Can anyone else besides me believe it is already 2026? Where did 2025 go? I truly feel like 2025 was a blur, maybe I am just getting older but the old saying “the days are long but the years are short” really is starting to make more sense to me. We at Palmetto Bait and Tackle hope you and your families did have a great holiday season and now that we have just jumped right into a new year, we wanted to put out a little 2026 challenge. Everybody loves a fun challenge, right? This year we want to see if you can catch 26 different species in 2026!
Why did I choose 26 species? Because it made for a catchy article title of course! Catch 26 Species in 2026!! There are definitely way more than 26 different species in the waters in Manatee County! We will make it easy for you to follow along this year in the catch 26 challenge and I will break it down into 3 categories of Easy, Moderate and Challenging (to catch). Now just because you caught some or all of these species in 2025 doesn’t mean you can count them for the catch 26 in 2026 challenge, that would be cheating!! Oh, did I mention the prize for completing the catch 26 challenge?
The prize is an elite sense of pride and realization that you spent a good amount of time outside, on the water decompressing from the stresses of life, while trying to complete a fun and silly little challenge from the local newspaper!! Ok now it’s time for the Catch 26 Species in 2026 Challenge list! Drum roll please!
EASY: Catfish, Pinfish, Grunt, Mangrove Snapper, Jack Crevale, Trout, Lane Snapper, Sand Pearch, Lady Fish, Shark
MODERATE: Snook, Spanish Mackerel, Red Grouper, Gag Grouper, Porgee, Red Fish, Sheepshead, Amberjack, King Fish, Black Drum
CHALLENGING: Triple Tail, Cobia, Hog Fish, Black Sea Bass, Mahi, Black Fin Tuna
The first catch of the month winner has been chosen and Parker Kraus wins the $100 Palmetto Bait and Tackle gift card for his nice Sheepshead. Remember to send in your pictures with your name and phone number so you can be entered in the catch of the week contest. If you win catch of the week, your photo will be published in the paper and you will be entered into the catch of the month. Once you win catch of the week you have a pretty good chance to win catch of the month as we will only choose catch of the month winners from catch of the week winners!!
A huge THANK YOU to all of our customers for a wonderful 2025, we can’t wait to grow with you and our community into 2026! See you soon at Palmetto Bait and Tackle!!
Remember, we have all the live, frozen or artificial bait you need to catch 26 species in
We hope everyone enjoyed the absolutely perfect weather for the week of Christmas to get out and fish! Our new year’s front has made it a little challenging but it looks like Friday 1/2/26 might lay down some…or early next week looks like we might catch a break from the wind!
