Toronto, Ontario

Caught a bunch of round gobies. Remember to kill them if you catch them, they're invasive so don't release them.

I found a bass

I Didn't Come for Smallmouth! On my way to a doctor's appointment, I received a call from the clinic informing me that the appointment had been cancelled due to a power outage. Just like that, I unexpectedly had two free hours all to myself. As always, I keep my fishing gear in the trunk of my car for exactly these kinds of surprise opportunities. I immediately pulled up Google Maps and started looking for a nearby fishing spot. A bell rang in my head. There was one particular species I had always wanted to unlock on my species list, and I knew there was a park in the area where it could be found. The fish was a Rudd. Although Rudd is an invasive species in Ontario, I still wanted to add it to my catch collection. The catch, of course, is that once landed, it must be killed and not be returned to the water. Having dealt with invasive species such as Round Goby in the past, I was confident I could handle that responsibility if the opportunity arose. When I arrived, I was greeted by crystal-clear water. I could see exactly what was swimming beneath the surface. The downside was obvious: the fish could probably see me just as well. I used a large tree along the bank as cover and carefully cast from behind it. Within the first ten minutes, I hooked several impressive Bluegills. A few Common Carp also cruised by, their large shadows easy to spot in the clear water. About thirty minutes later, my target species finally appeared. The water was so clear that there was no chance of misidentification: tall bodies, bright silver scales, and distinctive red fins. What surprised me was that they traveled as a group. Seven or eight of them zigzagged slowly along the shoreline, constantly moving together. I cast my plastic lure in front of them. Nothing. They circled back. I tried a live worm. Nothing. Shrimp. Nothing. Squid. Still nothing. For nearly an hour, I cycled through everything I had in my tackle box, but the Rudd showed absolutely no interest. They simply continued their patrol of the shoreline as if my offerings didn't exist. Then, out of nowhere, a Smallmouth Bass rocketed in and inhaled my bait without a moment's hesitation. Wow! It was a beautiful Smallmouth, but honestly, that wasn't what I had come for. I hadn't planned on targeting bass at all that day. After a brief fight, I brought it to shore, snapped a quick specimen photo, and released it back into the water. Not the fish I wanted, but certainly not a bad surprise. Later that evening, I did some research and discovered that Rudd feed heavily on aquatic vegetation and plant material, especially as they grow larger. Maybe next time I'll come prepared with some corn or other plant-based baits. The Rudd hunt remains unsuccessful for now, but at least I know where they live. And sooner or later, our paths will cross again. 🎣

I never thought I would see bowfin being sell in a supermarket. There's also suckers and carp in the tank

Finally caught a white goldfish, and they bite even when there's just the hook