Fish of the Week!
Episodes
Hawaii's 'O'opu Gobies!
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know 'o'opu nākea, 'o'opu 'alamo'o, ‘o’opu nopili, ‘o’opu naniha, and ‘o’opu ‘akupa! From scaling waterfalls to farming alg...
Round Goby!
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know the invasive Round Goby! You'll learn about the history of this fish in the Great Lakes, their impacts, and how to tell them apart from na...
Mahi-mahi (Dolphinfish)
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Per listener request, get to know the fish so nice they named it twice! In this episode you'll learn about their fascinating coloration and behavior, ...
River Chub Rockstar!
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Meet a rockstar of a fish who develops a big pink head adorned with tubercles during the spawning season. Not only that, it moves thousands of rocks i...
Texas' Native Guadalupe Bass!
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the official state fish of Texas and the gem of central Texas: the Guadalupe Bass! Native only to the clear, groundwater-influenced streams of th...
Bluemask Darter!
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know a fan favorite! Katrina and Guy visit with guests Bo Baxter and Derek Wheaton from Conservation Fisheries to understand the habits and his...
Lake Sturgeon: Michigan's Story
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know the lunkers of the lake that also need free-flowing rivers...Lake Sturgeon! This episode takes Katrina and Guy to Michigan where they talk...
Alaska's Kenai River Rainbow Trout
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Head to Alaska and get to know the big, beautiful rainbow trout of the Kenai River! You'll learn tips about when and how to float and fish the river, ...
Utah's Native Cutthroat Trout!
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know and explore the state of Utah by discovering its amazing cutthroat trout diversity! We are joined by two guests with the Utah Department o...
Sport Fish Restoration Act 75th
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know the history behind the Sport Fish Restoration Act as we kick off a month celebrating its role (and yours) in fisheries conservation and ac...
Yelloweye Rockfish / Spot Shrimp Special!
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know the Yelloweye Rockfish and (bonus!) spot shrimp! This episode explores the close relationship between these two species in Prince William ...
Lifelist Fishing How-Tos!
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Katrina and Guy do a deep dive into lifelist fishing including how to start from scratch, lessons learned, tips for parents who want to set their kids...
Tennessee's Lovely Laurel Dace
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know the Laurel Dace, a Tennessee native named for the mountain laurel that covers the streams where it lives. You'll love this handsome fish w...
Shorthead Redhorse: Fishiest Fish For All
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know the beautiful Shorthead Redhorse: a far-ranging, classically shiny fish that's very accessible, tasty, and fun to catch! All while it cont...
Weather Loach!
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We've got a fascinating story for you about the discovery of nonnative Weather Loaches in Georgia! You'll want to get to know these butt-breathing, te...
Rainbow Darter!
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know the Rainbow Darter! Whether you're microfishing, snorkeling, or combining the two, this is a great first fish to start your lifelist...and...
The Fantastic Flier!
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Meet a really neat member of North America's native sunfish family: the Flier! You can find this fantastic aquaria fish and worthy ultralight target s...
Southeast Snorkeling for Spotfin Chub!
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know the Spotfin Chub! This beautiful, sometimes shimmery blue fish is endemic/unique to the Tennessee River basin in the Southeast United Stat...
Blue Catfish!
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know the Blue Catfish! From their habits in big rivers like the Missouri and Mississippi to fishing opportunities in small reservoirs, we have ...
Rio Grande Silvery Minnow!
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Take a trip to the middle Rio Grande: a sandy river that, in its heyday, was "a mile wide and an inch deep" and chock full of millions of minnows. Our...
Big & Beautiful Peacock Basses!
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know the peacock basses! By the end of this episode you'll be familiar with the different species, their savage feeding habits and habitat pref...
California Golden Trout!
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Come to the southern Sierra Nevada mountains with Katrina and Guy to learn about the fish that some consider the most beautiful of all trouts: the Cal...
Guzmán Beautiful Shiner & Chihuahua Chub!
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We've got two fish, four guests, and one closed basin for you this week! Get to know a couple of New Mexico's special fishes and the place they call h...
The Most Underestimated Least Chub!
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It may not be the "most" chub, but this unique native fish has a lot to offer! Kaitlyn Purington and Chance Broderius from the Utah Department of Natu...
Florida's Remarkable Opossum Pipefish!
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Granddaddy Opossum Pipefish rolls in wearing burnt sienna and looking like a wet stick. Time to go explore Florida and get to know this remarkable nat...
Bullhead Catfishes! Catch All Seven Species
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Katrina and Guy dig into one of America's native catfish groups: the bullheads! Learn how to find and identify these fish, and get hyped to complete t...
Amphibious fishes! Walk this way!
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to be an "amphibious" fish? How many fish fall into this category? It might be more than you think! We've got guest Noah Bressman fr...
The Awesome Alabama Shad
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know the shimmery sister species to the East Coast's American Shad. The beautiful, migratory Alabama Shad is native to the the Mississippi R...
Lake Whitefish: The Whole Fish
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know a valuable species in North America and the Great Lakes region. We dig into what it might look like to local economies to place value on 1...
Greenback Cutthroat Trout
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know Colorado's state fish and its roller coaster history. Once abundant in the South Platte drainage, it's now found in only a few high-elevat...
Gulf Sturgeon: Giant Southern Jumpers
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We've got two great guests with decades of combined knowledge who will help you get to know and appreciate these very large, migratory fish. Adam Kaes...
Law Enforcement Special: Pleco Trade
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Wildlife Inspector Daniel Sahakian joins us for a special episode focused on the international pleco trade as a follow-on to the armored suckermouth c...
Sailfin Catfishes: Genus Pterygoplichthys
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode broadly introduces the family of South American armored suckermouth catfishes (Loricariidae) with a focus on genus Pterygoplichthys (A...
Smallmouth Bass, Big Complexity!
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How well do you really know Smallmouth Bass? There's still a ton to learn, even about super popular fish! We dig into the fascinating diversity of Sma...
Mountain Whitefish: Rocky Mountain Bonefish
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The majestic mountain is found in beautiful places and will challenge your fishing skills (in a good way)! Some even have snoots like the Whoville res...
Warpaint Shiner!
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know the warpaint shiner, a vibrant southeastern U.S. species with striking red and black markings. This trout-like minnow is found in cold, cl...
Tangerine Darter: Snorkel New Worlds
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Casper Cox, a freshwater snorkeling enthusiast from Tennessee, takes us below the surface and into the underwater world of the Tangerine Darter! The b...
All Aboard for Season 5!
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Katrina and Guy celebrate the start of season five by highlighting the journey so far through over 200 episodes. They reflect on what's been learned b...
2025 Fish Draft!
30 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Find out which fishes have made the cut for season 5! Katrina and Guy bring listeners behind the scenes for a peek into their annual fish draft.
Pacific Salmon: Adventuring North?
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explores the ability of Pacific salmon to colonize Alaska rivers flowing north into the Arctic Ocean. Are they able to spawn successfully...
Cookiecutter Sharks!
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The cookiecutter shark has a very peculiar set of skills and is known for its distinctive feeding behavior. Despite leaving its mark on a wide variety...
Jack Dempsey: Cichlid, Not Boxer
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the Jack Dempsey, an American cichlid known for its beauty and aggressiveness. Your co-hosts Katrina and Guy have fun exploring the likeness betw...
Fantail Darter!
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We are joined by two (and a half) guests who really like Fantail Darters and have found a creative way to get people excited about overlooked nongame ...
Largemouth Bass!
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For our 200th episode, we chat with Gene Gilliland - lifelong bass enthusiast and conservation director of the Bass Angler Sportsman Society (BASS). L...
Redband Trout
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know the fish and places it calls home. We discuss fishing strategies, the importance of curiosity, and pathways into fishing and caring for na...
Tippecanoe Darter
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know Ohio's second smallest fish, the Tippecanoe Darter - a lover of marble-sized rocks and riffles. Guests Brian Zimmerman (a rare and endange...
Mullets and Muliwai: Hawaiian Perspective
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know Hawaii's mullets through the eyes of University of Hawaii undergraduate students Andie Le Doux and Iokepa Frederick. We'll imagine the gra...
Apache Trout: Arizona Treasure
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The beauty of this fish matches its home: high-elevation streams in the White Mountains of Arizona. We discuss its conservation successes and the cont...
Sea Robin: Sustaining Seafood
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This very cool fish uses its finger-like fins to locate prey on the seafloor and might bark at you if you catch it. It's also at the center of an amaz...
Tule Perch: Packing Live Young!
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With a namesake that matches the vegetation found in marshes where it lives, this California native comes in three different forms and has a very impr...
Owens Pupfish: Blue California Jewel
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What good are they? "Well, what good are you?" goes the famous quote about this fish. Meet the Owens Pupfish: a small, blue, chubby, feisty, extreme, ...
California Butterfly Ray
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Meet a big, beautiful, predatory fish that floats like a butterfly and whacks prey with its wings: the California Butterfly Ray! Scientist and Elasmob...
Tench: Doctor Fish
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
May we have your at-TENCH-ion please? Will the real Slime Shady please stand up? Folklore has it that Tench slime can cure any sick fish that rubs aga...
American Eel: Puerto Rico Perspective
08 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The American Eel: very demure, very mindful. So demure, in fact, that nobody has ever seen them spawn! These wonderfully mysterious fish start and end...
Cowcod: Plodding California Rockfish
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Moooood: plodding, with deep thoughts. Meet the Cowcod. Special guest Milton Love shares how rockfish first captured his imagination as a kid and what...
All About Gars!
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Solomon David (the "Gar Guy") is back and this time Katrina and Guy are talking with him about gars in the genus Lepisosteus. By the end of this episo...
Zebrafish: Biomedical Wonder
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Meet America's next top model...organism. Zebrafish (AKA Zebra Danios) are found all over the USA: in home aquariums, in medical facilities, and occas...
From Alaska: Yukon River Fish Camp
12 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Refuge Information Technician Stanislaus Sheppard joins from Alaska to share his salmon fishing experiences from his fish camp on the Yukon River. Hea...
Spike-toothed Salmon/Weaponized Mustache
05 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the spike-toothed salmon, a prehistoric Pacific salmon 8+ feet long. With similarities to modern-day sockeyes, this giant species in the genus On...
Blacktip Reef Shark!
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Meet a "bendy" shark with beautiful features. Learn what it's like to photograph this striking and shy species, what it takes to catch/tag it for scie...
Smallmouth Buffalo!
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know one of North America's big and awesome native suckers: the Smallmouth Buffalo! Follow along as we learn about population trends and demogr...
Brown Trout!
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guy gets all gussied up in his best brown trout ensemble (again) for some banter with Katrina about how these fish made their way to the to the USA an...
Sacramento, Umpqua, and Northern Pikeminnows!
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know three West Coast pikeminnows! This compliments our Colorado Pikeminnow episode from season 3. Our guest, Stewart Reid, specializes in the ...
Mountain Mullet: Fish, Not Hairdo
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode we explore Mountain Mullets (the fish) with guest biologist Bonnie Myers. Get to know this strong-swimming jumper and the important ro...
Seahorses!
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I have a face that resembles a horse, a prehensile tail like a monkey, a brood pouch like a kangaroo, and the ability to change color and move my eyes...
Smalltooth Sawfish!
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the Smalltooth Sawfish! Learn all about its saw-like rostrum, the threats it faces, how NOT to take a photo with a sawfish, and what's being done...
Pacific Sleeper Shark!
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know a huge, bendy, slow-moving shark that looks like a giant log, has cantaloupe-sized eyeballs, and loves a delicious whale fall. Our guests ...
Bumphead Parrotfish: Bulldozer of the Sea
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You: running your hands through warm sand at the beach. Also you: finding out it might have passed through the anus of a fish. Meet the Bumphead Parro...
Milkfish/Awa: A Hawaiian Perspective
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know the Milkfish, a big, shiny, powerful fish known locally in Hawaii as Awa. Our guest, Keli'i Kotubetey (Assistant Executive Director of Pae...
The Migratory Trispot Darter
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Trispot Darter has a fascinating story of rediscovery, migration, and conservation teamwork. Three guests join the conversation: Fisheries Biologi...
Introducing the Bizarre Knifefishes
12 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the knifefishes! From the Clown Knifefish to the to the Electric Eel, Katrina and Guy take a broad brush look at this bizarre group of fascinatin...
Southern Flounder: Both Sides of the Fish
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the Southern Flounder, a temperature-sensitive fish that's one-third of the "Texas Slam” with Redfish/Red Drum (S2:E25) and Speckled Trout. Lea...
Razorback Suckers of Palisade High
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hear how Palisade High School in Colorado is helping a huge, cool Colorado native: the Razorback Sucker! Teacher Pat Steele and student Kiera Stephen ...
White Sucker: Rodney Dangerfield of Fish
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Meet a very important native fish that gets no respect: the White Sucker! Turns out this fish is a total catch! Kids love 'em. Walleyes and muskies lo...
Green Sunfish: Aggressive Big Mouth
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Meet big-gaped Green Sunfish! This beefy, bass-like sunfish is fun to catch and beautiful to behold. Learn about its habits, where it's found, how to ...
Key Cave's Alabama Cavefish!
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Put on your spelunking gear and get ready to head to Key Cave National Wildlife Refuge in northern Alabama. Key Cave is the only place in the entire w...
The Unassuming Bony-eared Assfish!
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Meet a soft and flabby wonder with the smallest brain-to-body weight ratio of any vertebrate and a name that's bound to stimulate conversation. Two gu...
Fly Fishing for Shoal Bass
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You’ll be hooked when you meet this shoal habitat specialist and Apalachicola-Flint-Chattahoochee River native. Learn how to think like a shoalie, u...
Alaska's Capelin/Seabird Story
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Meet a cucumber-scented fish that feeds the masses and sometimes crashes. Our guests are Yumi Arimitsu with the USGS Alaska Science Center Seabird and...
Truchas Mexicanas/Mexico's native trout
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Come on an adventure into high elevation and rugged terrain to find Mexico's diverse native trout. Illustrator and Mexican native trout enthusiast Joe...
Invasive Carp
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hey, you guys! One distinguishing feature of invasive carp is eye placement at or below the mouth opening. They also have a very particular set of ski...
Puerto Rico's Bigmouth Sleeper
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Anglers take note...this fish is a sleeper, not a snooze! Meet the Bigmouth Sleeper, the natural "top dog" in Puerto Rico's streams. The name tells yo...
Lancetfish: Solving Sea Mysteries
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you happen to be an unfortunate men’s size 7 Nike shoe, one of 50+ species of octopus, a big shard of plastic or rope, or any number of reef, oce...
Bringin' Bloater Back!
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're bringing bloater back...Go ahead and tell them skinny fishes that...'Cause every inch of bloater's perfect from the bottom to the top (sha-wop, ...
Lake Trout: Lacustrine Lunker!
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Explore the past, present and future of the Lake Trout that inhabit North America's Great Lakes. Larry Miller with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service'...
Greatest Rock Basses of All Time
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you've come here for music, all we've got is fish (sorry no John Paul Jones or Flea). Special back stage pass to meet the four members of Ambloplit...
C'waam: Lost River Sucker
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know the endangered Klamath C'waam (Lost River Sucker) with guests Don Gentry (a Natural Resources Specialist with the Klamath Tribes) and Jane...
Swordfish: Lessons From Sea
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Meet a ridiculously strong and fast fish who can warm its eyes and slash its prey. Swordfish boat captain and best-selling author Linda Greenlaw share...
All Aboard! Season 4
01 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's a new year, and we have no shortage of new fish and guests! Jump on board as we reflect on Season 3 and go behind the scenes, cast our line towar...
Snowflake Moray Eel!
25 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet a fascinating fish that can swallow its prey on land! From California to Hawaii and beyond, Snowflake Morays are an important player in both the ...
Bonytail Chub: Pencil-Peduncled Piscine!
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the Bonytail Chub: an Endangered Colorado River fish with a pencil-thin peduncle and a penchant for wetlands. Zane Olson with our Ouray National ...
Cabezon: Through the Photographer's Lens
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the Cabezon! This large "introverted" sculpin is found along the Pacific Coast of North America. National Geographic photographer Kiliii Yuyan br...
Texas' Fountain Darter
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you're on campus or tubing or just curious about fish, get to know the Fountain Darter, a little Endangered fish found only in Texas' San Marc...
Atlantic Tarpon: Silver King
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From the Florida Keys to the Sistine Chapel, this prized saltwater fish has been getting into people's heads for centuries. Author and tarpon fly fish...
Lahontan Cutthroat Trout of Pyramid Lake
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Visit Kooyooe Pa'a Panunadu (also known as Pyramid Lake) and get to know the Agi/Lahontan Cutthroat Trout! Whether it's a big or small one on the end ...
Cui-ui: Pyramid Lake Suckers
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet a beautiful, long-lived sucker found nowhere else on Earth except Nevada's Pyramid Lake (known also as Kooyooe Pa’a Panunadu/"Cui-ui Standing W...
Pacific Herring: Haida/Tlingít Perspective
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When it's herring egg weather, a snow flurry may usher in blue skies that quickly cloud up and castdown rain or snow. Boats are readied and hemlock br...
Hagfish: DIY Slime Machine!
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the Hagfishes! Their superpower is producing a ridiculous amount of slime in just a fraction of a second. Dr. Douglas Fudge from Chapman Universi...
Wolf Eel: "Grandpa" Fish
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the Wolf Eel: an extraordinary fish with a face resembling that of an old man. An aquarist, museum curator, and diver bring their perspectives ab...
Marvelous Midwest Muskies (Muskellunge)
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the Muskellunge, a so-called "green railroad tie with fins" that might inspire you to cast a ridiculously huge lure ten thousand times. Jordan We...