Favorite fish/story/trip of 2024?
- Thread starter mcswny
- Start date
Pink Nighty
Legend
Omykiss
Smolt
My first exciting trip this year was a cool February day in SW Florida on a friends boat chasing Redfish and Snook.
Spring brought big Columbia Smallmouth, football shaped Rainbows and monster Lahontans.
My wife surprised me with a birthday trip to Santa Cruz area, Monterey Bay Aquarium was a highlight.
Did my usual summer time carp harassment program.
@Evan B kindly took me on my first Tuna trip. Glassy waters and endless wildlife and Tuna in the boat - great times.
I learned how to troll for Salmon and caught my first Chinook out of my little boat, solo.
Fall brought my first trolled Coho in my boat, first Matsutake found and a nice Bull trout from the Metolius.
Winter has been focused on chasing ducks. This mid day solo hunt brought perfect singles and doubles.
Sorry for the long post. I’m new to this forum so figured I’d give an intro through this post. Cheers!
Spring brought big Columbia Smallmouth, football shaped Rainbows and monster Lahontans.
My wife surprised me with a birthday trip to Santa Cruz area, Monterey Bay Aquarium was a highlight.
Did my usual summer time carp harassment program.
@Evan B kindly took me on my first Tuna trip. Glassy waters and endless wildlife and Tuna in the boat - great times.
I learned how to troll for Salmon and caught my first Chinook out of my little boat, solo.
Fall brought my first trolled Coho in my boat, first Matsutake found and a nice Bull trout from the Metolius.
Winter has been focused on chasing ducks. This mid day solo hunt brought perfect singles and doubles.
Sorry for the long post. I’m new to this forum so figured I’d give an intro through this post. Cheers!
Looks like you had a good year!!
Omykiss
Smolt
They keep getting better!
Baja with @clarkman is always awesome. I think I brought 13 species to hand.
Even better was a weekend with my son and his fiancé on Timothy. He just graduated and his next stop is probably in another city for school. I had to pull over on the way home, thinking about how we almost lost him to cancer, and what an amazing person he’s turned out to be.
Even better was a weekend with my son and his fiancé on Timothy. He just graduated and his next stop is probably in another city for school. I had to pull over on the way home, thinking about how we almost lost him to cancer, and what an amazing person he’s turned out to be.
Forget about Randy, I vote the latter.
Ryan Smart
Steelhead
Ironically, my 2 most memorable (fly rod) fish of the year were ones I lost - a legit mid-20 inches rainbow on a big tailwater in Montana this summer, and a steelhead on a small river in NE Oregon last spring. Unfortunately, despite the better fish numbers to the Inland NW this year, it was the only steelhead I fought this year.
My most memorable fish overall was a big walleye caught on conventional gear in NW Ontario, during my annual trip with my parents. It was the biggest walleye I've ever caught, and especially memorable because my mother caught a 25" walleye in the same bay a couple hours earlier.
The most memorable trip overall was a day on the White River in Arkansas this summer. I had to be in SE Arkansas for work 2 weeks in a row, so I brought my fishing gear and stayed for the weekend. A couple friends and I had gone to the White 20+ years earlier on Spring Break from college in Wiscinsin, which was my first "destination" flyfishing trip. The weather was terrible, we didn't know what we were doing, and didn't catch many fish, but had a lot of fun. I hadn't been back to the White until this year, and fortunately the results were a lot better! It was great to catch a few of the big trout the river is known for and send pics to my buddies and reminisce about our trip years ago!
ryan
My most memorable fish overall was a big walleye caught on conventional gear in NW Ontario, during my annual trip with my parents. It was the biggest walleye I've ever caught, and especially memorable because my mother caught a 25" walleye in the same bay a couple hours earlier.
The most memorable trip overall was a day on the White River in Arkansas this summer. I had to be in SE Arkansas for work 2 weeks in a row, so I brought my fishing gear and stayed for the weekend. A couple friends and I had gone to the White 20+ years earlier on Spring Break from college in Wiscinsin, which was my first "destination" flyfishing trip. The weather was terrible, we didn't know what we were doing, and didn't catch many fish, but had a lot of fun. I hadn't been back to the White until this year, and fortunately the results were a lot better! It was great to catch a few of the big trout the river is known for and send pics to my buddies and reminisce about our trip years ago!
ryan
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It is amazing the most memorable fishing experience is the one that got away. Mine included. In my case this last summer I felt that momentary tug and then it breaks 6 lb test like thread . That is memorable. I have caught 27" trout on this lake, it was bigger.
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SilverFly
Legend
Color me green. I want one!
almost had a few on the fly, too! We had the school for like 5 mins and they were swiping at the fly but never fully committed
SilverFly
Legend
I saw a pair about that size a few years ago. Got a late/sloppy cast off but they just cruised on by.almost had a few on the fly, too! We had the school for like 5 mins and they were swiping at the fly but never fully committed
SilverFly
Legend
Helluva first post! Welcome!
castsN2trees
The fish are calling...
22” Wild Rainbow on a dry… caught on a 7’ 3wt Kabuto fiberglass rod and a Abel click and pawl reel…
That thing must have been doubled over.
That's one HECK of a Lahontan, amazing (and if it came from the lake I think it did, triple amazing!).
Omykiss
Smolt
Thanks man. It was my first and only trip to that lake (not Pyramid, probably the one you’re thinking of). 2.5 days of fishing and this was in the last hour on the last day.
G_Smolt
Legend
I'd be remiss if I didn't post (again, but not in this thread) this rather obese specimen from September TroutCamp™.
A whisker shy of 30", it was my largest non-salty trout of the year, and came to hand less than an hour after this shiny, semi-skinny (but nearly identical length) non-salty trout-
A whisker shy of 30", it was my largest non-salty trout of the year, and came to hand less than an hour after this shiny, semi-skinny (but nearly identical length) non-salty trout-
This might be a dumb question, but when you get into the wild 30” trout, will it fight the same as a comparable steelhead, or is the salty one still supreme?