Your fish of '04

[Tonka Boy]

Just about every time I go out is memorable. I keep a journal so I can relive each outing, and I do often (I can learn from past outings, etc.)

On top of the list would be one of my early Nov outings for walleyes. Between a buddy and I, we figure we easily caught over 12 feet of walleyes, but only boated 5 total.

I also can't forget about my annual Canada trip. That is always a blast!!

[pikerliker]

My fish of 04 would have to be my first real "slab" crappie on Upper Red. I caught it in March of 04. It was my second trip up there (the first December 03). It was about 13 inches and I was exstatic. I did catch a 14 incher and some more 13 and 12 but the first 13 that I got through the ice will be my favorite! What a blast!

~piker

[riverrat56]

My fish of the year would have to be a 25'' eye caught on a shadrap off my aunts dock right as the sun was setting or the 12lb pout i got on LOW last febuary.

[fishermn]

Mine were several nice 18" - 22" cuthroats caught while backpacking in Wyoming this July. We hiked about 5 miles into a lake where you could catch fish like that all day long. It was really amazing. We had a group of 7 guys and in about 3 hours caught and released over 75 fish. It was really cool to watch those fish follow the lure in and just slam it as it started to come up outta the deep water.

[slick814]

Well, mine's not the biggest, just the first and most surprising.

I was fishing on a small metro lake, casting a black spinner for bass. I had caught a couple of decent sized largemouths (2-3 lbs), when all of a sudden something just NAILED my spinner. I was thinking it was either the Mack Daddy of Bass, or maybe a log or something. I gave it a good yank, and then the line started running off the reel, the drag squealing nicely.

I let it run, and when I started to reel it in, this fish did a beautiful tail dance across the water. I ended up letting it take 3 runs on me, because I was using 8# test and no leader. Finally, the fish tires out, and I was able to reel in a 36" Muskie. The first I'd ever caught in my 20+ years of fishing.

I know it wasn't even a legal keeper, and of course it went right back in, but I can see how guys get addicted to them big'uns.

I can't wait for next year to give actually catching them a try.

I only wish I had my camera with me so I could've got a pic of him and that toothy grin.

[river rat316]

2004 was probably my best year of fishing yet, I got out on the water over 100 times, and thanks to the great info I got on FM was able to really hammer the smallies in the Elk River area.

My most memorable fish this year would problably be the 20.5 inch smallie coming right at dusk on my float tube went airborne 5 times and one time I swear was all of 4 feet out of the water!! When I landed the big pig I just put her on the measuring board of the float tube and admired her! Then promptly threw her back in, and to top it all off the next night I caught a 21.5 but she didnt fight nearly as hard but was a big pig!! Nothing beats being out on the river at dusk total serenity!! thats all I got>

[mistermom]

I got a 26.5" walleye night fishing on 'Tonka and a 21" smallie on Mille Lacs. Lost some nice fish too. That happens every year.

mm

[Kingfisher]

1. A 30+ inch walleye CR'd 35 miles from home.

2. The Lake Trout (most likely) that pulled my 6000 Ambassador out of my cold hands (have a bad hand) and took everything to the bottom of White Fish Bay, LOW, never to be seen agian.

[psegriz]

My best one got away. Bent my muskie rod in half, faught him for 2min. then my knot came undone. Never did see em and there aren't any muskies in that lake. Was fishing for pike, but the way it fought I think it was a walleye? I did get my lure back as it floated to the top after I lost em.

[LEECH21]

Come on FMers! There's got to be more people with stories or pics to share about the 2004 season. Let's hear 'em!

[Seabass77]

I caught my biggest smallie ever this summer in the BWCAW, 21.5". Made the cover of Outdoors Weekly. We had just finished 12 hours of paddling and portaging to make it to the north side of Thursday bay on Crooked lake. We were too tired to go out and fish so I just tossed a line from shore. After I caught this fish, I new the work was worth it. We had a great trip. You can see a picture of it on the pictures forum under the smallmouth heading.

[nuts]

Caught my first King Salmon on Superior this year!

[Tom Linderholm]

109" Striped Marlin, oh yeah, FEEL THE BURN!

Sorry no Digi pics

[leechlake]

Watching my 5 year old son catch 12-15" crappies with his Lion King Rod/Reel combo this Fall one after another off of the dock and him wanting to throw them all back. I had to twist his arm to keep three for lunch. He thinks thats normal fishing seeing that he seems to always catch fish when I take him fishing. That's the best fish for me and could not be outdone.

[Sturgeon46]

55" St Croix Sturgeon, October.

[guideman]

It was an average year for me however some of my clients scored pretty well last summer. I can't post any of their photos however there were some very impressive fish.

Muskies, 54", 2/53.5", 53", 52.5" 51" and several others between 48" and 50".

Pike, 44", 42" 41.5", 40", 4/38" and another six over 35".

Smallmouth, my largest was 22.5 and I had several over 20" caught by my clients including a nice 19 incher caught by an 8 year old on his first ever fishing trip with his Dad.

I caught my best largemouth of my life on the Big V last year. It was 23" and I would guess about 6 pounds, on a swamp frog right of my dock.

Big Walleyes were tough to find for me last year for me, I did manage a 27.5 while I was casting for muskies. Other than that a 24" was my best on walleye tackle.

I like many of you lost some fish that would have been bigger but hey, that's fishing.

"Ace"

[traveler]

I had a breakout year on striped marlin, 8 marlin 100 to 180 lbs. in two trips south of the border. Personal best 45 lb. king on the Kenai river in AK. Around here,,,53 inch sturgeon on the Rainy, 1st decent muskie on LOTW.

[Northlander]

Most memerable fish was a 29" walleye my partner caught in our 1st Tourney together. Took us from 13th to 3rd instantly. Missed big fish by 10 oz.

Best fish would have to be a 31.5" eye I caught in Northern Lights in July.

Most scarey fish would be driving in a foot and a half of standing water on Upper Red lake last March! Wipers full bore all the way out! Best thing was we caught a ton of big eyes and Crappie. Thanks Jiggles.

Funniest fish was a 12# catfish my nephew caught jigging for eyes on the St.Louis River on a 6' light action rod. We chased it around for 25 minutes with the trolling motor, his drag screaming the whole time. "Uncle you take it my arms are sore, please take my rod!" No way in the world I was touching that rod I was too bussy running the boat, laughing and getting pics! That beat anything I did this year by a mile!

[rosspj59]

Caught a 39" muskie on Clear Lake in Iowa while ice fishing for walleyes in March 04. (Iowa does not close for walleyes). Caught on a Genz lightning rod with 4lb test line and forage minnow with a fathead. Took 15 minutes to get out of the hole. It ran back and forth across the hole a dozen times. I still can't believe the line didn't get cut or break from the bottom of the ice. Didn't have a scale but the fish was very fat.

[Redlantern]

Nothing big but I had a blast this summer at the cabin helping my sister, nephew and daughter catch there limits of trout. It got so crazy one evening that I quit fishing so I could keep them going while I unhooked, rebaited, netted, etc. My nephew is three and my daughter is six. I look forward to many more trips with them.

[Shurdaddy]

I took my brother, who does not fish very often, out to the lake on a Sunday morning. We are trolling around for about 30 minutes when he sets his hook and his rod is bent over. His drag is peeling and he says "Dude, I'm snagged". He hands me his rod so I can break the line. Just as I'm about to snap the line, I feel a head shake. After a twenty minute fight I bring up this pig. I'm ready to do a backflip into the water and he says "Is that a good sized fish??" A couple of pics and back in the water. (Sorry about the size)

[msm1018]

I caught 12 LMB 7 of them were 19" or longer in a little over a half hour, total! Fun to say the least. No lie, my Father can back me up.

[Snag]

My Dad and I were fishing Calhoun and I decided to troll a topraider back to the launch. Heard a big splash about 50 yards behind the canoe and the fight was on. Glad that I had the muskie rod and 80 lb braided line. Brought her up on shore to land her. I'm guessing it was about 45 inches (My biggest muskie) Give my Dad the camera and strike a great pose with about 30 walkers-joggers giving me a standing O. Dad can't figure out the camera and says the batteries are dead. Have to let her go. I was still shaking for a couple of minutes after that one. Found out that the batteries were good.

[Sportland_Bait]

Mine wasn't a huge fish but it was very exciting for me. It was a 28 1/2 inch walleye on the first day of a tournament on Mille Lacs. We were anchored, I threw out my bobber/leech and started fiddling with something. When I looked up I couldn't find my bobber. I set the hook and she came in pretty easy even though I knew it was a good one. It made us some money for the big fish of the day. We choked on day two but I can't complain about day one and the great luck we had.

Jason Erlandson

[Beef46]

Fish of the year for me was my 4 year old catching a 14" bass on a Tazmanian Devil Disney rod. I set the hook, he did the rest. Took him a while to get it in. The look on his face was priceless. He talks about it almost every day.

Oh he caught a nice 11" crappie on the same lake a couple of weeks later.

Then there was my 14" crappie on the same lake.

Oh and then the 37" Pike on that same lake,

oh and ........ah forget it.

It was a good year. Catch wait until this summer. Boys aren't too into ice fishing yet.