Got Fish Photos to Share?

Since Tom became co-Colorado State Editor, I’ve found time to address a favorite project, fish species.  It’s a task that may never be completed and I’m OK with that.  I enjoy researching different species and doing the write-ups.  We concentrate on the game fish, but also feel it’s important to put up other species anglers might encounter, including bait species. 

We’re also adding species that are endangered, threatened, or of special concern so that our members can identify them, should they encounter one while fishing.  Over the years fishing the Colorado River and its tributaries, I’ve caught a number of roundtail chub, bluehead sucker, flannelmouth sucker, and one (I believe) Colorado pikeminnow.  Given many fishers use suckers and chubs for bait, it’s good to know how to tell the difference between what’s legal to use, and what’s not.

While updating the species list, I realized we still depend heavily on sketches and pictures from the public domain to illustrate the various species.  We’d much prefer to use images taken by our members.  To date, the majority of those “real” images are Matt’s or mine.  While my life list is long, there are a lot of fish out there that I’ve yet to catch.  So we need your help.  I’m in the process of not only updating Colorado’s species list, but Wyoming’s, (soon to be activated), and Florida’s, where we’re looking to add saltwater fisheries (Texas and California, also)

Thus, we could use some fish pictures, but not just any pictures.  First, it must be for a species where we’re not already using a member image (that includes my images). For example, we DO NOT need largemouth, rainbow, or bluegill pictures.  Check the species page before sending a picture. If the current image is a member photo, don’t send. If in doubt, ask.  We DO NEED photos of gar species, saltwater species (inshore), yellow bullhead, blue catfish, flathead catfish, tilapia species, pickerel species, burbot, snake river cutthroat, … Again, check the species pages in California, Colorado, Florida, and Texas to see what’s needed.

If you send a photo to us on the species pages (send to dave at FishExplorer dot com), remember it must be your work and we need written permission (in your email will do) to use it on FishExplorer.com. You retain all other rights.  Second, it needs to be high resolution, cell phone images likely won’t work.  The fish must be horizontal, clean (no blood, dirt, cuts, stringers, etc.); illustrative of the species, an adult, but not necessarily a trophy; preferably a “naked” fish, we’re interested in illustrating the fish, we know you're cute, but. . .

If we use the photo, we’ll give you full credit and some sort of gift, such as a month of FxR plus, points, if preferred, or possibly other options.   So visit the species pages to see what’s needed.  Check your files and shoot me a few photos.