Species: Blue Tilapia (Oreochromis aureus) Location: Gila River, Phoenix, Arizona Date: November 16, 2017 I knew Redbelly Tilapia weren’t the only exotic cichlids present in the Gila River, so I continued fishing, being careful to check every one of the 23 Redbellies I caught for signs of being either Blue or Nile Tilapia, both of which can be…
Species: Redbelly Tilapia (Tilapia zillii) Location: Gila River, Phoenix, Arizona Date: November 16, 2017 While the first Rio Grande Cichlid was easy to catch, the next dozen or so fish I caught were Redbelly Tilapia. These feisty and beautiful little fish came out of the weeds with every drop, looking to pounce of any- and everything I…
Species: Rio Grande Cichlid (Herichthys cyanoguttatus) Location: Gila River, Phoenix, Arizona Date: November 16, 2017 Traveling is always tough. When you have limited time, say, on a business trip, but you still want to fish, you must research beforehand. Fortunately, in the world of the Internet, social media, forums, and other digital resources, this is much easier…
Species: Spotted Sunfish (Lepomis punctatus) Location: Whataburger Parking Lot, Century, Florida Date: August 1, 2017 Florida is the destination fishery in the lower 48. As cool as salmon and steelhead and halibut are, it might even beat Alaska. So when I was driving back from Officer Training School in Alabama, I figured a small detour to Florida was…
Species: White Bass (Morone chrysops) Location: American Fork Marina, Utah Lake, Provo, UT Date: June 22, 2017 As I drove across the West on my way to Commissioned Officer Training (COT) in Montgomery, Alabama, I carefully planned my route to include stops at places I wanted to see. From Klamath Falls, my first long day of…
Species: Redear Sunfish (Lepomis microlophus) Location: E.E. Wilson Pond, Corvallis, OR Date: June 18, 2016 Though the movie Ready Player One was entirely different from the book, both media outlets were phenomenal. Though I’m not much of a gamer anymore, I still love books about the art of the game. For that reason, I’d like to share the most…
Species: White Perch (Morone americana) Location: Potomac River, Maryland Date: July 16, 2015 Why are they called White Perch? Well, White Bass is already taken. Though they’re in the Moronidae family with White, Yellow, and Striped Bass, they’re far from stupid. They should be called “Ass Pains” because they’re nothing more. *** Fishing the Potomac River had…
Species: Warmouth (Lepomis gulosus) Location: Cosca Lake, Washington, D.C. Date: July 16, 2015 White Catfish checked off, I decided to fish the tiny feeder stream. It was small and crystal-clear which made sneaking up on the spooky sunfish within a challenge. But I managed. My go-to Bergie Worm Jr. (now discontinued) tipped with a tiny piece of…
Species: European Perch (Perca fluviatilis) Location: Lake Pupuke, Auckland, New Zealand Date: February 19, 2014 New Zealand is famous for its trout fishing. It’s also well-known for its freshwater eels. What it is not renowned for is perch. So when I caught a perch in the small, urban lake at the heart of Auckland, I…
Species: Sacramento Perch (Archoplites interruptus) Location: Topsy Reservoir, Keno, OR Date: June 14, 2010 There wasn’t anything crazy about this day. In fact, apart from the fact that spelling the word “Sacramento” has been a lifelong struggle, there isn’t much to tell. I always spell it “Sacremento” instead of “Sacramento,” but I live with my imperfections. But this…
