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EveryFish

Sport fishing

Prized by anglers. 302 fish on EveryFish so far.

Sport fishing, or recreational angling, is fishing for enjoyment rather than a living. Hundreds of millions of people fish this way, from children with a line in a pond to anglers who travel the world for marlin, tarpon or mahseer. Game fish are prized for their fight, size, wariness or the places they live. Catch and release, in which fish are returned alive, has become common for many species.

Game fish of India

The mahseers of the Himalaya and the Western Ghats are India's great game fish, known for their power in fast rivers. British anglers wrote about them from the 19th century, and camps on the Kaveri ran catch and release fishing for the hump-backed mahseer for decades. Trout introduced into Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and the Nilgiris draw anglers to cold streams. Sea anglers fish for giant trevally, barracuda and sailfish off Goa, Karnataka and the Andaman Islands.

Rules and conservation

Recreational fishing is a large industry in North America, Europe and Australia, and it funds a good deal of fish conservation through licence fees. Anglers can also put real pressure on stocks, so many countries set seasons, bag limits and minimum sizes. The International Game Fish Association, founded in 1939, keeps world records and promotes ethical angling. Catch and release survival depends on careful handling, short fights and quick return.

Famous sport fishing fish

Golden mahseerThe golden mahseer of Himalayan riversOrange-finned mahseerThe hump-backed mahseer of the KaveriAtlantic blue marlinA giant billfish prized by sea anglersAtlantic tarponA leaping fish of warm coastsLargemouth bassAmerica's most popular sport fishBrown troutStocked for anglers across the worldGiant trevallyA powerful reef predatorBonefishA fast fish of tropical flats

Further reading

GroupSharkRayCarpCatfishSalmonidHerringCodTunaPerch-likeCichlidReef fishEelFlatfishLivebearerAncientOther
WaterRivers and lakesEstuaries and mangrovesCoasts and shelvesCoral reefsOpen oceanDeep seaPolar and cold seasCaves and springsBetween sea and river
OrderBest knownA to ZOldest firstNewest firstBy size
🇳🇿 New ZealandNew Zealand grayling Extinct amphidromous fish endemic to New Zealand rivers and seas.Other · Rivers and lakes WorldNile perch Large freshwater predator native to Africa, now invasive in many lakes.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇯🇵 Japan and 2 moreAyu sweetfish Small amphidromous fish prized for its sweet flesh in East Asia.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1846 🇧🇷 Brazil and 4 moreGolden dorado A large predatory freshwater fish native to South America known for its golden colour.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreLongnose gar A primitive ray-finned fish with a long snout and armored scales found in North America.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1758 🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreGar Ancient armored fish with lung-like swim bladders found in North American waters.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1758 🇧🇼 Botswana and 1 moreAfrican tigerfish Predatory freshwater fish known for sharp teeth and leaping hunting behaviour.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1861 🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreLargemouth bass A large freshwater predator native to North America, prized by anglers and invasive in many regions.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1802 🇺🇸 United StatesSpotted bass A North American freshwater fish known for dark spots below its lateral line.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United StatesGuadalupe bass A rare Texas endemic black bass prized by anglers for its fighting spirit.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreMuskellunge Large freshwater predatory fish native to North America and the largest member of the pike family.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United StatesWhite sucker A common North American freshwater cypriniform fish with fleshy lips used for bottom feeding.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1803 🇦🇺 AustraliaAustralian bass Native freshwater game fish of eastern AustraliaOther · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast and 4 moreAfrican pike characin West African freshwater predator with a pike-like shapeOther · Rivers and lakes · 1794 🇧🇷 BrazilBanded leporinus A striped freshwater fish from the Amazon kept in home tanks and occasionally caught by anglers.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇦 Canada and 1 moreGoldeye A silver freshwater fish known for its smoked culinary form.Other · Rivers and lakes East AsiaAmur pike A spotted freshwater pike native to east Asia.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇷🇺 Russia and 3 moreBurbot A coldwater freshwater fish with a chin whisker, native to the Northern Hemisphere.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1758 🇺🇸 United StatesWhite bass A silver-striped freshwater fish native to North American rivers and lakes.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇦🇷 Argentina and 4 moreArgentinian silverside A large, adaptable silverside native to South America.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreFreshwater drum A hardy North American freshwater fish known for its grunting sound.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇦 CanadaChain pickerel Freshwater predator with a dark chain pattern on green sides.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1818 🇿🇦 South AfricaCape kurper Small climbing perch native to South African coastal rivers.Other · Rivers and lakes North AmericaAtlantic croaker Noisy marine fish of the western Atlantic coastOther · Coasts and shelves 🇷🇺 Russia and 4 moreNorthern pike A large freshwater ambush predator found across the Northern Hemisphere.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1758 🇺🇸 United StatesAtlantic tarpon Large, acrobatic saltwater game fish of the Atlantic.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1847 WorldPike Freshwater predatory fish genus with sharp teeth and torpedo shape.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇦🇺 AustraliaGolden perch A medium-sized Australian freshwater fish prized by anglers.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1845 🇦🇺 AustraliaSilver Perch A threatened freshwater grunter endemic to the Murray-Darling basin in Australia.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇦🇺 AustraliaTrout cod An endangered Australian freshwater predator native to the Murray-Darling basin.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇦🇺 AustraliaMacquarie perch An endangered Australian freshwater fish native to the Murray-Darling river system.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇦🇺 AustraliaSooty grunter Large freshwater fish from northern Australia with thick lips.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1883 🇦🇺 AustraliaEastern freshwater cod A large predatory fish native to the Clarence River system in New South Wales, Australia.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the CongoGoliath tigerfish A massive freshwater predator from the Congo River Basin known for its size and sharp teeth.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1898 🇨🇳 China and 4 moreNorthern snakehead A freshwater fish from East Asia known for its air-breathing ability and invasive spread in North America.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1842 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreStriped bass Anadromous marine fish native to the Atlantic coast of North America, known for sport fishing and culinary use.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇦🇺 Australia and 4 moreBarramundi A catadromous fish found across the Indo-West Pacific, valued for sport and aquaculture.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreSmelt Small fish of the northern hemisphere known for spring runs and culinary traditions.Other · Rivers and lakes

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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