NickP27's 2018 OSF Multi-Species Challenge Entries

[NickP27]

Here we go ... again ... happily in Ontario this time around.

Out of nothing more than my own curiosity, I scrolled through my lifelist and counted my lifetime species caught within Ontario borders ... it was 34 ... so I'm setting that as my goal for the 2018 OSF Multi-Species Challenge (minimum of course).

I have more fishing plans for the year than I do days and I hope to catch 10 standard sized lifers in 2018 and attempt microfishiong for the first time, hopefully adding another 10 micro lifers to the total (or zero depending how bad I am at it). Now that I've said that I can't take it back, success or failure you'll all see how close I'll get.

Good luck to all this year.

Game on ...


1) Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) - April 1, 2018 - Zone 17

   


2) Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) - May 4, 2018 - Zone 17

   


3) Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) - May 5, 2018 - Zone 17

   


4) Northern Pike (Esox lucius) - May 13, 2018 - Zone 20

   


5) Creek Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus) - May 14, 2018 - Zone 16

   

[NickP27]

6) Common Shiner (Luxilus cornutus) - May 14, 2018 - Zone 16

   


7) Round Goby (Neogobius melanostomus) - May 14, 2018 - Zone 16

   


8) River Chub (Nocomis micropogon) - June 8, 2018 - Zone 16

   


9) Shorthead Redhorse (Moxostoma macrolepidotum) - June 8, 2018 - Zone 16

   


10) Black Bullhead (Ameiurus melas) - June 10, 2018 - Zone 16

   

[NickP27]

11) Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) - June 10, 2018 - Zone 16

   


12) Brown Bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) - June 10, 2018 - Zone 16

   


13) Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) - June 16, 2018 - Zone 16

   


14) Western Blacknose Dace (Rhinichthys obtusus) - June 17, 2018 - Zone 16 (LIFER!)

   


15) Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu) - July 20, 2018 - Zone 16

   

[NickP27]

16) Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) - July 20, 2018 - Zone 16 (LIFER!)

   


17) Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) - July 20, 2018 - Zone 16

   


18) Rock Bass (Ambloplites rupestris) - July 20, 2018 - Zone 16

   


19) Spotfin Shiner (Cyprinella spiloptera) - July 20, 2018 - Zone 16 (LIFER! #150)

   


20) Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) - July 29, 2018 - Zone 15

   

[Fossil Fish]

How sure are you on the black bullhead Nick? The barbels I can see in the pic look pretty light. Maybe it's a yellow bullhead???

[NickP27]

Hey Fossil Fish,

I am fairly confident ... not without a doubt however...

I was paying special attention to all the bullhead I caught that day as I had caught all three species in a single day two years ago on that particular waterbody and was hoping for a repeat. No Yellow Bullhead to my knowledge ... the species I was most hoping for.

I do agree with you that those largest two barbels appear uncharacteristically light, didn't pay much attention to that as I was using the four lower barbels for ID purposes.

The lower barbels were pale at the base and faded to a gray. All Yellow Bullhead I have caught prior had pale barbels from base to tip.

   

I also found the olive colouration, dusky fin membranes and pale bar at the base of the tail indicative of Black Bullhead (at least in this waterbody).

   

And just as some anecdotal evidence here are pictures of my Yellow Bullhead and a more definitive Black Bullhead from this exact spot two years ago.

   
Yellow Bullhead

   
Black Bullhead

Not saying I am 100% correct, but I am fairly sure. Happy to hear of any further distinguishing features either way. Can always learn a bit more ...

---

21) Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) - July 29, 2018 - Zone 15

   

[Fossil Fish]

Not doubting you as all I've ever caught were browns, just trying to learn a bit myself. In a recent conversation with Muskiebait about a very dark brown bullhead I caught, he told me to count the anal fin rays. Blacks will have 15-21 rays, browns have 21-24 and yellows have 24-27. Before he mentioned it, I didn't know there were differences.