One of the most satisfying aspects of fishing is the pursuit of different species. My goal is to catch as many species as I can in one year. This approach is similar to the activities of birdwatchers. My birdwatching past is what inspired me to take a species diversification approach to fishing.
Here's the list for 2017. A total of 57 species were caught; 19 in freshwater and 38 in saltwater. The list includes fourteen new species. One of these, the Spotted Hake, was caught locally. One specimen was hooked in Cape Cod Bay and another near Block Island. Five new species, King Mackerel, Atlantic Croaker, Pinfish, Blue Spotted Sunfish, and Flier were caught during a trip in May to North Carolina. The other new species were caught in September on a vacation in the Azores. These include: Bastard Grunt, Black Scorpionfish, Dusky Grouper, European Barracuda, Gilthead Seabream, Grey Triggerfish, and Guinean Puffer, .
All species are listed by a common name followed by the scientific name. The number indicates how many were caught during the year. Letters following the number indicate mode of fishing (see key). I’ve also included the locations where each species was caught in 2017.
Mode Key:
K Kayak
SH Shore
MB Private Motorboat
PB Party Boat
CH Charter Boat
IF Ice Fishing
Saltwater
Atlantic Croaker Micropogonias undulates (6) SH
Location(s): Carolina Beach NC
Atlantic Mackerel Scomber scombrus (77) K,SH,MB
Location(s): Cape Cod Canal, Cape Cod Bay
Axillary Seabream Pagellus Acarne (2) SH
Location(s): Sao Miguel Island Azores Portugal
Bastard Grunt Pomadasys incisus (1) SH
Location(s): Sao Miguel Island Azores Portugal
Black Scorpionfish Scorpaena porous (1) SH
Location(s): Sao Miguel Island Azores Portugal
Black Sea Bass Centropristis striata (228) K,SH,MB, PB
Location(s): Megansett Harbor North Falmouth MA, Cape Cod Canal, Westport MA, Block Island RI, Parker River West Yarmouth MA, Woods Hole MA, Coxes Ledge
Black Tail Comber Serranus atricauda (3) CH
Location(s): Sao Miguel Island Azores Portugal
Bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix (27) K,SH,MB
Location(s): Popponesset Bay Mashpee MA, Westport MA, Woods Hole MA, Megansett Harbor North Falmouth MA
Cod Gadus morhua (11) PB
Location(s): Stellwagen Bank, Coxes Ledge
Cunner Tautogolabrus adspersus (60) K,SH,MB,PB
Location(s): Cape Cod Canal, Scorton Ledge, Coxes Ledge
Dusky Grouper, Epinephelus margiatus (2) SH
Location(s): Sao Miguel Island Azores Portugal
European Barracuda Sphyraena sphyraena (1) CH
Location(s): Sao Miguel Island Azores Portugal
False Albacore Euthynnus alletteratus (1) CH
Location(s): Ten miles off Carolina Beach North Carolina
Fluke Paralichthys dentatus (13) K,MB
Location(s): Plymouth Harbor MA, Megansett Harbor North Falmouth MA, Block Island RI, Westport MA
Gilthead Seabream, Sparus aureate (3) SH
Location(s): Sao Miguel Island Azores Portugal
Grey Triggerfish Batistes capriscus (1) CH
Location(s): Sao Miguel Island Azores Portugal
Guinean Puffer Spheroids marmoratus (3) SH
Location(s): Sao Miguel Island Azores Portugal
Haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus (43) PB
Location(s): Stellwagen Bank
Hickory Shad Alosa mediocris (4) K,MB
Location(s): Popponesset Bay Mashpee MA, Westport River Westport MA
King Mackerel Scomberomorus cavalla (5) CH
Location(s): Ten miles off Carolina Beach NC
Menhaden Brevoortia tyrannus (17) K,SH
Location(s): Popponesset Bay Mashpee MA, Megansett Harbor North Falmouth MA
Northern Kingfish Menticirrhus saxatilis (5) K,SH
Location(s): Megansett Harbor North Falmouth MA, Parker River West Yarmouth MA
Northern Puffer Sphoeroides maculatus (1) K
Location(s): Megansett Harbor North Falmouth MA
Pinfish Lagodon rhomboidalis (6) K,SH
Location(s): Cape Fear River NC, Carolina Beach NC
Pollock Pollachius virens (1) SH
Location(s): Cape Cod Canal
Sculpin Myoxocephalus scorpius (8) K,PB
Location(s): Stellwagen Bank, Scorton Ledge
Scup Stenotomus chysops (266) K,SH,MB,PB
Location(s): Megansett Harbor North Falmouth MA, Woods Hole MA, Popponesset Bay Mashpee MA, Westport MA, Block Island RI, Coxes Ledge
Sea Robin Prionotus carolinus (16) K,SH,MB
Location(s): Megansett Harbor North Falmouth MA, Popponesset Bay Mashpee MA, Westport MA
Silverside Menida menida (16) K,SH
Location(s): Megansett Harbor North Falmouth MA, Popponesset Bay Mashpee MA, Woods Hole MA
Smooth Dogfish Mustelus canis (2) MB
Location(s): Westport MA
Spiny Dogfish Squalus acanthias (9) PB
Location(s): Coxes Ledge,
Spotted Hake Urophycis regia (2) MB,PB
Location(s): Cape Cod Bay, Block Island RI
Striped Bass Morone saxatilis (325) K,SH,MB
Location(s): Popponesset Bay Mashpee MA, Cape Cod Canal, Barnstable Harbor MA, Meganset Harbor North Falmouth MA, Westport River Westport MA, Scorton Creek Sandwich MA
Tautog Tautoga onitis (43) K,MB
Location(s): Scorton Ledge, Woods Hole MA, Westport MA
Two Banded Seabream Diplodus Vulgaris (5) CH
Location(s): Sao Miguel Island Azores Portugal
White Seabeam Diplodus Sargus (3) SH
Location(s): Sao Miguel Island Azores Portugal
Winter Flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus (4) K,PB
Location(s): Cape Cod Bay, Scorton Ledge, Coxes Ledge
Wolffish Anarchichas lupus (1) PB
Location(s): Stellwagen Bank
Freshwater
Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus (1) IF
Location(s): Dunn Pond Gardner MA
Bluegill Sunfish Lepomis macrochirus (19) SH
Location(s): Beaver Pond Franklin MA, Coonamesett River Falmouth MA, Coonamesett Pond Falmouth MA, Flax Pond Bourne MA
Blue Spotted Sunfish Enneacanthus gloriosus (1) SH
Location(s): Croatan National Forest North Carolina
Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis (2) SH
Location(s): Hathaway Pond Barnstable MA
Brown Bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus (2) SH
Location(s): Santuit Pond Mashpee MA
Brown Trout Salmo trutta (7) SH
Location(s): Mares Pond Falmouth MA, Baker Pond Orleans MA, Spectacle Pond Sandwich MA, Pimlico Pond Sandwich MA
Chain Pickerel Esox niger (14) SH
Location(s): Schoolhouse Pond Chatham MA, Santuit Pond Mashpee MA
Creek Chub Semotilus atromaculatus (1) SH
Westfield River Savoy MA
Flier Centrarchus macropterus (4) SH
Location(s): Croatan National Forest North Carolina
Golden Shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas (10) SH
Location(s): Santuit Pond Mashpee Ma
Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush (5) IF
Location(s): Lake Winnipesaukee Moultonborough NH
Landlocked Salmon Salmo salar sebego (1) IF
Location(s): Lake Winnipesaukee Moultonborough NH
Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides (18) SH
Location(s): Spectacle Pond Sandwich MA, Pilgrim Lake Orleans MA, Schoolhouse Pond Chatham MA, Hathaway Pond Barnstable MA, Santuit Pond Mashpee MA, Flax Pond Bourne MA, Coonamesett River Falmouth MA, Coonamesett Pond Falmouth MA, Lagoa de Bras Azores Portugal
Pumpkinseed Sunfish Lepomis gibbosus (26) SH,IF
Location(s): Sheomet Lake, Santuit Pond Mashpee MA, Spectacle Pond Sandwich MA, Pilgrim Lake Orleans MA, Hathaway Pond Barnstable MA, South Pond Savoy MA, Johns Pond Mashpee MA
Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (31) SH,IF
Location(s): Dunn Pond Gardner MA, Grews Pond Falmouth MA, Spectacle Pond Sandwich MA, Baker Pond Orleans MA, Pimlico Pond Sandwich MA, Shubael Pond Barnstable MA, Scargo Lake Dennis MA, Johns Pond Mashpee MA, Mashpee-Wakeby Pond Mashpee MA
Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu (10) SH
Location(s): Spectacle Pond Sandwich MA, Scargo Lake Dennis MA, Mashpee-Wakeby Pond Mashpee MA
Tiger Trout Salvelinus fontinalis X Salmo trutta Hybrid (2) SH
Location(s): Baker Pond Orleans MA, Spectacle Pond Sandwich MA
White Perch Morone americanus (7) SH
Location(s): Rushy Marsh Pond Cotuit MA, Johns Pond Mashpee MA, Santuit Pond Mashpee MA, Sippican Rver Marion MA
Yellow Perch Perca flavescens (141) IF,SH
Location(s): Lake Winnipesaukee Moultonborough NH, Mares Pond Falmouth MA, Lake Pemigewasset Meredith NH, Sheomet Lake Warwick MA, Spectacle Pond Sandwich MA, Pimlico Pond Sandwich MA, Peters Pond Sandwich MA, Santuit Pond Mashpee MA, Pilgrim Lake Orleans MA, Schoolhouse Pond Chatham MA, Shubael Pond Barnstable MA, Flax Pond Bourne MA, Ashumet Pond Falmouth MA, Mashpee-Wakeby Pond Mashpee MA
