Saltwater Fishing Slams: The Ultimate List [Over 50 Saltwater Grand Slams]

You’ve finally found it…

The Ultimate Guide to Saltwater Fishing Slams!

Here is how this saltwater slam list is broken down below:

1. Saltwater Slams recognized by the IGFA (International Game Fish Association)
2. Saltwater Slams invented by fellow anglers over the years that aren’t quite YET recognized by the IGFA that are broken down into these three sub-categories:
   1. Inshore Fishing Slams
   2. Offshore Fishing Slams
   3. Miscellaneous and Odd Saltwater Slams

So why did I create this fishing slam guide?

Well, in our private Facebook group called the “Salt Strong Fishing Tribe”, there have been quite a few questions and debates going on about which types of fish constitute certain saltwater fishing slams…

There was also some debate about the difference in a “Slam” and a “Grand Slam” as well.

And after a bit of research, I realized that there was not a specific blog post that listed ALL of the saltwater fishing slams… some listed just inshore slams, some listed just the billfish slams, etc…

So I decided to create this Ultimate Fishing Slam List!

It wasn’t easy, but it sure was fun poking around the web for a few days listing every legit slam that I could find (over 50 of them).

Hope you enjoy and learn a few new fishing slam facts like these:

1. Did you know that you don’t have to keep, weigh, or kill a fish in order to qualify for a slam (like you would for a world record). All it takes is a picture with the angler and/or the contact information of the captain, guide, or other witnesses.
2. The current record holder for total IGFA slams is Gabrielle Knapp of Stuart, Florida with 17 total Grand Slams!

IGFA Saltwater Fishing Slams

First, let’s define a “SLAM” according the IGFA:

“For purposes of the IGFA Grand Slam Clubs, catching three species in one day equals a Grand Slam, four different species equals a Super Grand Slam, and five different species equals a Fantasy Slam.

Now on to the IGFA recognized saltwater slams:

1. Billfish Grand Slam

Any combination of the following three billfish in a single day make a billfish grand slam:

• Atlantic Blue Marlin
• Pacific Blue Marlin
• Black Marlin
• White Marlin
• Striped Marlin
• Atlantic Sailfish
• Pacific Sailfish
• Swordfish
• Spearfish

Note: Any combination of four of the above billfish in a single day constitutes a “Super Slam”, and any combination of five of the billfish species in a single day is the Fantasy Slam (the membership club for the Billfish Fantasy Slam is still at zero…)

2. Inshore Grand Slam

Any combination of the following three fish in a single day constitute an IGFA certified “Inshore Grand Slam”:

• Bonefish
• Permit
• Snook
• Tarpon

Note: Notice that redfish and speckled trout are not on the IGFA list. Also, if you catch all four of these inshore game fish in a day, it is considered an Inshore Super Grand Slam. There is not a Fantasy Slam for Inshore with the IGFA.

3. Offshore Grand Slam

Any combination of the following three offshore fish caught in a single day constitute an offshore grand slam:

• Any of the Billfish species listed above in section 1
• Dolphinfish (aka Mahi, Dorado)
• Any fish from the Tuna species
• Wahoo

Note: Any four of the above fish make an offshore super grand slam. There is not a Fantasy Slam for this offshore club.

4. Salmon Grand Slam

Any combination of the following three types of salmon caught in a single day constitute a Salmon Grand Slam:

1. Atlantic Salmon
2. Chinook Salmon
3. Chum Salmon
4. Coho Salmon
5. Pink Salmon
6. Sockeye Salmon

Note: Any combination of these four salmon above make a Salmon Super Grand Slam and any combination of five of these salmon make up a Salmon Fantasy Slam (regardless if caught in freshwater or saltwater). Only one angler in the world has made the Salmon Fantasy Slam.

5. Tuna Grand Slam

Any combination of the following three tuna in a single day constitute an IGFA certified “Tuna Grand Slam”:

• Atlantic or Pacific Bigeye Tuna
• Blackfin Tuna
• Bluefin Tuna
• Dogtooth Tuna
• Longtail Tuna
• Skipjack Tuna
• Southern Bluefin Tuna
• Yellowfin Tuna

Note: Any combination of these four tuna fish above make a Tuna Super Grand Slam and any combination of five of these Tuna make up a Tuna Fantasy Slam. Not a single angler in the world has made the Tuna Fantasy Slam.

6. Shark Grand Slam

Any combination of the following three sharks landed in a single day constitute a Shark Grand Slam:

• Blue Shark
• Hammerhead
• Mako Shark
• Thresher Shark
• Tiger Shark
• White Shark
• Tope Shark
• Whaler Shark
• Porbeagle Shark

Note: Any combination of these four sharks above make a Shark Super Grand Slam and any combination of five of these sharks make up a Shark Fantasy Slam. Not a single angler in the world has made the Shark Fantasy Slam.

To see more on the IGFA saltwater fishing slams (including how to register your own slam with the IGFA), click here.

Non-IGFA Saltwater Slams

Below is a rundown of the full list of saltwater fishing slams that have been created and recognized over the years.

Now keep in mind that the proper “nomenclature” when talking about fishing slams is as follows:

• Any three fish caught in a single day by a single angler is considered a “Grand Slam” (aka a “Slam”)
• Any four fish caught in a single day by a single angler is considered a “Super Grand Slam” (aka “Super Slam”)
• Fish do NOT have to be kept or killed in order to complete any slam.

I have broken it down in between the following three saltwater categories:

1. Inshore Fishing Slams
2. Offshore Fishing Slams
3. Miscellaneous Saltwater Fishing Slams

Note: If you see any that we missed, please leave them in the comment section so we can add them.

Inshore Fishing Slams

Inshore Grand Slam

• Redfish
• Speckled Seatrout
• Flounder

Alternative Inshore Grand Slam

When you catch any three of the following four inshore game fish in a single day, it is considered an Inshore Grand Slam.

Note: Catching all four in a single day is the Super Inshore Grand Slam.

• Bonefish
• Tarpon
• Permit
• Snook

Florida Inshore Grand Slam

• Permit
• Tarpon
• Bonefish

Alternative Florida Inshore Grand Slam

Note: Florida Inshore Super Gand Slam:  Add Flounder or Tarpon

• Snook
• Redfish
• Speckled Trout

Northeast Inshore Slam:

• Seatrout
• Redfish
• Flounder

Rocket-to-the-Moon Slam

• Ladyfish (a/k/a Rocket Fish, or Po’ Man’s Tarpon)
• Tarpon
• Spinner Shark

Shoreline Grand Slam

Any three of the four shoreline fish:

• Sheepshead
• Whiting
• Florida pompano
• Bluefish

Nearshore Grand Slam

• Cobia
• Tripletail
• King mackerel

Bay & Estuary Grand Slam

• Gray (mangrove) snapper
• Snook
• Spanish mackerel

Inshore Drumfish Slam

• Red Drum
• Black Drum
• Sheepshead

Super Inshore Grand Slam (4 out of the 6 species below)

• Red Drum
• Black Drum
• Sheepshead
• Speckled Trout
• Gray Trout
• Flounder

Gulf of Mexico Seatrout Slam

• Speckled Trout
• Gray Trout (aka Weakfish)
• Silver (Sand) Trout

Close-to-the-Beach Slam

Note: For the Close-to-the-beach Super Slam, add Atlantic Bonito

• Spanish Mackerel
• Bluefish
• False Albacore (Bonito or Little Tunny)

Tropical South American Inshore Saltwater Gamefish Slam

• Roosterfish
• Peacock Bass
• Tigerfish

Outer Banks / Cape Hatteras Surf Fishing Grand Slam

• Boogah Red
• Monstah Striper
• Big Ole Chopper Bluefish

Outcast Inshore Slam (aka Northeast Inshore Slam)

• Redfish
• Speckled Trout
• Flounder

Pacific Inshore Slam

Catching any three of the following four Pacific fish constitute a Pacific Inshore Slam:

• White seabass
• Yellowtail
• Halibut
• Dorado

North Pacific Slam

• Dolly Varden Trout
• Steelhead or Rainbow Trout
• Chinook Salmon

Small Fry Slam 

• Pinfish
• Grunt (any type)
• Catfish (any type)

“You is Snake-Bit” Grand Slam

Any three of the following “biting, pricking, barbing and stinging fish” constitute a “You is Snake-bit” Slam:

• Dogfish
• Pinfish
• Hardhead Catfish
• Gafftop Sail Catfish
• Ribbonfish
• Stingray

“I’m Having One Of Those Days” Slam

If you catch any three of the following fish in a single day, you have officially qualified for “I’m having one of those days” Slam:

• Pinfish
• Lizardfish
• Blowfish / Blow Toad / Pufferfish
• Dogfish
• Robbinfish
• Yellowtail Perch

Trash Can Slam

Any combination of the three following “trash” fish:

• Ladyfish
• Catfish
• Jack
• Pufferfish
• Lizardfish (Florida)

Offshore Fishing Slams

Pelagic Slam

• Kingfish
• Dolphin
• Wahoo

Snapper Grand Slam (aka Snapper Slam)

• Any three species of snapper in a single day by a single angler
• Any four species of snapper caught in a single day by a single angler make a Super Snapper Slam

Mediterranean Grand Slam

Any combination of the following three pelagic fish:

• Swordfish
• Spearfish
• Albacore
• Bluefin Tuna

Family Grand Slam

Any three fish in the same family in a single day (for ex: red snapper, mutton snapper, lane snapper)

For example:

• Red snapper, Mutton snapper, Lane snapper
• Jack Crevalle, Amberjack, Yellow Jack
• Gag grouper, red grouper, black grouper

Blue Water Grand Slam

• Dolphinfish (aka Mahi Mahi)
• Sailfish
• Wahoo

Reefs & Rubble Grand Slam

• Black Sea Bass
• Gag Grouper
• Gray Triggerfish

Offshore Meatfish Slam

• Mahi Mahi
• Wahoo
• Yellowfin Tuna

Nearshore Ocean Grand Slam

Three out of the four following fish:

• King Mackerel
• Wahoo
• Cobia
• Spanish  Mackerel

Deepwater Wreck or Bottom Fishing Grand Slam

Any combination of three of the following four fish make up a Bottom Fishing Grand Slam. Catching all four in a day constitute a Super Grand Slam.

• Black Sea Bass
• Triggerfish
• Red Snapper
• Grouper

Grouper Grand Slam

Any three out of the four grouper below caught in a single day is a Grand Slam, and catching four in a single day is a Super Grouper Grand Slam.

• Black Grouper
• Red Grouper
• Spotted Grouper
• Scamp Grouper
• Gag Grouper

Shark Super Grand Slam

Note: Must catch all four sharks in a single day

• Thresher Shark
• Bull Shark
• Black Tip shark
• Tiger Shark

Sharp Tooth Slam

• Barracuda
• Kingfish
• Any type of shark

Hard As Heck Fighting Slam

Any three out of the following four fish in a single day make a “Hard as heck fighting” Slam:

• Tripletail
• Amberjack
• Permit
• African Pompano

Sushi Grand Slam

Any three of the following four tasty fish make up a Sushi Grand Slam:

• Bluefin Tuna
• Yellowfin Tuna
• California Yellowtail (Hamachi)
• Albacore Tuna

Miscellaneous & Odd Slams

“Weirdo” Creature Slam

Catching three out of the following list of “Weird” creatures in a day constitutes a “Weirdo Creature” Slam.

• Eel
• Carolina Hake
• Ocean Sunfish (Mola Mola)
• Devil Ray (Manta)
• Eagle Ray
• Lionfish

How In The Heck Did I Hook This Slam (not recommended)

Catching any three of the following in a single day constitute a “How in the heck did I hook this” Slam:

• Loggerhead Turtle
• Manatee
• River Otter
• Osprey
• Seagull
• Fishing partner
• Tennis shoe or boot

Sea Mammal Sighting Slam (for kids, women, sensitive men, and days when absolutely nothing is biting)

Seeing any of the following three sea mammals in a single day makes up a Sea Mammal Sighing Slam:

• Bottlenose Dolphin
• Beluga Whale
• Manatee
• Orca (Killer Whale)

Ocean Seal Super Slam

To achieve the Ocean Seal Super Slam, you must see all four of these animals in a single day:

• Harbor Seal
• Sealion
• Walrus
• Sea Otter

Shellfish/Crustacean Super Grand Slam

To achieve the Shellfish Super Grand Slam, you must catch any four of the five shellfish below in a single day:

• Oysters
• Clams
• Blue Crab
• Shrimp
• Spiny Lobster

Alternative Shellfish Grand Slam

• Rock shrimp
• Mussels
• Bay Scallops
• Conch

Lobster Grand Slam

• Spiny Lobster (Bugs)
• Maine Lobster
• Crawfish

Crab Super Slam

Any combination of the following three crabs in a single day make up the crab super slam:

• Blue Crab
• Stone Crab
• King Crab
• Snow Crab
• Dungeness Crab

Alaskan Pacific Gamefish Slam

• King Salmon
• Arctic Char
• Halibut

Baitfish Super Grand Slam

Any four of the following list of baitfish constitute a Baitfish Super Grand Slam:

• Mullet (aka hogleg)
• Menhaden (Pogies)
• Pilchards (White Bait / Greenbacks)
• Anchovies
• Herring
• Cigar Minnows
• Shad
• Ballyhoo
• Flying Fish
• Mud Minnows
• Pinfish
• Shrimp

Conclusion

Did you have any idea that there were over fifty saltwater fishing slams!

Who would have thought?

Even tougher to believe is that there were a handful of other slams that I left out just because they were so off the charts that most people (including me) didn’t ever understand it…

But after lots of Internet research, I boiled it down to these top fishing slams that have been introduced, talked about, and actually documented (with the exception of a few like the “How In The Heck Did I Hook This” Slam).

And what is nice is that with a list like this, there is certainly a slam for everyone…

Let us know in the comments which saltwater slams you have accomplished or any that you hope to conquer next…

Finally, do you know of any other saltwater fishing slams that I might have missed?

Let me know in the comments so we can add them and give you credit.

P.S. – If you think your angler friends or networks would like to see this, please Tag them or Share this with them. You Rock! Pa-POW!

Fish On!