Life list tracks fishing progress

Every Arkansas angler should try to keep an Arkansas fish list.

A fish list keeps up with species as an angler first catches them. It encourages the angler to broaden horizons and seek fish in a variety of waters to improving his knowledge. Lists also spark the use of different techniques from live bait to artificial lures.

With more than 200 species of fish in Arkansas, a key to a fish list is the ability to identify species. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission offers the "Arkansas Fish Pocket Guide" as a download or printed publication for free. For those willing to spend a few dollars, "Fishes of Arkansas" from the University of Arkansas Press is the gold standard in fish identification.

Some of the first fish to fill an angler's list often are sunfish species. Bluegill, redear sunfish and green sunfish can be caught in a variety of waters. Though most sunfish are common, this group of fishes produces some obscure species like the flier, a small sunfish often confused with a bluegill.

Largemouth bass are easy to add to the fish list, but smallmouth and spotted bass will need to be sought in certain waters. Some bodies of water, like Beaver Lake and Kings River in Northwest Arkansas, have the potential to produce all three in single outing.

Both black and white crappie can be found throughout the state. A quick count of the dorsal spines will distinguish the species with the white crappie having six spines while the black crappie will have seven or eight.

Fishing for catfish can add several species to the list for anglers who adventure to various types of waters. Channel, flathead and blue catfish can be caught in most lakes and rivers.

Rainbow trout were introduced in Arkansas after the construction of dams on major rivers. Trout can be found in several rivers flowing with cold water. The rainbow trout is the most often stocked species, and can even be found in Family and Community Fishing Lakes in winter. Brown, cutthroat and brook trout also can be found in the tailwaters of dams forming some Arkansas lakes, but are not as prevalent as rainbows.

White bass can be found in many rivers as they make their spawning run in early spring. Striped bass are a little harder to target but can be found in some of Arkansas's larger lakes, such as Lake Ouachita, Beaver Lake and Lake Dardanelle. The hybrid striped bass, a cross between the white and striped bass, have been stocked in a couple of lakes as well.

Walleye and sauger are found in many bodies of water across the state, but often require specific tactics. These fish are often found near the bottom of flowing rivers and can be tempted by a jig tipped with a minnow.

While not as popular as sport fish, many rough fish have more potential than anglers give them credit. Bowfin are found in backwaters across the state. They put up an amazing fight and are eager to take most bass lures, especially spinner baits. Freshwater drum are easily caught in most rivers on worms or crawdads as they make their spawning run.

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