Amazing! I wish I knew how to go collecting.

John, I have good news for you.

Collecting your own fish is both easy and fun!

There are many different ways to do it. It could be as easy as a baited minnow trap and just waiting half an hour to an hour. But that is such a passive collecting method! I've certainly had success with it, but you'll miss out on many species.

If you get a decent dipnet, it gets you into the fish's environment more, and you're going to get some things like darters that you're a lot less likely to get from a baited trap.

Simple thing to try: walk out into the water, find a rock that is big enough to hide some fish but small enough to flip over with your foot. Put the rock between you and the dipnet. Flip the rock over to the side, and quickly sweep the dipnet in and lift it. Take a look at what's in the net. Sometimes it will be nothing but gravel. Other times you'll find maybe a crayfish. But pretty often, you'll bring up some cool darters and other fish.

The dipnet is good for a lot more than rock kicking! But that should get you started. A little more about dipnets here.

When dipnetting, since you're right there in the water, you'll often see other creatures swimming or crawling around near your feet that you're well equipped to sweep up with your net.

Or plan on coming to the '08 convention. You'll be a pro by the end of the weekend.