Bucket list fish...

[ronaultmtd]

Turned 71 this year- fished all over the world- caught hundreds of different species of fish..two marlin species- over a dozen species of sharks, including the present Virginia state record Great Hammerhead, many different tuna species, cobia, red drum, big blues, dolphin, wahoo, cero and King Mackerel...but one fish I have targeted many, many times has eluded me...and it is sort of on my bucket list- a Giant Tarpon- had many hooked, but never touched the leader...everyone on my boat at the Bahia Honda Bridge caught a giant tarpon...but me...had three hooked up- one got into the bridge and the other two jumped off...I still dream about those fish...if I never get one it isn't the end of the world, but...so what fish is in your dreams?

[DanMarino]

I'm pretty simple. Would love to catch a 20" smallmouth bass. Hopefully on top water. On a fly rod would be a bonus.

Snakehead on a fly rod would be pretty neat too.

[silasvirus82]

I'd have to say a giant tarpon on a fly rod would be my bucket list fish as well. I've also dreamed of pulling up a 100lb+ halibut in Alaska.

[rugbyfish]

Catching a big Atlantic Sturgeon would be wild, but chances are almost zero. I would love to have been able to experience that fishery in the Chesapeake a few hundred years ago. As far as a more realistic bucket list fish goes, I'm with Ron on landing a huge tarpon.

[Mark]

I recently removed redfish and snook from my list.

Now I'd like to catch a tarpon and a bonefish.

From what I understand getting your hand on the leader of a hooked tarpon constitutes a catch. I've actually caught a number of ladyfish, which are much smaller cousins of tarpon. I've caught them on the fly and on conventional tackle. They pack a lot of fight in a two foot package. They also go airborne like their big cousins. Lots of fun. I can only imagine what a tarpon catch would be like on either the fly or conventional tackle.

Bonefish require long delicate sight casts in clear, skinny water. I know I could meet the technical requirements to catch them on the fly. I've just never fished where they are.

I have no desire to catch toothy fish other than pickerels and specks. Sharks are a definite "no" and even those big blues some of you folks have been catching in DE and OC do not interest me.

Good topic, Ron.

[RavensDfense]

Turned 71 this year- fished all over the world- caught hundreds of different species of fish..two marlin species- over a dozen species of sharks, including the present Virginia state record Great Hammerhead, many different tuna species, cobia, red drum, big blues, dolphin, wahoo, cero and King Mackerel...but one fish I have targeted many, many times has eluded me...and it is sort of on my bucket list- a Giant Tarpon- had many hooked, but never touched the leader...everyone on my boat at the Bahia Honda Bridge caught a giant tarpon...but me...had three hooked up- one got into the bridge and the other two jumped off...I still dream about those fish...if I never get one it isn't the end of the world, but...so what fish is in your dreams?

Mine used to be a Tarpon also, but I got extremely lucky and landed a 72" incher in VA last summer with Hemmingway. I think my dream fish would be to repeat that feat in the kayak.

[ronaultmtd]

An extremely rare fish is a Virginia Tarpon- congratulations on the most difficult of all Tarpon

[Mark]

An extremely rare fish is a Virginia Tarpon- congratulations on the most difficult of all Tarpon

Yes. I didn't know they came that far north.

Congratulations RavensDfense.

[Slobber Bob]

Yes. I didn't know they came that far north.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhh

[hookmeup]

From kayak: large tarpon (over 100), sailfish, cobia, any kind of marlin, permit, amberjack, over 50 # striper. All C&R

[yakscientist]

I started a bucket list excel file last year, ranging from realistic to extremely difficult, in terms of actually crossing them off. The first one was simply catching a big fish from a kayak, a fish where you could show anyone, angler or not, the picture, and they'd all say that it was a big fish (got that on 1/1). Some of the more realistic catches are a bluefish over 25" (just got that one checked off), and a rockfish over 30" (possible but tough to do). Some of the more difficult catches include a cobia, any truly stereotypical pelagic species (like tuna, billfish, mahi, etc.), and catching 10 different species from the CB over the course of this year (I'm halfway there). I am traveling to Kauai and Maui later this year, so I hope to check off a few of the pelagic items.

[J.A. Veil]

Fifteen years ago, I went on a multi-year quest to catch my first tarpon. I found a guide in Florida who specialized in tarpon fishing. It took several trips to finally find good weather conditions and feeding tarpon. In May 2003, my fishing buddy Mike from Oklahoma and I each caught several tarpon heavier than 100 pounds with the largest at 170 pounds at Boca Grande, FL. My first tarpon ever caught is shown in the photo. The captain was very intense in his desire to find tarpon. It added some stress to the trip. Although it was exciting to hook and fight several tarpon, I am unlikely to make trips focused solely on tarpon again. I have the first photo, the date and place, and the scale all matted in the same picture frame and hanging in my bedroom.



tarpon-jv.jpg tarpon4.jpg tarpon2.jpg tarpon-scale.jpg

On one of my kayak fishing trips in Tampa Bay last year, I hooked a small tarpon in the early dawn. It took one leap and threw the jighead.

[RavensDfense]

An extremely rare fish is a Virginia Tarpon- congratulations on the most difficult of all Tarpon

It was an extremely lucky fish. I am ashamed to say it was on my first trip targeting them; within the first three hours of setting up. I totally realize that I in no way paid my dues and may go years without catching another...yet alone from a kayak.

Yes. I didn't know they came that far north. Congratulations RavensDfense.

Thank you. Very few are caught in VA each year. Some years none. It has become generally well known that they are here due to social media reports from tackle shops such as Chris's Bait and Tackle and fishing reports from people like Dr. Julie Ball; however, besides the fact that they exist it is an extremely tight lipped fishery. No lie, Gary and I asked one employee of a local tackle shop the best way to navigate to our fishing spot (one that we picked out on our own) and he proceeded to send us into a shallow flat. We ran aground, tore through some clam netting, and destroyed Gary's boat prop. It wasn't an accident he sent us on this path. That's how Day 1 ended.

[Plastic Boat]

My bucket list is a big Tarpon from my kayak

Like this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6Rm...C7Abnp&index=5

[kevinfry]

I took one tarpon fishing trip in my lifetime and it was the single greatest fishing event in my life.
A friend of mine in Guatemala took my sons and I just about as deep into the central american jungle as you can get...up Lago Isabel and way up the Rio Oscuro. After an amazing trip being screamed at by monkeys, watching strange creatures slip into the river ahead of us (I like to think they were small crocodile , but they could have giant turtles), and seeing every species of North American kite, we found the Tarpon.
Over the next 3hours we hooked dozens of large to medium tarpon. All too much for our gear.. (most hooked on yozuri minnows) The river was narrow so it was impossible to stop the acrobatic leap after leap....in the end, Zero leaders were touched, but all parties super happy.
The idea of fishing for them in any place less spectacular isn't attractive to me....so tarpon is off my list.
My current top bucket list fish would be an Artic Grayling.

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