I am sure a lot of us are familiar with the term "Bucket List" (things to do before you die). I wanted to know who all out there has a "Bucket List" of fish they would like to catch? Also what are you doing to try to accomplish this list?

I personally have such a list myself, thankfully a lot of them are checked off the list due to having a chance to fish around parts of the world. I have knocked off a lot of my deep sea fishing, done some great spearfishing and had a chance to catch a lot of great fresh water fish.

The top three on my list are surprisingly not that exotic.
1. Alligator Gar: Trying to do this while I am in Texas, been trying to find a guide or somebody that fishes them regularly to tag along with one day.
2. King Salmon: Actually working on this now too, trying to get my next assignment (military base) in the Seattle area so I can fish the salmon run. I want to catch one out of my kayak so bad.
3. Rainbow trout: It likes amazing watching people fly fish, this is one form of fishing I have not tried and really want too.
4. Any fish I can catch out of the Amazon Rain Forest would be absolutely amazing and a hell of a story.

All right guys and gals what do you all have that you want to catch?

My two main bucket list fish are:
1. Tarpon on the fly
2. Ice fishing for crappie
3. And so on, and so on, and so on...

Tarpon. I'm going to Key West Memorial week this year!

Peacock bass.
Steelhead.
Rooster fish.
Tuna.

Tarpon is top on my list by far!
Peacock Bass is next
300+ lb Shark ( Any type that gets that big )
Goliath Grouper

I have caught more fish than I can count ever since I was able to wet a hook. Salt water, fresh water, big or small. Every time I wet a hook now, I thank the good Lord before and after I get off the water, that I was able to go by myself, with family or friends. I am not a big religious person it just life is short and for some tomorrow will never come. Last weekend I got stood up by a freind, broke a $100 dollar pole by accedent, grabed a hook that I did not see hanging in I tree that I had to push through and cut the barb. Then just to top the day off I slipped while getting the yak out of the water and went for a swim. Man! what a day, but I did catch some fish and I was thankfull that I was able to go. I know chit happens and I look forward to going again. Just getting to go again is good enough for me.

That is both a good and a hard question...

I haven't done much offshore fishing, except for the one black fin tuna I caught in Costa Rica last summer. We went out trying to target rooster fish, but only had a blow up or two and no takers. So roosters are high on my list, but I don't know when I will be on the Pacific side again.

A grand slam is up there too, I'm talking about bonefish, permit, and tarpon. I'm going to Roatan this summer, it's not the best tarpon fishery, but they are there, and there are monster bonefish, and it's pretty much the best permit fishery in the world (take that Belize).

Other than that:
Kingfish and cobia from the kayak
Halibut (200+ pounds)
Tripletail
And I would like to hold a state (or pipe dream - world record) for anything.

I agree with Big Redneck. I would like to add that I am very thankful to have a wife that puts up with my fishing addiction. I am suprised that I have yet to come home to my personal belongings being strung all over the front yard!

Mine is simple:

A LMB over 10lbs
An Alligator Gar
And Salmon fish the rivers in Alaska along side the bears.

Hmmm Steve you and me need to knock out that Alligator Gar catch sometime than

I am sure that if I bother to make a list, I'll just forget where I put it. Never really thought about big aspirations as far as particular species go, but I am always wanting one more fishing trip (for anything) and thankful for all that have preceded.

The perfect trip I dream about would be one more with my father, my brother and my son. Thank goodness for memories.

Until then just any old trip, feeling the thump of a crappie or feeling very startled and indecisive, watching two catfish jugs race off fast at the same time.... in opposite directions.

You may be able to scratch off multiple fish on your trip to Florida. As it turns out Peacock bass have become popular invasive species in florida unlike the snakehead.

Own an RV and drive the Alaskan highway and fish every body of water along the way. I had a chance to meet a guy that made this trip. Expensive, but worth every penny!!

300 lb gator gar
50 lb blue from the Brazos
Ron

Nice thread Randy. There are so many fish and hopefully plenty of time. It's hard to to say what would be on top of the list. I'm still looking for a DD large mouth and that's probably it. There are a lot of local fish I want. A 50 lb. cat or huge carp would fun. Big gar is another on my list. Then I would need to leave the state for pike and sturgeon. I also want to go club some Asian carp as it jumps in front of me. Outside the country I would love to fish for some river monsters. Pirarucu or some Monster River catfish would be fun too. Then there is saltwater....... Did I mention there are so many fish?

1. 5'+ tarpon on a kayak (Hopefully this summer)
2. 40" snook (hopefully this summer)
3. 10'+ shark
4. Limit of reds, drum, trout (done twice)
5. Oversize Redfish, BlackDrum, Trout (was short by 1" this summer)
6. Place First in Kayakwars (Team and overall individual)
7. Sailfish from Kayak (Hopefully this summer)
8. Catch a fish from every country
9. State record Blackdrum, Trout, or Redfish
10. 10 World records...
(all from a kayak)

I got a few more with #of species, roosterfish, and cobia but babysteps yall...

Always a awesome feeling to knock one off

Another thing about these list I am hoping some of us with the same species can meet up and target them. Plan a trip or find a guide/fellow angler who can show us the ropes. Who knows what we can scratch off that list over a few short summers.

My bucket (fish wise) just keeps growing.

I hope tho have these under my belt when I go.
13lb LMB.
A few Peacock Bass excursions.
Lots of Yellow fin Tuna fishing.
Fly fish on the flats for Bone fish and the likes.
Tarpon, Kingfish, Cobia, Spekleds.
Just one or two Blue Marlins.
A few trips to Alaska for Salmon, and A Giant Halibut.
Brook Trout; It's one of, if not the most beautiful fish I've ever seen.


There are a lot more salt water species I don't know the name of that I want to catch.

I almost forgot. A wife that likes to fish and even more a son who I can teach to fish.

Words well spoken there Soje.

Two bucketlist items already checked off.



The wife will go anytime I want now that we have the Casita!

Any kind of fishing in Alaska. And any kind of fishing in South America.

Respect. Well said.

- Would like to fly fish Alaska
- New Zealand
- Scotland
- Patagonia Region (Argentina or Chile, I'm not picky)
If I catch a fish in any of these beautiful places it would just be icing on the cake.

I am still a novice, so my target species are relatively modest:
- Would like to catch a sheepshead on the fly
- Would like to catch a rio grande perch on the fly
- Would LOVE to catch a Salmon/Steelhead on the fly
- A shark from a yak would be kind of cool too
- Rooster fish look really cool, would like to hook one of those too. On the fly.

I'm sure eventually I will graduate to Tarpon/Bonefish/Snook but I've still got my training wheels on.

My bucket lists includes
1. Tarpon in a kayak
2. 30+ speck (from land,boat,kayak etc)
3. to catch a king fish
4. and fly fishing for bones