Hooked-in

Winni Derby 2009 day 1 fishing results

Above are shown the fishing results from day one of the the 2009 Winni Derby. The top salmon weighed in at 4.12 pounds and the top lake trout at 8.42 pounds. The top junior salmon tipped the scales at 3.26 pounds.

Today started slow, with many fishermen showing little for their efforts. According derby coordinators, there were two factors contributing to the slow start: (1) a light wind from the east and (2) a halo around the early sun. Either of these will shut down the fishing and we had both today. No one knows why this happens, but experience has proven it causes the effect.

However, it was a wonderful day on the water and the fishing picked up later in the day. The "hot spot" throughout the day was south of Rattlesnake Island.

Of course, this will all change tomorrow and there are two days left in the derby ;-)

New Alabama state record crappie... almost!

Terry Davis just posted a new Alabama state record crappie on Hooked-in... or so he thought. As reported by the Birmingham News, In the excitement of the weigh in at the Leeds, AL post office, Terry thought the scale said 4 pounds 13 ounces, when it actually read 4.13 pounds (4 pounds 2 ounces). The state record is 4 pounds 5 ounces. So, this is not quite a state record but a trophy fish for sure. Congratulations, Terry!

See the fish on Hooked-in here: http://www.hooked-in.com/catches/show/2707.

34 lb. Striped Bass posted on Hooked-in

Check this out... 34 lb. striper posted by Jack Jandreau.  Caught in Hingham Bay (near Boston Harbor). Nice fish!

A Bad Day for This Brown Trout

Want to know what put the gashes in the brown trout shown above?  Read the story from Bruce Parks on Hooked-in Fishing Reports.

Legendary Largemouth Bass Dies

Ever since I read Sowbelly: The Obsessive Quest for the World Record Largemouth Bass back in January, I have been following the San Diego area largemouth bass fishing news.  Today, I read that "Dottie" the legendary largemouth bass was found dead -- floating in Dixon Lake.  Too bad... this was a fish that could possibly have broken the world record.  I'm sure these fanatics will keep trying to break it!

If you break the record, please post your photo in on Hooked-in ;-).

Capt. Bill Brown and Billfish Sportfishing

29 years ago, I was a scrawny 10-year-old twerp in the 4th grade at Parkman Elementary School in Enfield, CT.  My teacher was Mr. Brown.  He was a good teacher who set me on the right path in the classroom and on the playing field.  Mr. Brown always had the time and energy to toss the football to me on the playground at recess.  I remember that Mr. Brown liked fishing a lot.

29 years go by...

I join the Outdoor Writers Association of America and send out an email to the other members introducing myself and Hooked-in.  Back comes a reply from a guy named Bill Brown asking, "Did you by chance go to school in Enfield, CT? I had a Joe Pych in my 4th grade class at Parkman School way back when." 

So, after so many years, I am getting reacquainted with Mr. Brown. Calling him Bill will take some getting used to. 

As I mentioned earlier, Bill likes fishing... but this is an understatement.  I am coming to understand he's not only a good fisherman, he's one of the best. 

Check out his Billfish Sportfishing Fishing Report on Hooked-in and you will see what I mean.  He's posted some of the biggest sharks, stripers, swordfish, and sailfish I have ever seen.  Have a look at the Billfish Sportfishing Website, too.

How much does Bill like fishing?  You can feel Bill's enthusiasm for fishing by reading his story about catching a swordfish near Islamorada, FL.  You can see his enthusiasm for fishing in this photo where he douses himself to pose with the 180 pound tarpon he caught (and later learned he threatened his life for this photo as he and his tarpon were being stalked by a bull shark):

Even more amazing, Mr. Brown recently competed in the Quiznos Mad Fin Shark Tournament.  He and his partner, Rob Fordyce, of Team Mercury were new to the event. Nevertheless, they gave the reigning champion a good scare after the first day of competition and eventually settled for a very respectable 4th place.

The Mad Fin Tournament is definitely not for amateurs.  According to their website:

Quiznos Madfin Shark Series, the award-winning program on ESPN2, is the most dangerous catch and release, light tackle, shark fishing series on television. This is what happens when the ocean's most fearsome predators come face to face against the world's smartest.

In this competition, eight two-person teams hit the waters of the Florida Keys to catch and release a variety of sharks over the course of three days. Teams earn points depending on the type of shark caught and released. Bonus points are frequently awarded for proper hook removal.

It's survival of the fittest in this winner-take-all affair. Those teams with the lowest point total are eliminated after each day, while the highest scoring team on the tournament's final day becomes the Quiznos Madfin Shark Series Champions.

You can watch the Mad Fin Tournament on ESPN 2 starting April 6th.  I am definitely going to be tuned in.  For me, to see Mr. Brown.  For all of you, it looks like a really exciting fishing show.

Mr. Brown, I am ready for my second education!

Have you ever gone diving for a fish... on purpose?

I just had a hearty laugh when I read the story behind Dwight Aspinwall's latest report of how he caught a largemount bass at Long Pond in Maine:

"Casting off the dock with the kids. After hooking this guy, I handed the rod to Diego. In the intervening moment, the fish went to the bottom and snagged. I put on a mask and jumped in the water. Sure enough, there was the bass; he'd wrapped the line around a log. I freed the line and Diego reeled him in. The kids stuck him in a bucket for a while, then let him go."

Now, that's dedication!  To fishing and to his son.  Of course, he got my vote for that story.

Do you have any great stories like this?  Please share them.

By the way, it's OK if you did not catch a fish but still want to tell your fishing story.  I just added a new fish called "Skunked" for those days when you had no luck but you had a great day anyway because you were out fishing with your friends.

DeMartine posts a case full of trophy fish on Hooked-in

Chris DeMartine posted 10 trophy size catches on Hooked-in.  One of the more impressive ones was the 20.5 pound Northern Pike caught up in Quebec.  He posted some nice stories such as this one on the Lake Trout:

"Caught 12 that day with my good friend Doug. Trolling in 65 feet of water, right on the bottom at 1.6 miles per hour -- the slower the better. I didn't have a downrigger, so we pulled all of the lakers up using my bluefish outfits rigged with lead core line & a mono leader.

"Lot's of fun. I can't brag though. A 9 year-old kid caught a 23lb. laker that same day. It was in the local paper. Turns out, they were fishing in the same area as me. I marked the spot pretty good (above)."

And he had a funny (in retrospect) story on his Snook:

"Nice snook -- jumped a couple of times. Unfortunately, I had to go to the emergency room to get the treble hook out of my thumb.

"You just can't lip a Snook like you can a Largemouth Bass. I learned the hard way."

Chris says the photos will be posted soon.  I'll be looking forward to those pictures!