Biggest Fish of the Year

[Blitzseeker]

Time to start up the lame off-season banter....I'll start.

What was the biggest fish you caught this year?

What was the biggest fish you saw anyone catch this year?

For me, my best was a 38 pounder (length vs. girth method, I released it) in early July on the back beach in Provincetown. That happens to be my all-time record as well, three seasons into my surf fishing career.

That was the biggest me or any of the guys I fish with caught this year. Overall, we caught lots and lots of 25-35 inch fish, very few big ones.

Will be interesting to see what the results for everyone on the board were.

It's going to be a long winter. :-(

[chris L]

32 lb striper in Charlestown also a 28 lb
the biggest I saw caught was my 32 lb on eels .

My life time largest 42lb in Chatham 1992

[Got Stripers]

Yeah it's going to be a long winter. My biggest this year was a 35 lber, caught off Cowens Ledge with a live eel just before sunup in late August. As a boater, I don't see a lot of fish coming out of the surf or over the rails, but those that I did see weren't much bigger. My biggest two are 55 and 52 lbers on live poggies in Hingham harbor back in the heydays of big poggies filling the harbors.

Tight lines.

Since Maine has a slot limit, I couldn't weigh my biggest fish of the season because I couldn't keep them. I did get three fat fish between 36" and 37", however.

[Slipknot]

I feel inferior compared to some of you. My best was 38" not pounds but some day I'll get a 30 . Largest 23pounds from shore . 42 " from boat. Room for improvement for next year.

[Marc Z]

I got 2 fish that were 44", one caught in July was around 30lbs the last one taken in November was fat and about 35lbs. I caught 4 fish over 40" this year all from shore and all on live eels.
Next year I'm not even going to bother to bring my plug bag at night; just some eels hooks and a mesh bag full of eels.
MZ

[Patrick]

I caught one decent sized fish this year. I estimated it to be 36 to 40 inches but a guy there said it was more like 44 inches. It wasn't too fat but I'm sure it broke 20lbs. The significance is, that's a personal best for me and my first fish on a live eel. I released the fish too. Another significant part is, I was waist deep in rushing saltwater and showing everyone there that I am the real deal. Oh yeah, first fish on my St. Croix and 12 lb test.

If that fish was 44 inches, then that's the biggest one I saw caught. If it was under 41, the biggest one I saw was a pal with a 41 which was also released.

[JohnR]

My largest of this year was 45 inches and 35 pounds caught off Cohassett on an eel, released. I had a nice run in September with almost 30 fish over twenty pounds, with 5 over thirty pounds during that run, and two others over thirty this year in Truro, all on eels. I only kept 2 fish all year, 26 and 32 pounds.

The biggest I had seen landed this year were several in the high thirties landed by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& one night at Block Island in August. I lost some nice fish there that night with my biggest landed bass about 27-28 pounds. The biggest fish I saw that night was probably in the high fourties, swimming not even ten feet from me ;D ...

I saw one fish about or over 50 pounds in a cooler this year, boat fish from Billingsgate...

[JohnS]

36" here wish it was 36lbs.

[CowHunter]

My biggest bass this yearwas 41.5 lbs and measured in at 50 inches, caught up at the Cape on a live eel
May: I had 2 bass over 30lbs on Bucktails, 32lbs and 31lbs,(Long Island)
June: I had 2 bass over 30lbs on bucktails,31lbs and 30.5lbs,(Long Island)
July: I had 2 bass on live eels both at 32lbs, (Rhody)
August: I had one bass on a live eel, 35lbs, (Rhody)
September: I had a 30lber, 31.5lber, 35.5lber, and a 41.5lber all on live eels, (Mass)
October: I had a 35lber on a plug, (Rhody).
I just listed all my bass that I had over 30lbs this year, had many, many bass in the 20's and teens. The biggest I saw caught was the day after I got my 41.5lber I took two buddies to fish the hole, we all caught fish in the 20's when my buddy whom was standing ten feet from me hooked and landed a 46lber, he landed the fish in about 2 minues...Took longer to get the 20lbers in! What a beautiful fish, got to hold and weigh it..Was released. Of all the fish I listed above only one I kept, that was the 35lber in October...

[Patrick]

Cowhunter,
One day you gotta fish with me and show me what to do. Wow, you had one hell of a year.

I had so many shorts and small fish less then 20lb this year I am sure I set a record for quanity. Some nights I had 30+ fish without a keeper.

Biggest of the year was 32lb on a plug in Sept, at east beach RI. (pretty sad next to you guys, I know) It was the only bass I kept this year.

----------------------------------------------------
just for fun:

Lifetime biggest (from the beach) is 58lb, she hangs on my wall, her name is "Gloria". (eel /BI) It is the fish I am most proud of catching.

From a boat my lifetime biggest bass is 63lb (montauk) (a long time ago....1979)

The biggest fish I ever caught period was a bluefin tuna weight in at 875lb about 45miles south of Nantucket on a large squid spredderbar setup. 3 years ago. (I got $12.50 per pound!)

The ugliest fish I ever caught was an "atlantic wolf fish"
off a ledge off the coast of maine about 50 miles on a cod/halibut trip

The coolest fish I ever caught was swordfish, harpooned off of montauk.

The most powerful "thing" I ever snagged was a 42' Post sportfisherman crusing about 25knots. He crossed my lines and one of the outrigger rods happend to snag his boat. When the reel started smoking I cut the line.

The meanest thing I ever caught was a 350lb Mako shark. Off of Fire Island, NY. He bit the boat several times. I still have the teeth in the transom.

The saddest thing I ever caught was a sea gull who pick up my plug. I eventually got the hook out of the bird and he seemed OK, (after pecking the sh*t out of my arm) but if that happens to you, just cut the line.

The biggest shell-fish I ever "caught" was a single clawed 29lb lobster. It was tossed down to me from a Russian Trawler off Montauk (mid 1970's). They were tossing packs of russian cig's on our boat (I don't smoke) but one of the guys that I fished with all the time does and he tossed up a carton of cig's and the next thing we know a giant lobster came crashing to the deck. It fed the whole dock!

The biggest eel I ever caught was thicker then my arm and about 4' long while fishing the bottom at Orient point NY. I cut the line, that was a nasty experience.


The best thing I ever landed was my wife, who lets me do this thing I love.

[JohnR]

Here, here Sand_man!!! That's what its all about!! Say hello to your wife and Gloria for me will ya 8) ?

Patrick, from what #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& tells me, Cowhunter is far too intense for you to fish with. He is a real hard charger and would drive 96 hours straight with no sleep and fish eight tides if thats what it would take to get big fish!!! VERY nice season CowHunter, your best?

[schoolie monster]

Cool stuff sandman! That's my idea of fun. I love stripers best, but I'll never limit myself with all this other cool stuff out there.

Had a blast this year and the learning curve is starting to go straight up. This was only my third season in the salt and the first that I really put some time in for bigger fish.

After a fun spring with hundreds of schoolies, I had a nice fall on the mass south shore, catching a bunch in the high teens and several in the low-to-mid twenty pound range. My largest was only around 24+lbs., but my career is just getting started!

Learned a few lessons, mostly regarding terminal tackle and proper line maintenance... you know, don't use 17lb. test around car size boulders and change your line more than once a season. Hey, I'm a freshwater guy, largemouth bass don't often spool you Also, don't volunteer to help a friend move when bass and blues are pushing bait right up onto the shore and you could be out catching them. And the most important thing I learned is not to go to your sister-in-law's wedding in Florida while your fishing buddy is at home slaying 20-30lb. stripers 10 miles from your house (but if you go, take at least one day to check out the saltwater fishing on the Indian River down there... its sweet).

Anywho, that line thing cost me a couple of probable 30+lbers. All fish released.

I'll get in on this fun stuff...

Meanest, ugliest creature caught... a huge, ornery, jurassic snapping turtle while fishing live frogs in Canada. I was 8-9 years old and my dad was b#$%in' at me for getting snagged where there was nothing to be snagged on when the thing suddenly surfaced. We were fishing out of a 12' john boat and I have no doubt the thing could have bit thru the hull and sunk us. Made me think twice about swimming in the lake that year.

Second ugliest... John R caught a nuclear spider crab drifting an eel off Brant Point on Nantucket. The thing had like 10 legs and 3 claws and was the size of medium size dog. It started chasing us up the beach when it finally let go of the eel... alright, I'm stretching things a bit.

Best battle... a 17lb bluefish on an 8' lamiglas w/penn 5500 and 12lb. test. I was about ready to quit (kidding) when he finally gave up. Honorable mention... several 7-8lb. jack crevalle on light tackle on that beforementioned Indian River.

Not sure of my biggest fish... I caught a shark on my honeymoon in 1995 that was probably 40+lbs.

Geez, I went off on a tangent... sorry for puttin' everone to sleep. Have a great Holiday weekend folks.