Dream Fish

[RMax]

Today, I was editing my gigantic fish list (List of my pb for every species I've caught, and a list of every fish I want to catch in the future, including length/weight and location) (Will share a photo if someone wants to see some good ideas) and was wondering if anyone else has a dream fish they would like to catch?  Although nearly impossible, I would love to complete my checklist, although if I had to pick, it would either be a 20 ft. Sawfish (although it is illegal to target them) or a 2.5 ft. Golden Dorado.

[Fishfisherson]

Wels  Catfish 

[Bluebasser86]

I have several very attainable fish I'd like to check off my list that I've never had a chance to catch. Most saltwater species, a brook trout, lake trout, but a huge white sturgeon would probably be my top of the list that I'd like to check off. 

[RMax]

6 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I have several very attainable fish I'd like to check off my list that I've never had a chance to catch. Most saltwater species, a brook trout, lake trout, but a huge white sturgeon would probably be my top of the list that I'd like to check off. 

You should check out Beluga Sturgeon, if their populations ever recover.

[Bluebasser86]

2 hours ago, RMax said:

You should check out Beluga Sturgeon, if their populations ever recover.

That would be cool but I don't really want to travel quite that much to check a fish off the list.

[Darren.]

Dreams for me:

 

1. Amazon Peacock Bass

2. Nile Perch

3. Blue Marlin

[flyfisher]

Peacock bass

Goliath tiger fish

Golden dorado

Sea run brookies

 

And all on the fly rod.

 

I am really going to focus on getting a citation sized largemouth on my fly rod this year.  Last year i started out strong but didn't stick with it long enough and went back to conventional gear in most situations.  This year i hope to do a lot more night fishing and the fly rod, as long as the bats leave me alone, would work perfectly.

[Dorado]

Dream list:

 

Tarpon from a kayak

Taimen on a flyrod wading in Mongolia

Dorado from a kayak

Wel Catfish from a kayak

Tigerfish from the Nile River

Mako Shark on a flyrod

[RMax]

5 hours ago, flyfisher said:

Peacock bass

Goliath tiger fish

Golden dorado

Sea run brookies

 

And all on the fly rod.

 

I am really going to focus on getting a citation sized largemouth on my fly rod this year.  Last year i started out strong but didn't stick with it long enough and went back to conventional gear in most situations.  This year i hope to do a lot more night fishing and the fly rod, as long as the bats leave me alone, would work perfectly.

You ever heard of a Taimen? They are true beauties to catch on a fly rod.

6 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

That would be cool but I don't really want to travel quite that much to check a fish off the list.

Yeah, I've found that, besides a remote few, most of my bucketlist fish can be caught in the states or canada which is really nice because travelling over the ocean is way too expensive for one fish.

[flyfisher]

Taimen are an awesome fish for sure.  Really there are a lot of fish i would like to catch.  I still want to go out west and catch all the cutthroat species too.  For now, with a 6 year old and an 8month old i'll stick to the local fish  

[gim]

A lot of the fish mentioned in this thread have been caught on film during an episode of River Monsters.

[Darren.]

5 minutes ago, gimruis said:

A lot of the fish mentioned in this thread have been caught on film during an episode of River Monsters.

 

Not just that show, but Larry Dahlberg's Hunt for Big Fish.

[RMax]

42 minutes ago, gimruis said:

A lot of the fish mentioned in this thread have been caught on film during an episode of River Monsters.

Jeremy Wade has effectively caught many of the keystone predators that inhabit non- North American waters.  However, he still has yet to target Mangar!

[everythingthatswims]

Meanmouth, naturally occurring tiger trout, or one of the albino largemouth (and/or) smallmouth that are yellow in color would be high on my list right now.

 

A fish that is extremely rare IMO is way more interesting than something that exists very regularly in a different area of the world.

 

Here are some dream fish (that I have already checked off the list) pics

Can't leave this one out!

Checked this one off a long time ago. Not sure how I managed to sight cast and sink a 2oz bucktail into this fish at that age but I did. It was 51lbs

 

 

[RMax]

8 hours ago, everythingthatswims said:

Meanmouth, naturally occurring tiger trout, or one of the albino largemouth (and/or) smallmouth that are yellow in color would be high on my list right now.

 

A fish that is extremely rare IMO is way more interesting than something that exists very regularly in a different area of the world.

 

Here are some dream fish (that I have already checked off the list) pics

Can't leave this one out!

Checked this one off a long time ago. Not sure how I managed to sight cast and sink a 2oz bucktail into this fish at that age but I did. It was 51lbs

 

 

Check out Palomino Trout! My goal is to catch one, but I missed my chance in not fishing the right place a long time ago.

[Gundog]

All my "dream" fish can be caught in North America. Tarpon, lake trout, cobia and redfish. 

[everythingthatswims]

1 hour ago, RMax said:

Check out Palomino Trout! My goal is to catch one, but I missed my chance in not fishing the right place a long time ago.

Been there done that

[Subaqua Adinterim]

10 hours ago, everythingthatswims said:

Checked this one off a long time ago. Not sure how I managed to sight cast and sink a 2oz bucktail into this fish at that age but I did. It was 51lbs

Looks like a cobia - you got the snagging technique down at an early age

Salt water fish always seemed to be better fighting fish than most freshwater fish.

If I had to pick a dream fish, it is one type that I have already caught, and I hope to catch many more times; that's a chinook salmon.  To me there's nothing like battling a large king.

[everythingthatswims]

3 hours ago, RichPenNY said:

Looks like a cobia - you got the snagging technique down at an early age

Salt water fish always seemed to be better fighting fish than most freshwater fish.

If I had to pick a dream fish, it is one type that I have already caught, and I hope to catch many more times; that's a chinook salmon.  To me there's nothing like battling a large king.

That's a gaff shot in his back (not sure if you're implying that the fish was snagged), took 2 gaffs and barely got him in the boat at that! Fish was swimming around a navy tower and we would see him every now and then but it wouldn't bite. My dad started dropping live baits down for amberjack and handed me the bucktail rod and said "If you see that fish, cast this to it". Fish was so close to the boat that I made a one handed underhand toss and when the bucktail dropped on his nose he flared his gills just like a bass does when it eats a bait!

[Subaqua Adinterim]

1 hour ago, everythingthatswims said:

That's a gaff shot in his back (not sure if you're implying that the fish was snagged),

The way you first described it and the way the picture looked, made it appear to be snagged.  Thanks for the explanation, it was a beautiful catch.  Great that you could see it inhale the lure which made it even more exciting.

[everythingthatswims]

44 minutes ago, RichPenNY said:

The way you first described it and the way the picture looked, made it appear to be snagged.  Thanks for the explanation, it was a beautiful catch.  Great that you could see it inhale the lure which made it even more exciting.

Yeah I worded that one a little funny. Setting the hook on that jig (probably a 7/0 or 8/0 as big around as a pencil) takes a lot of force that's what I was referencing about hooking the fish.

[Jar11591]

First on my list of dream fish has to be the goliath grouper. I also really want to catch an arctic grayling.

[RoLo]

There are 3 fish I would certainly love to boat:

> Northern Pike over 30 lbs

> Tarpon over 150 lbs

> Mako Shark over 500 lbs

 

Then I would rest in peace  

[flechero]

My dream fish is a Permit, on a fly.  I hooked one and he took me deep into the backing before coming undone. 

[Avalonjohn44]

I want to catch some big South American Peacock bass. I had no idea until recently that there were several sub-species of peacocks out there, I think a nice month long fishing excursion down there would cover it. Would love to hook into a Pacu and an Arapaima too while down there...