Daryl Bauer once met anglers who said they’d caught some white bass (shown here), only to find out after seeing their stringer of fish that they were actually adult gizzard shad, a baitfish.
Daryl Bauer once met anglers who said they’d caught some white bass, only to find out after seeing their stringer of fish that they were actually adult gizzard shad (shown here), a baitfish.
It seems like it happens all the time. Someone posts photos and misidentifies fish on social media.
A fish is not just a fish. You must have some identification skills.
I do not expect everyone to be an ichthyologist. I do expect that if you choose to be an angler, you have some responsibilities to fulfill. You have a responsibility to the resource to know some fish identification. Rules and regulations vary by species of fish. At the least, knowing your fish could save you a pretty pink ticket.
The challenge is that you never know what might bite on your line. Often you do not catch what you are targeting.
Once, while doing an angler survey, I checked an angler and his mother who were targeting bullheads. Instead of catching bullheads, they had caught a walleye, and they literally did not know what they had. All they knew is that it was not a bullhead.
You must know more than that.
Another time I checked some anglers who said they had caught several white bass. I asked if I could see their fish. They proudly pulled the stringer up to show me. Hanging on the chain stringer were four or five adult gizzard shad. I wonder how good those “white bass” tasted when fried?
The problem is I have no easy solutions. You will have to invest some time. You will have to do some homework. And yes, like most things in life, the more experience you have the easier it will be.
I can suggest some fish identification resources Game and Parks has available:
* The Fish Identification page on Game and Parks’ website, outdoornebraska.gov/fishidentification. This page includes the new Fish Key: A Guide to the Most Commonly Caught Fish in Nebraska.
* "The Fishing Guide," outdoornebraska.gov/guides. The back of the guide has a Public Fishing Areas section. Look up the water body you want to fish and you will find a list of species in that water body that anglers are most likely to catch. Know how to identify those listed species. There can be less common species caught that are not on the list, but knowing what most likely will be caught is a great place to start. The guide, which is available in hard copy where permits are sold, also has some color illustrations that will help with fish identification.
* "Common Fishes of Nebraska," a tackle box-sized booklet, has color illustrations and identification tips. It is available at Game and Parks offices.
A warning about identifying fish solely on color: Coloration of fish is a highly variable trait. Colors can change on an individual fish due to water quality, reproductive condition and even territoriality. Some fish will not look like the illustrations. Try to learn other key characteristics to identify; those characteristics are far less variable and changeable.
Likewise, be careful relying on your fishing buddy or other anglers. Ask for help, but make sure you can rely on that help.
Learn your fish identification. You owe it to the fish, you owe it to yourself, you owe it to other anglers.
May 09, 2021 at 09:30PM
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Fish identification important skill for anglers - Lincoln Journal Star
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