Bluegill - Big Bluegill

Do you love big bluegill?

Here's something only my fevered mind would dream up.
Every angler wants to catch the big name fish. Big bass, Massive salmon, trophy bluegill, arapaima in South America (my personal quest), and so on.

But what about those other fish, the "trashy" ones we don't admire nor talk much about? If you were to target them, which ones would you go after?

In other words, what would a "Non-game Fish Bucket List" look like?

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While it may be true that I no longer fish for anything other than Bluegill and their cousins, I am surprised that no one else has added a Paddlefish to their bucket. I used to think I would enjoy snagging one.

I have never caught a Paddlefish on purpose, but have hung several by chance. Mostly on spinning or bait casting gear.. but once while I was Sand Bass fishing in Keystone Lake I stuck one with a Deep Clouser Minnow. Got it to the boat twice... I got a little cocky (and impatient, I was young then) and pulled just that smidgen too hard and popped the tippet. It was pinned to the spoon close enough to the mouth to be a legit catch but it was not to be. It was in the forty inch range.

I had thought of the paddlefish, Tony. I know Bob Garner gets them where
he is.

yea we have a ton of silvers here , you will be going along then the next thing these dang fish start jumping all over and scare the crap out of ya

Growing up on the Mississippi River, I have caught longnose gar, dog fish, quill back buffalo, common buffalo, carp, red horse, moon eyes, skip jacks, and paddlefish. I would like to catch a silver carp, and a snakehead. I have eaten all the above except for a skip jack, dog fish and moon eyes. 

Vince- Aren't Skipjacks a hoot to catch?! Super jumpy... a shad with teeth!

Eaten them? I like your style!

Alligator Gar

Spoonbill - actually land one!

Carp

Buffalo

Bowfin

Snakehead

Redhorse Sucker

Bourbot

I have inadvertently snagged several Spoonbill.  Haven't landed any of them.  The latest one, this past Spring, I should have landed, as I was using my surf rod.  Only problem, is that it turned broadside to the current and took off.  I got it stopped, and it promptly wrapped my line around a rock.  I had to break off.  Bummer.

I am on the hunt for some carp and then some gar on the fly. There just are not any of either in the small warmwater creeks that I have been fishing. My life is finally starting to settle back down and I will spread out my fishing waters with the used fishing yak I bought last spring.

 

I would also like to get into some drum, suckers, and other rough fish. I catch and release so I just want a bend in the rod. I have a line on some stripers if I can get up to the area one of these days. The fella told me I needed a 9wt and I had better get control early or they would line me since they are in some current. I am looking forward to the challenge.

great topic dave.... the ones i havnt caught but would like to is snake head oscar and tilapia. hopefully this winter these guys will keep me busy when i go down to florida..

What part of Florida you going to I might be able to help out with some spots I lived there for over 35 years but now I'm in Illinois but I know of a lot of great spots to go fishing at

charles i got friends and relatives on the space coast and port charlotte... but would like to find a place close to the peacock bass action.

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