melas
Blue Catfish (Lake Texoma Texas April 2008) Ictalurus furcatus
Brown Bullhead (Rice Lake Ontario May 1976) Ameiurus nebulosis
Channel Catfish (Yakima River Richland Washington Aug 1962) Ictalurus punctatus
Flathead Catfish (Santee Cooper South Carolina April 2011) Pylodictis olivaris
Yellow Bullhead (East Lansing Michigan July 1967) Ameiurus natalis
Cichlids
African Jewelfish (Miami Florida April 2013) Hemichromis letourneuxi
Black Acura (Miami April 2013) Cichlasoma bimaculatum
Butterfly Peacock Bass (Miami April 2013) Cichla ocellaris
Jaguar Guapote (Miami April 2013) Cichlasoma managuense
Mayan Cichlid (Mayan Riviera Mex Mar 2012) Cichlasoma urophthalmus
Maydas Cichlid (Miami April 2013) Cichlasoma citrinelium
Oscar (Tamiami Trail Florida April 2013) Astronotus ocellatus
Mozambic Tilapia (Acapulco Mex Nov 2010) Tilapia mossambica
Spotted Tilapia (Tamiami Trail Florida April 2013) Tilapia mariae
Theraps Hybrid (Miami April 2013) Theraps melanurus x Theraps zonatus
Small Black Striped Cichlid (Miami April 2013)
Pike
Chain/Eastern Pickerel (Gainesville Florida Mar 1981) Esox niger
Muskellunge (Minden Ontario May 1988) Esox masquinongy
Northern Pike (Martini Lakes Michigan Oct 1965) Esox lucius
Shads, Mooneye, Herrings, Smelt
Alewife (Lake Michigan Michigan Aug 1970) Alosa pseudoharengus
American Shad (Snake River Washington Aug 1997) Alosa sapidissima
Gizzard Shad (Owen Sound Ontario May 1992) Dorosoma cepedianum
Mooneye (Trent River Ontario April 1998) Hiodon tergisus
Rainbow Smelt (Lake Michigan Mar 1968) Osmerus mordax
Skipjack Herring (Kentucky lake May 2012) Alosa chrysochloris
Suckers
Bridgelip Sucker (Columbia River Richland Washington May 1953) Catosomus columbianus
Largescale Sucker (Columbia River Richland Washington July 1954) Catosomus macrocheilus
Longnose Sucker (Twin Lakes Washington Aug 1958) Catosomus catosomus
Mountain Sucker (Columbia River Richland Washington Aug 1958) Catostomus playtrhynchus
White Sucker (Factory Creek Cobourg Ontario April 2000) Catosomus commersonii
Trouts and Whitefish
Artic Char (Cambridge Bay NWT Aug 2004) Salvelinus alpinus
Artic Grayling (Great Bear Lake NWT July 1972) Thymallus arcticus
Brook Trout (Trout Creek Washington June 1952) Salvelinus fontinalis
Brown Trout (Chimicon Creek Washington April 1959) Salmo trutta
Bull Trout (Wenaha River Washington April 1962) Salvelinus confluentus
Cisco (Great Slave Lake NWT Aug 1974) Coregonus artedi
Cutthroat Trout (Coastal) (Amboy Washington Aug 1965) Oncorhyncus clarkii clarkii
Cutthroat Trout (Westslope) ( Hidden Lakes Washington July 1959) Oncorhyncus clarkii lewisi
Cutthroat Trout (Yellowstone) Yellowstone Lake Wyoming Aug 1952) Oncorhyncus clarkii bouvieri
Inconnu (Inconnu Lodge Yukon July 1990) Stenodus leucichthus
Lake Trout (Great Slave Lake NWT June 1983) Salvelinus namaycush
Mountail Whitefish (Yakima River Washington June 1952) Prosopium williamsoni
Rainbow Trout (Columbia) (Bumping Lake Washington Sept 1950) Oncorhyncus mykiss irideus
Rainbow Trout (Costal) (Alagnac River July 1996) Oncorhyncus mykiss gairnerii
Round Whitefish (Shefferville Labrador Aug 2008) Prosopium cylindraceum
Splake (Owen Sound Ontario May 1992) Salvelinus fontinalis x salvelinus namaycush
Miscellaneous Species
Bowfin (Cedar River East Lansing Michigan Aug 1967) Amia calva
Bullseye Snakehead (Fort Lauderdale Florida April 2013) Channa marulius
Burbot (Rice Lake Ontario May 1976) Lota lota
Florida mGar (Tamiami Trail Florida April 2013) Lepisosteus platyrhincus
Freshwater Drum (Lexington Kentucky March 1969) Aplodinotus grunniens
Guppy like fish (Tamiami Trail Florida April 2013)
Longnose Gar (Hastings Michigan July 1968) Lepisosteus osseus
Round Goby (Rice Lake July 2012) Neogobius melanostomus
Sea Lamprey (Lake Michigan Muskegon Michigan September 1966) Petromyzon marinus
White Sturgeon (Snake River Washington Aug 1961) Acipenser tranamontanus
Unidentified Species
Blue Mountain mystery fish (Blue Mountains Washington July 1964)

Kudos to BrianK!…For the most words in an IDOfishing post!

Copy/paste works well.

He has three more Word doc with fish caught. I figure a few will have and interest in reading what George’s list is for North America…. others might not.

So…what’s my prize?

What the heck is a Blue Mountain mystery fish?

I’ve done a quick count on my number of species and came up with 41 in MN alone. Everything I’ve caught has been in MN though.

How bout you?

I kept track last year and this year. This year I’m way over the top from ’12 since I hooked into a pike and a creek chub.

8

Depends on dedication and money on how long that can take. Mine only count if I have a pic that can ID the fish.

Once you hit saltwater you can rack up 20 species pretty quick but every species gets tougher. All of my lifelist was caught in the Midwest and I do not chase them much anymore.

Blue Mountain Mystery fish probably is one he never identified.

Yes, that’s what George was saying. It’s getting harder and harder. He does have photos. Not sure how he stores them.

He’s also finding out some fish are called different names and once he catches the second one, Id’s it only to find out he had it already.

Pretty amazing stuff…for a guy like me.

Some species he is counting twice like rainbow trout. There are different subspecies and it is every person’s decision what to include. Local names get tough to deal with.

This guy has been keeping track since long before I was alive and has a great start to hos list. It is a lifelist for a reason! It takes a lifetime to complete only complete when you die!

I see some species he could get next spring and add probably 4 or 5 in one day. Possibly more on a good day.