Game fish,sport fish orquarry refer to popularfish species pursued byrecreational fishers (typicallyanglers), and can befreshwater orsaltwater fish. Game fish can beeaten after being caught, preserved astaxidermy (though rare), orreleased after capture. Some game fish are also targetedcommercially, particularly less bony species such assalmon andtuna.

Specimens of game fish whosemeasurements (body length andweight) significantly exceed the species' average are sometimes known astrophy fish, as such captures are often presented asbragging rights among fishers.^{[citation needed]}

The species of fish prized by anglers varies with geography and tradition. Some fish are sought for their value asfood, while others are pursued for their fighting abilities, or for the difficulty of successfully enticing the fish to bite thehook.

• Big-game fish orblue water game fish are largepelagicsaltwater fish such astuna,tarpon,grouper andbillfish (sailfish,marlin andswordfish). Occasionally otherpredatory fishes such assharks,barracuda anddolphinfish are also pursued. Large powerfulfreshwater fish such asalligator gar,lake sturgeon andflathead catfish can also be considered big-game fish.
• Freshwater fish targeted by anglers inNorth America includebass (especiallyblack bass),salmon/trout,char,walleye/sauger,common snook,redfish,northern pike andmuskellunge,sturgeon,gar and severalcatfish species. InEurope andAsia, largecyprinids (e.g.carps,barbels,breams,chubs,daces andtench),perches, freshwatersalmonids (trout,graylings,whitefish andtaimen),drum,pikes, catfish,eels andsnakeheads are also popular, although many of them are regarded derogatorily as "trash fish", "dirt fish" or "pest fish" in America.
  • In theUnited Kingdom, "game fish" refers specifically to salmonids other than graylings – that is,salmon,trout andchar. Other popular freshwater fish are calledcoarse fish.
• Small/medium-sized freshwater fish routinely sought by anglers are calledpanfish in theUnited States, because they typically can fit wholly into a normalcooking pan without needing to becut orfilleted. Examples arecrappies,yellow perch,rock bass,bluegills andother sunfish (Centrarchidae). Panfish are often sought by younger, more inexperienced anglers, at least partly due to their proactivity to feed and the relative ease to be caught; although adult anglers sometimes consider them as "nuisance fish" due to their tendency to opportunistically strike thebaits/lures intended for other larger fishes.

Some popular game fish have beenintroduced andstocked worldwide.Rainbow trout, for instance, can be found nearly anywhere theclimate is appropriate, from theirnative range on thePacific Coast ofNorth America to themountains of southernAfrica,^[1] and is nowlisted as one of the worstinvasive species.^[2]

As part of thecatch-and-release practice encouraged to promoteconservation, tagging programs were established. Some of their goals are to improve themanagement of fishery resources and to keep records onabundance, age,growth rates,migrations andbreedidentification.

Some well-known tagging programs in the United States are theSouth Carolina Marine Game Fish Tagging Program and theVirginia Game Fish Tagging Program. The South Carolina Marine Game Fish Tagging Program began in 1974 and it is now^[when?] the largest public tagging program in theSoutheastern United States. Anglers are trained and then receive a tag kit with tags, applicator, and instructions. When they tag a fish, anglers use a reply postcard they receive in advance to send the information on the tag number, tag date,location,species, andsize. This program issues anglers who tag and release 30 or more eligible species within a year a conservation award. When an angler recaptures a tagged fish, they then should report the recapture. If possible, the tag number and the mailing address should be reported, along with the location and date of the recapture, as well with the measurement of the fish. The objective is to providebiologists with the necessary information to determine growth rate through an accurate measurement.^[3] The Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program started operations in 1995 and keeps records on recaptured fish since then. This is an annual program that starts in January and it is limited to 160 anglers. Anglers receive training workshops in February and March.^[4]

The official guide to world salt- andfreshwater fish records is theWorld Record Game Fishes, published annually by theInternational Game Fish Association (IGFA), which maintains records for nearly 400 species around the world. The records are categorised, with separate records for juniors, for the type of tackle and line used, for fly fishing, and locality records.^[5] The IGFA also organize the world saltwater championship tournaments.^[6]

• Coarse fishing – Type of freshwater angling in the United Kingdom and Ireland
• Fishing tournament – Fishing contest among a group of anglers
• Game (hunting) – Wild animals under pursuit or taken in hunting
• List of freshwater game fish
• List of marine game fish
• Overfishing – Removal of a species of fish from water at a rate that the species cannot replenish
• Recreational fishing – Fishing as a hobby

• Dunn, Bob (2000)Saltwater Game Fishes of the World. Australian Fishing Network.ISBN 978-1-86513-010-1

• Recreational fishing
• Game fish

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