by JD on October 24, 2010
Check this out…the Fraser River in British Columbia had a mind-boggling sockeye salmon return this summer: an estimated 30 plus million fish came back this year, the largest run since 1913! Even more amazing is the fact that only 1.7 million fish swam into the Fraser last season!
Jay Kennedy did his best to put a dent in the massive red salmon invasion and ended up with this ‘slab 12 pounder, which is a jumbo sockeye (most are 5-8 pounds) and our latest Hawg of the Month Contest entry. Sockeye are such good fighters that you’d probably never land one if they got up to 20 or 30 pounds! He caught the fish near Chilliwack, which is upstream on the Fraser from Vancouver, while bottom bouncing wool. That’s the Canadian way of saying “drift fishing with yarn” by the way.
No matter how ya say it, that’s one nice fish!
by JD on February 3, 2010
A 21 pounder on your first ever trip? Better retire now!
Austin Fitzhugh of Meadow Vista peaked way too early as a steelheader — the 16-year-old caught this mammoth 21-pound Smith River buck…on his first-ever steelhead fishing trip. Hate to break it to ya rookie, but you’ve got a lot of sleet, cold north wind, blown out days and frozen fingers to endure before you ever seen another one of these! Needless to say, however, awesome fish!
This fish is, of course, a February Hawg of the Month Contest entry. If you’d like to send in a big fish and battle for Hawg of the Year honors, submit your catch and info on our
online form.
by JD on February 1, 2010
The people have voted and it was no contest as to who was going to take Hawg of the Month honors for January. Chris Watanabe’s jumbo Pyramid Lake cutthroat trout (hooked on a Pintail lure and 5-pound test on an ultralight telescopic rod no less!) thrashed the competition, getting a whopping 62% of the vote. For his efforts, Chris will be entered into the Hawg of the Year finals, where a sweet fishing trip will be up for grabs.
To see the final results and learn how to submit your own Hawg for the February contest, read on… [click to continue…]
by JD on January 13, 2010
Big fish photo scout, Clinton Bailey, sent in this photo of our ol’ pal, Tony Koregelos with a 21-pound striper he caught in early January on the California Delta with a white swimbait. T.K.’s no stranger to catching big fish…the only difference with this one was he actually was targeting stripers this time around. Long story…
Anyway, for his efforts, Tony is entered into our January Hawg of the Month Contest. To enter your hawg, click HERE
by JD on December 22, 2009
With his massive Kitimat River steelie, Derrick Downey easily took top honors in the December Hawg of the Month contest (62.6% of the vote) and in so doing, secures the final spot for the upcoming HAWG of the YEAR battle, which begins Christmas night and runs through New Years. [click to continue…]
by JD on December 5, 2009
A Sacramento King...YEA BABY!
The votes have been cast and here’s your November 2009 Hawg of the Month winner!
Rich Hansen is one of the few, the proud…the folks who actually caught a king salmon in the Sacramento Valley this season. This 35 pounder smacked a spinner above Knights Landing on opening day of the river’s limited season. Hansen was fishing with guide Bob Sparre when the bruiser hit and eventually subdued it after a 20-minute battle that included a couple impressive jumps and a heart-stopping slack line dash towards the boat.
December’s the last month to submit a Hawg, so send us your big fish pix. After Christmas, the monthly winners will go head to head for Hawg of the Year honors. For details, click HERE.
by JD on November 23, 2009
Our pal T.K. had big kings on the brain while he was trolling a spinner in the Sacramento River in mid-November. Imagine his surprise when the big Chinook that smacked his lure turned out to be…a 26-pound striper! For his efforts, T.K. earns a spot in our November Hawg of the Month competition!
See all this month’s Hawgs and learn how to enter your big fish HERE
by JD on November 21, 2009
Jake the Giant with his giant
Budding young angling super stud, Jake Martinson of Washington State, was doing his best bass fishing impression on the Olympic Peninsula, crankin’ a wobbling plug around a wood pile when he caught this gorilla of a silver. The 20-pound slab earns him a shot at the November Hawg of the Month title and…perhaps a chance at Hawg of the Year.
To see all this month’s Hawgs and to learn how to submit your big fish, click HERE.
