X3 hes out fished 90% of the guys here.Has gone large on a few species last season too. Handles his business on the boat, you would never know he was that young.
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Piemma
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Piemma
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I take my name off this list. But it seems some people forgot about Paul/Niko. He's got my vote. No need to explain why. His actions speak for themselves.
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Toby - his work freedom allowed him to target all kind of species in all kinds of ways. Toby
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Jay has my vote. Great guy, excellent fisherman. Hilarious to fish with. To quote Bill Belichik "he gets it."
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Hey numbnuts...it's "Angler" of the year...not "Dangler" of the year you clown.
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I'll second Paul. Niko is a "game changer" on the water...
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Clammer

Im votin for Saltheart. Good guy, very helpful and gone to soon.

Bradley would be stoked but he's not a contributing member.
He's not allowed on here for obvious reasons lol.
Thanks for the honorary nominations
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I second Saltheart

Second

I am not sure the S-B AoTY is the right place for the nomination of a member that has passed too soon. I felt the same way when John and Steve won the award in the past as I feel like people feel obligated to nominate and vote for someone no longer with us. Perhaps there is a more appropriate way to honor such members?

As for nominations, I second JLH.

Toby I am gonna defend Flaptail here and say he won for no other reason than he was a great and giving guy to all and he absolutely slayed the fish all season and had the best Fall by his own account he ever had and he just happened to pass away at seasons end.....it was hard earned and deserved! I will also say John Habs may have gotten the vote in a form of a tribute given his death but he was also a very generous and giving person and a great fisherman. Both were as deserving as anyone else alive. My .02 cents.

Larry, don't get me wrong, John, Steve and now Mike are all great fishermen who contributed a ton to the site. I just don't feel it is a fitting tribute to win such an award after one passes on. There are better ways that we can honor these guys.

John's criteria included:

Angler needs to be a member with (at least) regular PARTICIPATION in 2012. Should be based heavily on great angling, not just on being a great S-Ber and and all around good fellow.

Please don't take this the wrong way, because I loved the guy like a brother, but Saltheart simply hasn't fished very much in recent years to meet that. We will definitely come up with a very fitting way to honor him at TFCTFN. He gave more to this site than anyone but John, IMO. Certainly much more than I have in recent years. But if John says fishing comes first, we should focus on fishing first. Just my two cents.

I think we should honor Mike this year for what he gave to this site, unselfishly, as both a contributor of good and helpful advice and as a moderator, and honor him in the future by creating an award based on a member's overall contributions to the site, bearing Mike's name. As we do for Habs with the Angler of the Year award.

I agree with you and I do get what you are saying but I can guarantee you Flaptail got it based on his generous character and the amazing season he had! He was dialed in and crushing fish like it was nobody's business! John also I believe would have won it as well based on his own merits! Though Mike was a great and caring and giving guy I don't think he was actually out fishing much due to health reasons and that is the criteria. I do think Saltheart deserves great recognition, kudos, thanks and our undying gratitude for the person he was and all that he meant to this site and the people who knew him as I am sure you agree my friend! ;)

Great idea!

Awesome idea Mike...and so very fitting!

Eel fish shouldn't count, but as long as they do the guy who impressed me the most this past season was JLH.

Hope he sucks next year, though. :rude:

I like this and I agree with this and I thin kthis is the route we should go, by finding a way to honor Mike and honor those that help out others in the way that Saltheart did - that may be the most fitting way.

As for Steve, he had an absolutely incredible year when he passed and could have been voted AOY had he survived. Not just in passing.

As for this award, I will tend to do what the forum at large wants to do (for the most part) but I think this should be Participating Angler - meaning someone that participate AND had an exceptional year out in the Salt.

There are some that are being nominated that are not participating or some that are participating but not angling. I truly think it shouold be someone Participating and Angling

I agree about Steve. And also Habs. I don't know what kind of year that John was having, but I know this: on the worst night of his life, John could out-fish me when I was having a banner night.

2x mike white for all he has done for others on this site . He is a great friend and fisherman .

3rd Bigfish . All around fisherman .. Canal , Surf , Kayaking , top notch plug builder ,, Super generous with knowledge of all of the above .. Fantastic video's fishing,, how to build a plug , Kayaking . Larry is a good friend but I'm totally disregarding that . Who's given more to our passion this year ?? Not influenced at all by his gorgeous wife and fishing buddy ..

AND ... Who's posted here more ?????
:biglaugh:

Flaptail gave all .. and once again will be missed today at Plugfest .. Hasn't been the same since he left ..

Chef Chris

JLH
 

x 5. I have been honored to fish with him my first season in the salt, he has helped myself and many others, his dedication to the sport, results beyond all others from the surf, big advocate of catch and relaease, and if he published his stats (just look at go tight this year and previous years tourneys as well) would put him way over the top. Gets my vote. Very humble guy.

ty's dad, andy stevenson

guy had a great season, stay quiet, help others and fishes more in a week than most do in a month, plus he contributes to the site

and raising a hell of kid