Five in the Books

My 2014 fish list got a nice kick start during last week's ice fishing adventures in Pennsylvania, with five species tallied. The bright-colored pumpkinseeds were probably my favorite addition simply because that's not a kind of fish I always encounter. None last year, I know. The others -- bluegill, black crappie, yellow perch and rainbow trout -- were all on last year's list and are all species I normally stumble across over the course of the year.

Next weekend's plans take me to Alabama's Black Belt Region, where a largemouth bass and maybe another species are two are likely to be added to the 2014 list. (Trip, which begins on Thursday afternoon, is actually a "Cast & Blast" event, but ducks or deer don't go on the fish list.) Word has it that a seriously big bass is a definite possibility in small lakes I will be fishing, so stay tuned!