What was everyone's "Catch Of The Year"?

[profisher25]

Seeing as it is the end of 2008, I was just curious as to what everyone's, what i like to call, "Catch Of The Year"? What was the largest, heaviest, longest, or best fish they caught in 08? Add a pic of the fish if you have one available!!!

[Cudz]

Managed 3 personal bests.

 

14" Crappie

36" Pike

7 pound Smallmouth

 

My catch of the year was the smallmouth.

Edited December 16, 2008 by Cudz

[Ramble]

Personally i'd have to say my PB laker in algonquin with my dad this spring.

 

But the most memerable fish of the year wasn't mine. I had a few really good "guide moments" this summer, but this one takes the cake.

 

The guy i was guiding, Tom, flew in under marginal conditions halfway through the day and we fished a little for pike but ended up putting the hurt on some walleye that afternoon. The front was making the pike uncooperative. The next day, we were out for 11 hours straight. ticked down rain the ENTIRE time and it lightened up enough for me to pull off a shore lunch at about 1pm. Tom is an amazing guy, super relaxed personality and had faith in my ability to find fish from the get go. A true joy to guide. More like fishing with a friend then taking a guest out. The next day we fished hard all day but the big pike were moving off the creek mouths looking for weedbeds, and the weather which moved through still had them pouting.

 

Near the end of the day we pulled into Edgar bay as the weather cleared and fished the creek mouth landing a few snot-rockets. We hadn't seen much over 30 inches all day. Our last stop for the day was to see if a cabbage bed was out yet, and it was just reaching the surface. I pulled out the anchor and Tom started pounding the water with his buzz bait and spoon despite his back complaining about casting all day. Our second pass of the weed bed was much the same but we managed one lazy but descent swirl at a cabbage clump near the end of the drift. The thrid time over the weedbed he said "let's call it quites soon" so we got to that last clump, he fan casted the area and NOTHING.

 

I felt if there was going to be a big fish here she was gonna be in that patch where we had seen the descent swirl earlier. Looked like the perfect ambush spot for a big girl. I told him as much, and he loves the buzz baits for pike as much as i do, so he put on one of his custom made black buzzers and went to firing away. I had the anchor out so he could really pound the area.

 

A short while later he sat down and did some casting from his seat due to his sore back. His lure landed in that same spot mid-cabbage patch every cast, a dozen times. (Yes i was counting) On the 13th cast the buzzbait went all of 4 feet when it was slurped under a big swirl. He set that hook with his whole body and teh fight was on.

 

The fish took off like it was just unleashed from the gates of hell. I had the anchor out in no time. The 43 inch she-wolf was under the boat and all over the place. I spent my time leaning on the push pole to get us out into deeper water away from the weeds when i wasn't trying to keep his line off the splash guard. After some of the best runs i saw from a northern all year, i got her into the net. For the next 5 minutes i dont think there were 2 happier guys in the country. Hand shakes and adrenalien pumping to beat the band. 2 and half days of hard fishing, but by GOD she was worth every minute of it.

 

I dont think i'll ever forget those days, that fish, or his grin. That feeling is why i love to guide, and that's why this is my most memorable fish of the year.

 

-Dave

 

[fish_finder]

This baby in late February.....

 

 

I grabbed my 6 wt by accident when I was heading out, which made the fight quite nerve wreaking, but landed and released her none the less!

[Basskicker]

Spring pike...

 

[chickenhawk]

I dont think i'll ever forget those days, that fish, or his grin. That feeling is why i love to guide, and that's why this is my most memorable fish of the year.

 

-Dave

 

 

for sure man.....thats why i loved my job....seein the grin on their face after they catch a big fish...awesome! and that is a big jack!

 

Hawk

[centerpin_drift]

my little brown.. pb brown for me

[BillM]

Definitely my muskie, nothing big and the pic didn't turn out very good, but man no fish has put a smile on my face like that fish.

 

Also got into some nice brookies, along with the Halloween brown I pulled out of a Lake O trib a month or so ago.

 

My first fish on a pin was also a highlight!!

[Greencoachdog]

As bad as I hate to admit it, mine was this Smallmouth Buffalo Carp

 

 

Caught while Crappie fishin on an itty bitty minnow and light wire #6 hook. It was quite the battle getting this brute to the boat, had to chase him all over the lake before he would give up.

 

Not that prestigious of a fish... but he was Big, Mean, Ugly, and Nasty (the same way I like my wimmins!)

 

 

... not as big as the Buffalo, but this landlocked Striped Bass put a heckuva smile on my face too!

 

Edited December 16, 2008 by GCD

[legacey]

The 2008 Season was a fantastic one for me. I didn't do well on the PB front but had a great time fishing with my family and friends for fun. Although I didn't do well in my tournaments this year, I made it thru successfully, with a smile and learned a lot.

 

My most memorable fish was the blue pike (around 8 lbs) I caught in the Bay of Quinte......I'll never forget that fish. I caught it during the QFS Bass Tourney but unfortunatley, didn't take a picture.

 

In it's mouth, it looked like it ate a ton of blue berries....it was the first time I had seen one and it was definitely a pike and not the walleye type that I've seen.

 

Cheers and all the best!

 

Paul

[joedy]

40 1\2" X 20"..23 and change..will get a 30+ next year

[bassjnkie]

I had 2 of my fav. catches.

 

26Lb 8oz Mirror carp

 

 

30Lb 10oz Common carp

 

[LeXXington]

For me its been a slow year for PB's or amazing fish. Yes I caught lots but only 2 made my year

 

My All time best!!!

 

My Late uncle Terry, caught this fish at LakAir before passing way 3 months later. What a way too go.

[MJL]

Hard to choose just one

 

By far one of the strangest carp I've ever landed. A tag team effort between my dad and I to land this one. Went 30lbs on the scale

 

[danc]

I had a banner year for Brook Trout. Thanks to new regulations that were put in place a few years back, I caught a record number (for me) of 23"+ Brookies. It's hard to pick out which one stood out most, but this one, netted and photographed by Irishfield, ranks right up there.

 

[irishfield]

Careful with your backgrounds Dan... I know that spot !

[tdotfisherman]

This was only my second year of hardcore fishing.. it was an up and down year, but I managed some new personal bests..

 

27" Walleye caught at dusk up around North Bay this summer

 

 

 

17" Hog of a Smallmouth Bass that was caught around North Bay this summer

 

 

 

27" Steelhead that I caught this spring just after opener chucking small spinners in a local Lake Ontario trib

 

 

 

and probably some of the most fun I had all summer was fishing for Bullhead at my buddies cottage on Georgian Bay.. I've never fished for Bullhead before, but they were an absolute blast.. we set up a few chairs, brought down a few beers to the dock, had about 10 cigarettes, and pulled the Bullhead up all night long.. this was in August, and from about 11pm to 3am, we must have pulled about 10-12 of them from off the dock.. it was an absolute blast!

 

 

 

God, I can't wait for next year!

[Stoty]

Mine would be the 6lb 9oz Pig of a Largemouth I caught to take home the "Annual Fishing Trip Champion" Trophy!

Not quite my (overall) PB Largemouth, but its sure my Canadian PB!

 

[Leecher]

For me, nothing big but plenty of them... and the ones that stands out are the following:

 

Hard water - 18" Walleye

 

 

Pike - No measurements on that one

 

 

13" Crappie

 

 

17" SMB

 

 

Softwater - 5Lbs Channel Cat

 

 

4Lbs+ LMB

 

 

27" Pike

 

 

Leechman

[TroutnMuskieHunter]

I didn't get out as much as I wanted this year but when I did, I managed to have some great outings....

 

Here's my PB Laker caught towards the end of July...

 

 

And here's the biggest Muskie of the season...close to my PB but not quite!!

 

 

And the most memorable fish and outing was when I was able to get Whitespinnerbait (Paul) into his first Muskie

 

[JohnF]

A great big beautiful smallmouth I caught on the Thames one morning with no witnesses, no camera and no way to properly measure it as I was standing in water up to my bellybutton. It's likely no one will ever believe me but I got the memory all the same. It was an exciting fish to catch.

 

JF

[profisher25]

I think my highlight of the year was my very first muskie. I unfortunately didn't do as much fishing as expected this year, but the muskie was a real treat for me. I think though that 09 is going to be my best fishing year for me, and i plan on hitting some new lakes, catching some new fish, and land that big trophy as well. those are my main goals for 09 fishing.

[silvio]

Couple of really spunky fall steelhead that I will never forget. Lost some really big ones this year hopefully all get them next year.

 

 

 

And also this beautiful coho a fight I will never forget.

 

[snag]

A great big beautiful smallmouth I caught on the Thames one morning with no witnesses, no camera and no way to properly measure it as I was standing in water up to my bellybutton. It's likely no one will ever believe me but I got the memory all the same. It was an exciting fish to catch.

 

JF

 

I believe you

 

Everyones been in that position.

 

I'll bet that if you had a camera and witnesses it may not have been caught.

Just happens like that sometimes.

 

It was meant for private viewing, that's all.

[Cookslav]

I had a S-L-O-W year

Not much time on the water between Moving early in the year, watching the 2 kids, and the birth of My Son in July....Ya I was swamped LOL!

But I had a Great trip to Algonquin for the opener...Caught a Wack of Fish

The Last day My Youngest Brother and I kept a nice Stringer of 3 beautifull Algonquin Specks

 

 

This Picture just says "postcard" to me

 

 

 

Cheers,