Species 19 & 20

Yesterday's swing to the Chattooga National Wild & Scenic River yielded Nos. 19 and 20 for my 2014 Species List. No. 19 was a redeye bass. Redeyes are regionally distinctive black bass that look and act like mini smallmouths. No. 20 was a chub. Spend enough days casting in mountain rivers, you'll eventually find your chub most years.

I've noted before that while I've caught lots of pond and stream fish in from Georgia this, none of my list fish, which are the first of any given species in a year, have come from my own state's waters. This year's list now includes fish from nine states, but none from Georgia! Yesterday was the closest. The chub actually might have even been in Georgia when it hit. I was wading on the SC side of the border-straddling river, though, and I don't even know if my  cast crossed the middle (or exactly where the line runs in that area) so I still had to record it as a South Carolina fish.

I don't know what species will make the list next, but part this weekend's fishing plan in Wisconsin is to go after salmon, and any salmon species would add to this year's list.