Fisherman Stu’s Journey to Catch a Fish in All 50 States

Fisherman Stu reporting in! What started as an idea to catch a fish in every state has turned into one of the most memorable adventures of my life. Over the last five years, I have traveled across the country chasing fish, exploring new waters, meeting people, and experiencing places that I probably never would have visited otherwise. I am now at 49 states, with only one state left: Hawaii.

The goal sounds pretty simple: catch a fish in every state. But once you start looking at the map, you realize just how big the United States really is. There are mountains, rivers, Great Lakes, oceans, bays, reservoirs, ponds, canals, and countless other places where fish live. Every state has its own waters, weather, fishing styles, species, and challenges.

What I learned very quickly is that catching a fish is only part of the adventure. Getting there, finding the right person to fish with, figuring out what the fish want, and enjoying the experience are just as important.

Fishing Is Better With Friends

Over the past five years, I have also been lucky enough to fish with more than 30 friends and fishing guides. Some of these people I knew before the trip, and some became friends because of fishing. That is one of the biggest lessons this journey has taught me: fishing is better with friends.

A good fishing trip is not just about how many fish end up in the boat. It is about the conversations, the laughs, the long drives, the early mornings, and the stories you remember afterward.

Every person who has helped me along the way has become part of this journey. Whether they showed me a lake, took me out on a boat, helped me find the right bait, or simply spent a few hours fishing beside me, I appreciate every one of them.

The 49-State Fishing Journey

Alabama

Alabama was one of the states where the saltwater side of fishing came into play. I caught flounder, speckled trout, and saltwater catfish. Alabama gave me another reminder that there are a lot of different ways to catch a fish in this country.

Alaska

Alaska was one of the biggest highlights of the journey. I caught rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, silver salmon, king salmon, and pink salmon. Alaska is the kind of place that makes you realize how big and wild the fishing world can be. The variety of salmon alone makes it a special destination.

Arizona

Arizona gave me rainbow trout and brown trout. Arizona might not be the first state people think of when they picture trout fishing, but that is one of the fun parts of this project. Every state has fishing opportunities if you are willing to look for them.

Arkansas

Arkansas produced a rainbow trout for me. When you are working toward all 50 states, every single fish counts.

California

California brought a different mix of fishing. I caught sculpin, black sea bass, and largemouth bass. California is such a huge state that it offers an incredible range of fishing environments, from ocean fishing to inland lakes and rivers.

Colorado

Colorado gave me rainbow trout and largemouth bass. The mountains, rivers, lakes, and changing conditions make every trip feel like its own adventure.

Connecticut

Connecticut gave me sunfish. It might not sound like the biggest catch on the list, but that is not really what this journey is about. The goal was to catch a fish in every state, and Connecticut was another state checked off the map.

Delaware

Delaware produced white perch. Another state checked off, another body of water explored, and another story added to the journey.

Florida

Florida has been a particularly interesting fishing state. I caught Spanish mackerel and ladyfish. Florida is one of those places where there always seems to be another fish to chase.

Georgia

Georgia gave me catfish. Sometimes you just find some water, put a line in, and make the most of the opportunity.

Idaho

Idaho produced rainbow trout. The scenery, rivers, lakes, and trout waters make it easy to understand why anglers travel there from all over the country.

Illinois

Illinois gave me lake trout and salmon. Fishing the Great Lakes is a completely different experience from fishing a small lake or stream.

Indiana

Indiana produced sunfish. Another fish, another state, and another memory.

Iowa

Iowa gave me largemouth bass, sunfish, and perch. You do not have to travel to an ocean or famous salmon river to have a good fishing day. Sometimes the best trip is simply finding good water and spending a few hours casting.

Kansas

Kansas gave me walleye. Walleye became one of the recurring species of this journey, and every state has its own way of pursuing them.

Kentucky

Kentucky produced rainbow trout. Traveling for fishing means watching the scenery and the fishing change as you cross state lines.

Louisiana

Louisiana was one of the most diverse saltwater stops of the entire journey. I caught redfish, sheepshead, speckled trout, flounder, saltwater sail catfish, saltwater hardhead catfish, and black drum.

Louisiana is the kind of place where you can go out expecting one thing and end up catching something completely different. That variety makes it a special fishing destination.

Maryland

Maryland gave me striped bass. Catching one in Maryland added another memorable species to the project.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts produced white catfish. It was another state checked off and another part of the country experienced through fishing.

Maine

Maine was one of the more traditional saltwater experiences. I caught pollock, cod, mackerel, and sea perch. Maine has a long fishing tradition, and getting out on those waters was another reminder that fishing is deeply connected to the history and culture of so many communities.

Michigan

Michigan has probably given me some of the widest variety of fishing experiences of the entire project. I caught pike, bluegill, sunfish, largemouth bass, perch, sturgeon, walleye, and smallmouth bass.

Michigan has so much water that there is always another lake, river, or Great Lakes trip waiting. It is also a place where I have been able to enjoy a huge variety of fishing styles without leaving the state.

Minnesota

Minnesota gave me catfish. The state is famous for many different freshwater species, but the goal was simply to get a fish in the state and enjoy the experience.

Mississippi

Mississippi produced triple tail, ladyfish, speckled trout, white trout, and saltwater catfish. The Gulf Coast states have been especially interesting because the species can change quickly depending on where you are fishing and what the conditions are doing.

Missouri

Missouri gave me sunfish. Not every fishing trip needs to be complicated. Sometimes you just need a rod, some water, and a little patience.

Montana

Montana gave me Rocky Mountain whitefish and rainbow trout. The scenery made the fishing experience unforgettable. There is something special about standing near clear mountain water with a fishing rod in your hand.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire produced largemouth bass. It was another state where the fishing adventure was as much about exploring a new place as it was about the fish.

Nebraska

Nebraska gave me walleye, carp, catfish, and drum. That was a nice variety and another reminder that some of the most interesting fishing comes from being willing to target whatever is available.

New Jersey

New Jersey was one of the states that made me work for the goal. I did not succeed on my first attempt, but I came back a second time and caught striped bass. That second trip made the catch even more satisfying.

Sometimes the story behind the fish is better than the fish itself. New Jersey taught me that persistence matters.

New York

New York gave me flounder and sea bass. Another state, another couple of species, and another memory added to the journey.

North Carolina

North Carolina gave me largemouth bass. One of the things that made this trip special was the people who helped make it happen. A connection through friends helped me find fishing opportunities in the area, and the trip turned into a memorable day on the water.

That trip also captured something I have learned repeatedly while traveling for fishing: sometimes getting to the water is part of the adventure. The drive, the scenery, the early morning, and everything that happens before the first cast can become part of the story.

North Dakota

North Dakota produced northern pike, walleye, and perch. Those are three very different fish, but they fit perfectly into the variety of this journey.

Ohio

Ohio gave me walleye and perch. The Great Lakes region has provided some incredible fishing opportunities during this journey.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma gave me paddlefish. That was one of the more unusual species on the list and another example of why traveling for fish is so much fun.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania was the other state that made me come back for a second attempt. I did not get the fish I needed the first time, so I circled back and eventually caught common carp, buffalo sucker, quillback sucker, and redhorse sucker.

That made the Pennsylvania checkmark especially satisfying because it represented persistence. Sometimes you simply have to go back and try again.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island gave me black sea bass and fluke. It was another saltwater stop and another opportunity to experience a completely different part of the country.

South Carolina

South Carolina produced largemouth bass and spotted bass. It was another state where the fishing trip became part of a larger travel adventure.

South Dakota

South Dakota gave me northern pike and walleye. By this point in the journey, the list of species was becoming almost as interesting as the list of states.

Tennessee

Tennessee gave me largemouth bass. Tennessee was also part of the travel story surrounding some of my other fishing trips. I have learned that you can often combine fishing with the rest of life instead of waiting for the perfect fishing-only vacation.

Texas

Texas produced catfish and shark. Texas is another state where the size of the state means there are countless fishing opportunities. Going from one kind of water to another can completely change what is at the end of the line.

Vermont

Vermont gave me sunfish. It was another straightforward state checkmark, but every fish carried more meaning because I knew how close I was getting to the end of the challenge.

West Virginia

West Virginia produced sunfish, smallmouth bass, and spotted bass. The smallmouth and spotted bass made for a nice combination and another opportunity to experience Appalachian fishing.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin gave me largemouth bass. Another state crossed off, another fishing trip completed, and another reminder that the Midwest has plenty of great fishing.

Wyoming

Wyoming gave me walleye and carp. That brought me to 49 states.

One State Left: Hawaii

And then there is Hawaii. One state left.

After five years, 49 states, countless miles on the road, more than 30 friends and fishing guides, and more fishing stories than I could ever fit into one article, the final chapter is sitting out in the Pacific.

The plan is to try to make Hawaii happen during Christmas break, and I would love to have some local help.

If you are in Hawaii, know the waters, fish regularly, or are a fishing guide who would like to help me complete the challenge, reach out! I would love to fish with somebody who knows the area.

The last state should be about more than simply checking Hawaii off a map. I want it to be another great fishing story with good people.

What This Journey Has Taught Me

When I started this journey, I thought the goal was to catch a fish in every state. Now that I am at 49, I realize that the fish were only part of the reason the trip became so special.

The real reward was seeing places I might never have seen, meeting people I might never have met, learning about different kinds of fishing, and collecting memories along the way.

Fishing has a funny way of doing that. You can start with a simple plan, throw a line in the water, and end up with a story that stays with you for years. A fish can be five pounds or five inches, but if you caught it with the right person in the right place, it can become a memory worth far more than the fish itself.

I also learned that fishing is definitely better with friends. More than 30 people have helped me along this journey. Those people are a huge part of why I have made it this far.

There were successful trips, unsuccessful trips, long drives, early mornings, unexpected catches, missed fish, second attempts, and plenty of moments where things did not go according to plan.

That is fishing.

You cannot control everything. You can prepare, research, find the right water, use the right bait, and listen to people who know what they are doing, but at the end of the day, the fish gets the final vote.

49 States Down. One To Go.

So here I am, 49 states down and one to go. Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming are all part of the story.

Hawaii is waiting.

If you want to fish with me during Christmas break and help me finish the journey, reach out. I would love to meet some new fishing friends, see some new water, and hopefully put one more fish on the list.

Fisherman Stu reporting out for now.

Forty-nine states complete. One to go. Fish on!