Ok trollers pay close attention: You think you know what’s going on down around your downrigger? Think again! I shot this video last summer and fall while chasing rainbows, king salmon and kokanee in various lakes around Nor Cal. Interesting stuff…
It’s time for the grandaddy of all big fish contests…the 2011 Hawg Bowl!
We’ve finally boiled a very impressive field down to 2 and the last ones standing are indeed a couple of very nice fish! This one’s for all the marbles, folks…winner gets a free guided fishing trip for two with guide Bill “Swanny” Swann of Swanny’s Fishing!
To see larger pics and read the story of each catch click here: Laura and Adam Be sure to vote below!
Adam’s pristine, 45-pound Sacramento River Chinook blew the competition away in the Hawg Bowl’s Southern Division Playoff. Who will go up against him in the 2011 Hawg Bowl? You decide…
The voters have spoken and Adam Baker’s extremely impressive Sacramento River Chinook has officially been crowned the October 2011 Hawg of the Month! With the win, Adam gets some Pautzke’s headgear and has a shot at the grand prize, a fishing trip for two with guide Bill Swann of Swanny’s Fishing.
And now the stage is set for the Hawg Bowl Playoffs, which will occur all month…starting with the Wild Card play-in round, in which we’ll pit some of the top second place finishers from earlier in the year against one another for a last chance bid to the Big Dance.
Here’s a quick glance at how this month’s voting went down. Apparently, Baker carried the West Coast — not to mention the equatorial offshore vote near Africa!
Oregon’s Chetco River has a good reputation for producing jumbo king salmon but that still couldn’t have prepared Wayne Smith of Yreka for what was about to happen on Nov. 19 when this massive 65-pound Chinook engulfed his back-trolled T55 Hawg Nose FlatFish.
Wayne Smith and Andy Martin pose with Salmonzilla
After what must have been some very nervous moments, guide Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing slipped the Beckman under the beast, which according to Martin, is the largest salmon of the year on the Oregon Coast (duh!) and one of the largest ever from the Chetco River.
In Oregon, lining or “flossing” of salmon in several rivers may soon get the boot. Apparently, things have gotten ugly at places like the infamous Hatchery Hole on the Rogue and others.
And there's none of that sticky Power Goo residue...cool!
Living in the big city, Josh Clark is well versed in planted trout & catfishing…but not wild Chinook. Well, that all changed when Mark Scatchard took his soon to be former friend out to Nor Cal’s Eel River and got out-fished. As you can see from the pic, Josh was stoked and may soon be swearing off the stockers and cats for good.
The fish munched a 1/5-ounce read/gold Cleo and was released after the grip and grin.
For his efforts, Josh is now entered into our Hawg of the Month Contest, in which he’ll have a shot at the monthly prize of some headgear compliments of Pautzke Bait Co. and maybe an entry into the Hawg Bowl Playoffs next month…where he could earn a fishing trip for two (I’m guessing who he would probably have to bring along) with guide Bill Swann of Swanny’s Fishing.
I kinda figured a 50-pound chrome Chinook was gonna be tough to beat…and that was the case in the October Hawg of the Month vote, in which Chris App pretty much blew the competition outta the water. Chris gets a Pautzke’s hat for his efforts (send us your contact info when you get a chance) and also is entered into next month’s Hawg Bowl Playoffs in which he’ll get a shot at a fishing trip for two with guide Bill Swann of Swanny’s Fishing.