June 22, 2024

 Visited 2 spots in southern MO.  One I had been to before, one I had not heard of before but it was recommended by a fishing buddy.

2.5 hours to the first spot, 1.5 hours to the 2nd spot, and then 2.5 hours home.  6.5 hours drive time consumes a lot of (potential) fishing time!

Still, it was a good day. I caught 16 species!  I believe that is a NEW personal record for number of species in one day.  Most were micros.  Darters were one of my main targets for the trip.  I didn't see many.  I did get one or two to hit the tanago fly...but they were just to small to eat it far enough for me to hook them. Pretty little guys, tho.

I caught:

Bleeding Shiners

Striped Shiners

Mimic Shiner

Northern Studfish

Blackspotted Topminnow

Hornyhead Chub

Longear Sunfish

Green Sunfish

Bluegill

Hybrid sunfish

Redspotted Sunfish

Shadow Bass

Smallmouth Bass

Warmouth

Western Dollar Sunfish

and Golden Shiner

Also had a bird land on my hat for a bit while I was fishing.

On to the pics!.....

Shadow Bass

Longear Sunfish

Northern Studfish

Redspotted Sunfish

Hybrid Sunfish

Smallmouth Bass

Mimic Shiner

Warmouth

Western Dollar Sunfish

Bleeding Shiner

Golden Shiners

Blackspotted Sunfish

Hornyhead Chubs

Striped Shiners

Midland Watersnake

Bird on my hat.  Baby Barn Swallow, perhaps?

I also saw a lizard...it was black with some yellow (broken?) stripes.  The closest I could come up with is possibly a Six-lined Racerunner... but could have a been a Five-lined Skink?