2016 US Midwest

[MuskieBait]

In 2013, I took a trip to Illinois hoping for a chance at a Shovelnose Sturgeon. However, the Mississippi was flooded and I didn't have a chance.

Fast forward to May 2016, I've yet again planned a trip to Illinois for Shovelnose Sturgeon. And yet again, the Mississippi was flooded.

Still, all the other species made up for it. I had the goal to catch the two remaining Sunfish not on my list, the Bantam Sunfish and the Redspotted Sunfish, and finally checked off all the Lepomis species! I also wanted to catch the Shadow Bass and Ozark Bass and be that much closer to completing all the Ambloplites species.

A total of 26 new species in 5 days of fishing. That's a pretty good count!

Here are the stories (starting on Day 1):

http://muskiebaitadventures.blogspot.ca/...day-1.html

Spottail Darter (Etheostoma squamiceps) - Species #551



Stripetail Darter (Etheostoma kennicotti) - Species #552



Rainbow Darter (Etheostoma caeruleum)



Whitetail Shiner (Cyprinella galactura) - Species #553



Ozark Minnow (Notropis nubilus) - Species #554



Shadow Bass (Ambloplites ariommus) - Species #555



Banded Sculpin (Cottus carolinae) - Species #556



Cardinal Shiner (Luxilus cardinalis) - Species #557



Southern Redbelly Dace (Phoxinus erythrogaster) - Species #558



Plateau Darter (Etheostoma squamosum) - Species #559



Ozark Sculpin (Cottus hypselurus) - Species #560



Ozark Darter (Etheostoma spectabile) - Species #561



Ozark bass (Ambloplites constellatus) - Species #562



Hornyhead Chub spp. (Nocomis biguttatus)



Yellow Bullhead (Ameiurus natalis)



Checkered Madtom (Noturus flavater) - Species #563



Blackspotted Topminnow (Fundulus olivaceus) - Species #564



Brook Darter (Etheostoma burri) - Species #565



Dollar Sunfish (Lepomis marginatus)



Redspotted Sunfish (Lepomis miniatus) - Species #566!



Bantam Sunfish (Lepomis symmetricus) - Species #567!



Starhead Topmminnow (Fundulus dispar) - Species #568



Slough Darter (Etheostoma gracile) - Species #569



Central Stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum) - Species #570!



Bleeding Shiner (Luxilus zonatus) - Species #571



Knobfin Sculpin (Cottus immaculatus) - Species #572



Sand Shiner (Notropis stramineus)



Spotted Bass (Micropterus punctulatus) - Species #573



Dusky Darter (Percina sciera) - Species #574



Slenderhead Darter (Percina phoxocephala) - Species #575



Longear Sunfish (Lepomis megalotis)



Silver Chub (Macrhybopsis storeriana) - Species #576



Freshwater Drum (Aplodinotus grunniens)



Yes...we did it...even though we were faced with adversity!!!

Shovelnose Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) - Species #577!!!





Shorthead Redhorse (Moxostoma macrolepidotum)