Fish with JD » Smoker of the Year Contest http://www.fishwithjd.com The web's best fishing magazine Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:32:57 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 Your 2011 Smoker of the Year Champion!http://www.fishwithjd.com/2012/01/23/your-2011-smoker-of-the-year-champion/ http://www.fishwithjd.com/2012/01/23/your-2011-smoker-of-the-year-champion/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:29:58 +0000 JD http://www.fishwithjd.com/?p=8708

Ron's Stinky Pinkie takes top honors for 2011!

Well, the public has voted and Ron Milam’s stinky pinkie won this year’s Smoker of the Year Contest by a landslide!

As the “lucky” angler who bested this year’s nastiest fish, Ron has of course won the Harrison Ibach perpetual crown, along with a lifetime supply of Cooter’s Chawspit Doughbait for carp, a subscription to Squawfish Enthusiast Magazine and a free guided sucker fishing trip. Way to go, Ron!

For those of you who missed it, here’s the story behind Ron’s trophy catch:

Not two minutes before this “slightly past its prime” pink salmon inexplicably ate Ron’s lure, he had suggested a change to the Smoker of the Year Contest rules.

“I think that anyone who enters has to hold their fish up…with bare hands,” he said.

Then this stinky ol’ pink comes along and I suddenly make an executive decision that yes, the rule change has been officially adopted. Time to pick that thing up, Big Boy!

To his credit, Ron bravely adhered to the bare hands regulation, now know as “Ron’s Rule,” and went skin-to-sores with this tired fish. He gets high marks for the ratty fins, “money shot,” and the fact that he didn’t even ask for some hand sanitizer after releasing the living carcass!

If you’ve got a Smoker to enter, click HERE

]]> http://www.fishwithjd.com/2012/01/23/your-2011-smoker-of-the-year-champion/feed/ 3 Vote for the 2011 Smoker of the Year!!http://www.fishwithjd.com/2012/01/10/vote-for-the-2011-smoker-of-the-year/ http://www.fishwithjd.com/2012/01/10/vote-for-the-2011-smoker-of-the-year/#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:16:16 +0000 JD http://www.fishwithjd.com/?p=8685


Like the drawn-out college bowl season, we’ve got one more championship to be decided before we close the book on 2011. I am, of course, referring to the Smoker of the Year Contest, in which we crown the angler who caught the ugliest, darkest…I’d never touch that thing with my bare hands…fish of the season. It’s gonna be tough to top the 2010 Smoker Champ, which was about as disgusting as you could imagine, but we’ll see how they do. So, without further adieu, here are your finalists: Who gets the coveted Harrison Ibach Smoker of the Year Trophy for 2011??

]]> http://www.fishwithjd.com/2012/01/10/vote-for-the-2011-smoker-of-the-year/feed/ 6 Ron’s Stinky Pinkie (2011 Smoker of the Year Contest entry)http://www.fishwithjd.com/2011/09/06/rons-stinky-pinkie-2011-smoker-of-the-year-contest-entry/ http://www.fishwithjd.com/2011/09/06/rons-stinky-pinkie-2011-smoker-of-the-year-contest-entry/#comments Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:56:49 +0000 JD http://www.fishwithjd.com/?p=8395

Look ma, no gloves!!


Not two minutes before this “slightly past its prime” pink salmon inexplicably ate Ron Milam’s lure, he had suggested a change to the Smoker of the Year Contest rules.

“I think that anyone who enters has to hold their fish up…with bare hands,” he said.

Then this stinky ol’ pink comes along and I suddenly make an executive decision that yes, the rule change has been officially adopted. Time to pick that thing up, Big Boy!

To his credit, Ron bravely adhered to the bare hands regulation, now know as “Ron’s Rule,” and went skin-to-sores with this tired fish. He gets high marks for the ratty fins, “money shot,” and the fact that he didn’t even ask for some hand sanitizer after releasing the living carcass!

If you’ve got a Smoker to enter, click HERE

]]> http://www.fishwithjd.com/2011/09/06/rons-stinky-pinkie-2011-smoker-of-the-year-contest-entry/feed/ 13 Starting ‘em out early (2011 Smoker of the Year Contest entry)http://www.fishwithjd.com/2011/04/16/starting-em-out-early-2011-smoker-of-the-year-contest-entry/ http://www.fishwithjd.com/2011/04/16/starting-em-out-early-2011-smoker-of-the-year-contest-entry/#comments Sat, 16 Apr 2011 14:29:45 +0000 JD http://fishwithjd.com/?p=8001

Could young Max someday give Hall of Famer Harrison Ibach a run for his money? Time will tell...


We may just have a young prodigy here — Max Wagner sent in this photo of 9-year-old Max Jr. with a well past its prime coho from Washington State’s Yakima River to be entered into the Smoker of the Year Contest I was unaware that coho even make it back to the Yakima anymore…or perhaps it was just a typo and it was supposed to read “Yuckama,” which would make more sense…

Well, anyway, the aspiring youngster gets many style points for holding it away from his face as far as possible — and the look on his face is classic…it’s almost as if he’s saying “Dad, snap the pic before I puke!” Well done, young man! You have a bright…er…”dark” future ahead of ya!

If you think you’ve got a fish dark, rotting and skanky enough, send us an email and we’ll tell ya how to enter it!

]]> http://www.fishwithjd.com/2011/04/16/starting-em-out-early-2011-smoker-of-the-year-contest-entry/feed/ 1 Don’t give me no lip! (2011 Smoker of the Year Contest entry)http://www.fishwithjd.com/2011/04/07/dont-give-me-no-lip-2011-smoker-of-the-year-contest-entry/ http://www.fishwithjd.com/2011/04/07/dont-give-me-no-lip-2011-smoker-of-the-year-contest-entry/#comments Fri, 08 Apr 2011 03:45:11 +0000 JD http://fishwithjd.com/?p=7974

Man, that's a huge trout...but about that growth on its lower lip....?!?!?!?


Okay, so here’s the deal…there’s absolutely no denying that the rainbow trout that Randall Von Chongenmeister III is holding up is a huge. And the fact that he caught it out of tiny Cedar Hall Creek in hills of New Mexico…with a super micro mini rod is quite impressive indeed…

In fact, this fish has many attributes that make it a serious Hawg of the Month contender…but I just can’t get past that disgusting black growth on its bottom lip! I’m sorry, but I just want to take a hacksaw and lop that thing right off. Anyway, sad to say but the tumor is a deal breaker for me…the good news, however, is this fish makes for an excellent first entry into the 2011 Smoker of the Year Contest! If you think you’ve got a fish dark, rotting and skanky enough, send us an email and we’ll tell ya how to enter it!

]]> http://www.fishwithjd.com/2011/04/07/dont-give-me-no-lip-2011-smoker-of-the-year-contest-entry/feed/ 6 And the “Smokie” goes to…http://www.fishwithjd.com/2011/01/08/and-the-smokie-goes-to/ http://www.fishwithjd.com/2011/01/08/and-the-smokie-goes-to/#comments Sat, 08 Jan 2011 23:32:23 +0000 JD http://fishwithjd.com/?p=7582

Yep, this one should smoke up nice!


The polls are now closed and, it’s time to crown our new Smoker of the Year Champion! Shawn Schmidtke earned this year’s Harrison Ibach Smokie Trophy with this black beast that took a glob of Oregon guide David Johnson’s special “wake the dead” cured eggs.

At the crowning celebration, held in banquet room of the Rufus, OR McDonalds, Schmidtke was speechless as his boyhood idol and, up to this point, the only member of the Smoker Hall of Fame, Harrison Ibach, made a rare public appearance.

“The kid’s got a lot of potential,” was all Ibach said before he was quickly whisked away by his handlers, out the back door and then into a waiting limo.

The newly-crowned Smoker Champ dominated this year’s competition, earning 37% of the vote. Darkies from the Klamath (20.7%) and the Cowlitz (18.1%) fished well back in second and third place and our very own Big Fred Contaoi finished fourth.

In addition to the glory and endorsement deals that come with being Smoker of the Year, Schmidtke will also be treated to a guided “Crap Slam” trip in which the junkfish trifetca: carp, sucker and squawfish will be targeted!

Here are the final results…As you can see from the map, Schmidtke carried the west coast, and also got votes from as far away as Alaska and the UK!

]]> http://www.fishwithjd.com/2011/01/08/and-the-smokie-goes-to/feed/ 9 Vote for the 2010 Smoker of the Year!http://www.fishwithjd.com/2010/12/30/vote-for-the-2010-smoker-of-the-year/ http://www.fishwithjd.com/2010/12/30/vote-for-the-2010-smoker-of-the-year/#comments Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:54:07 +0000 JD http://fishwithjd.com/?p=7537

]]> http://www.fishwithjd.com/2010/12/30/vote-for-the-2010-smoker-of-the-year/feed/ 3 Eggs so good they can wake the dead (2010 Smoker of the Year Contest entry)http://www.fishwithjd.com/2010/12/28/eggs-so-good-they-can-wake-the-dead-2010-smoker-of-the-year-contest-entry/ http://www.fishwithjd.com/2010/12/28/eggs-so-good-they-can-wake-the-dead-2010-smoker-of-the-year-contest-entry/#comments Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:15:05 +0000 JD http://fishwithjd.com/?p=7524

Shawn Schmidtke with one of the greatest smokers of all time!

Everybody knows that one of the key ingredients of being a successful king salmon angler is having great eggs. Apparently, noted Oregon guide David Johnson has a really, really good cure! Here’s a recent photo of his client Shawn Schmidtke with a very-near dead king caught while back-bouncing eggs.

“I think maybe my eggs can resurrect the dead they are so good…” says Johnson.

I’ve got to say that this late entry to the 2010 Smoker of the Year Competition is very strong! Schmidtke…or should I say his bibs…gets bonus points for “taking one for the team” (look closely!). The tattered fins…the fungus and those big chompers…all excellent elements. However, we have to knock off a couple points for the rubber gloves. Going commando while holding this fish would have made this photo nearly flawless!

Overall, very well done and be sure to check back later in the week to vote for the Smoker of the Year Champion. See the competition HERE.

Need more proof that Johnson’s egg cure is tops in the afterlife? Check out this pic…

Now, those are good eggs!

]]> http://www.fishwithjd.com/2010/12/28/eggs-so-good-they-can-wake-the-dead-2010-smoker-of-the-year-contest-entry/feed/ 4 Forty pounds of White Meat (2010 Smoker of the Year Contest entry)http://www.fishwithjd.com/2010/11/14/forty-pounds-of-white-meat-2010-smoker-of-the-year-contest-entry/ http://www.fishwithjd.com/2010/11/14/forty-pounds-of-white-meat-2010-smoker-of-the-year-contest-entry/#comments Sun, 14 Nov 2010 09:10:45 +0000 JD http://fishwithjd.com/?p=7335

Trinity River king salmon don’t come much bigger (or darker) thank this 40-pound beast caught this fall by Dean McGrath…which just happens to be our most recent Smoker of the Year Contest entry.

While McGrath may not be the odd-on favorite for taking the Smoker crown this year, I’m thinking he should receive his fair share of first place votes. Not only is the size of the fish impressive, but he also mixed in some key elements that should impress the judges: Big kype, skinny flanks, rich brown color and, of course, lots of blood. Additionally, he gets bonus points for the camouflage hip boots…and what just may be a big ol’ dip in his lower lip. The only thing that could have made this shot better is maybe a Styrofoam nightcrawler cup and a couple empty Mickey’s Big Mouths bobbing around in the water behind him. Overall, very nice work indeed!

]]> http://www.fishwithjd.com/2010/11/14/forty-pounds-of-white-meat-2010-smoker-of-the-year-contest-entry/feed/ 2 Takes one to know one! (2010 Smoker of the Year Contest)http://www.fishwithjd.com/2010/10/29/takes-one-to-know-one-2010-smoker-of-the-year-contest/ http://www.fishwithjd.com/2010/10/29/takes-one-to-know-one-2010-smoker-of-the-year-contest/#comments Fri, 29 Oct 2010 09:25:25 +0000 JD http://fishwithjd.com/?p=7250

Who's who in this pic??



Okay, so I have to admit that some of my favorite Smoker of the Year Contest submissions come from folks who send pix of their fishing buddies in…without letting their pals know first! A little “under the bus smokering” if you will! Always funny and all in good fun!

That’s clearly the case with this big, 40-pound dark Rogue River buck caught by Darrell Castle on the Rogue River earlier this month. Castle’s brother Daren snapped the pic and did the dastardly deed of sending it in to be considered in out 2010 version of the Smoker Contest. The only problem is Daren forgot to label which one’s the Smoker and which one’s his brother….aaaawwwwww….sorry…low blow! Just kidding!

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