Species Count: 20 (updated 04/03/2026)
After a few remarkable years on the water (include 57 species in 2022), I finally had a down year in 2025. Tasked with holding down a full time job and helping to run a veterinary clinic on the side, fly fishing and tying were both placed on the back burner this past year.
Still, I managed 23 species in a down year including my first Florida Pompano. And, while I didn’t create a species list post for 2025, those 23 species will serve as my baseline entering 2026. With 37 & 49 species taking home first place in the RSFF & KFF species contests, respectively, I also have benchmarks for success in mind as I enter 2026.
If you enjoy a good species hunt, be sure to check back throughout the year to see how I do.
Happy New Year!
Tight Lines,
Chris
1. Redfish (Sciaenops ocellatus)
2. Southern Flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma)
3. Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)
4. Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)
5. Redspotted Sunfish (Lepomis miniatus)
6. Dollar Sunfish (Lepomis marginatus)
7. Largemouth Bass (Micropterus nigricans)
8. Black Crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)
9. Redear Sunfish (Lepomis microlophus)
10. White Crappie (Pomoxis annularis)
11. White Bass (Morone chrysops)
12. Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus)
LaFourche Parish, Louisiana (February 24, 2026); Fly: Crab Fly
13. Black Drum (Pogonias cromis)
LaFourche Parish, Louisiana (February 24, 2026); Fly: Clouser’s Minnow
14. Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio)
15. Rio Grande Cichlid (Herichthys cyanoguttatus)
16. Longear Sunfish (Lepomis megalotis)
17. Striped Shiner (Luxilus chrysocephalus)
18. Spotted Bass (Micropterus punctulatus)
19. Shortnose Gar (Lepisosteus platostomus)
20. Orangespotted Sunfish (Lepomis humilis)
