We have had unseasonably warm weather for the last week, so I got out and made the best of it. On Sunday and Monday I went to the headwaters of a small tributary to the Tallahatchie River. I had hoped to see some shiners and wanted a Notorus or two, but saw neither. There was a lack of fundulus in the pools but large populations of small Bluegill were in their place. Etheostoma proeliare and E. Raneyi were in greatest abundance. The water was gin clear with moderate flow in one branch with a sand bottom and slow and tannic with a mud/clay bottom in the other branch. E. proeliare seemed to prefer the former while E. raneyi was more common in the latter.

Species List:
Fundulus olivaceous Blackspotted Topminnow
Gambusia affinis Mosquitofish
Lepomis macrochirus Bluegill
Micropterus punctulatus Spotted Bass
Etheostoma proeliare Cypress Darter
Etheostoma raneyi Yazoo Darter
Percina sciera Dusky Darter

Scenery


Etheostoma proeliare




Etheostoma raneyi


Unknown crawdads





Unknown Salamander?



On Thursday I went fishing in what remains of the Yocona river channel since it was channelized in the 30's. At the end of the day I pulled the dipnet out and worked a mat of free floating plant hoping for some feeder shrimp. I was rewarded with my first Pickerel and then my second, as well as a ton of Elassoma. Broke out the critter tank for some pictures - I still have a lot of practice before I get my focus down.

Species List:
Fundulus notatus Blackstripe Topminnow
Fundulus olivaceus Blackspotted Topminnow
Gambusia affinis Mosquitofish
Elassoma zonatum Banded Pygmy Sunfish
Esox americanus Grass Pickerel
Lepomis macrochirus Bluegill
Lepomis cyanellus Green Sunfish
Lepomis microlophus Redear Sunfish
Micropterus salmoides Largemouth Bass

Scenery


Fundulus olivaceous


Elassoma zonatum


Esox americanus



Shrimp

Great photos. Thanks for sharing!

I notice you're using a kayak. Do you find it restraining in terms of space/cargo capacity on collecting trips?

Definitely some nice pictures. I envy the different species you have over your way.

I don't believe that darter you have is a goldstripe though. Based on your area, it appears to be a cypress darter. If I caught it here, it would be a swamp for sure.....

Edit made from E. parvipinne to E. proeliare. Thanks Dustin.

The kayak does not restrict me in any way, if anything its less than 3" draft, small size, and low weight frees me to access more areas than otherwise possible with another craft. I can't imagine needing more gear than the kayak can carry unless I was overnighting and needed a tent, cooler, multiple buckets, air supply, etc... I prefer to pack light on the water.

Your salamander is a Southern two-line, Eurycea cirrigera.

Nice pics! I've never seen (or ever heard of) the Yazoo darter. It's beautiful!

The Yazoo darter is endemic to the Yazoo R. drainage.