Headed down to Southern MO / Northern AR on Friday. Wanted to add a few species to my 2023 Fly Rod List. Some fish I'd already caught this year, too.
I got a Western Dollar Sunfish:
Bluegill:
A really dark-colored Redspotted Sunfish:
Other more "normal" ones:
Knobfin Sculpin:
And a bunch of Warmouth that showed how different they can look:
I also caught a Longear Sunfish:
Flyfished Saturday.
I had caught Koi on the fly rod in every month of the year except June, so I wanted to close that loop.
Also got to demonstrate my technique to a very nice Police Officer. The fish cooperated quickly, making me look like I really knew what I was doing. The Officer was kind enough to act impressed. HA!
I caught 16 Koi and 6 Goldfish before heading elsewhere to fish for other species.
Koi:
Out of order...I forgot to post this fishing outing. On this outing, I was hoping for Warmouth, and maybe some other different stuff, along with the usual species.
I didn't get any Warmouth. I did catch a couple Bowfin (and lost another), some Shortnose Gar, a Grass Carp, a Freshwater Drum, a Channel Catfish (I think that's the first on of those from this spot for me), Largemouth Bass, Bluegills, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish. I think that's all.
Got out flyfishing on Sunday. Was hoping for a new species for the year... White Bass or Spotted Bass, or maybe a Goldeye or Longnose Gar. That didn't happen, although I may have had a Spotted Bass on...and might have even had a Longnose Gar on.
Instead, I ended up catching 5 Grass Carp (biggest measured 31", ~ 12 lbs), 5 Shortnose Gar (biggest 3 measured 26", 25.5", and 23"), 3 small Channel Catfish, some Bluegills, Green Sunfish and Hybrid Sunfish, and a Largemouth Bass.
They day after my daughter's wedding, I was able to meet up with my buddy Jay and do some fishing. I wanted to add a Pumpkinseed Sunfish to my 2023 Flyrod Species list, since they don't seem to be in Missouri.
Where I'd hoped to catch them, the water was low, and the pond edges were choked solid with weeds. Took a very long cast just to reach beyond the weed edge. Caught a bluegill there, but soon moved to a nearby pond instead. Caught one! Flyrod Species # 59 for 2023!
Next, we visited a pond to see if there were still big bluegills in it...worried after hearing reports of folks harvesting them in the past year or two. Happy to have found some. I caught maybe 10-11 Bluegills, but all were 9"+, with about 6 being 10"-10.5"! BIG!
