The "Best of 2014" thread.

[Skunk City]

With the annual dead period between open water and ice upon us, I figured this would be a good way to get the forum going again. Feel free to share your best pictures, stories, personal bests, progress, etc. of 2014. Maybe Andy can even sticky it for the time being .

With that being said, here are the highlights of my year.

-opened 2014 with a kickass ice season. LOTS of big Pickerel, including two personal bests in one day at 25.5" and 26". New PB Channel Cat, also through the ice at 26".

-killer Herring spawn with some crazy nights on the Big Lake. Many multi-Walleye/Hybrid trips.

-great summer in the kayak exploring new sections of river away from the beaten path. 36", 37", 38", 39" and new PB 40" Pike, all from the yak.

-the fat lady has not yet sung on open water fishing this year, but have had a so-so fall. Crazy winds every weekend have not made it easy, but still managed some quality fish. Stayed local and targeted seasonal migrants mixed with with trips to the big lakes and the Big D.

Thanks to all my buddies for making it fun, putting me on fish and teaching me. ScowardNJ, FastEddie, MikeyTopaz, GWLtoOneida, Jigman13, GetANet, DuckorBleed, BassPilot, Bling306, JimmytheGreek, Marcin, Tom, Barry and whoever else I forgot, let's get 'em in 2015.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Wow... Great post and photos. You had some 2014!!

[catfishonthelake]

It's been a wonderful year of fishing so far. Here are some of my highlights. All NJ fish except the top one.

[Mikey topaz]

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[FASTEDDIE29]

WOW!!!!Some real NJ beasts all over the place! Great fish guys! i gotta say I guess it was a slow year for me. Boat problems and one too many extra curricular activities kept me away from the water for too long. Got int some fish this fall, nothing to brag about. It's not over yet that's for sure. There's fish to catch in our great little state 365 days a year. TIGHT LINEZ!!!

Banner start to the year ice fishing, some nice fat LM.

[FASTEDDIE29]

Overall I guess it was a good year with a variety of species caught. Biggest Pike for me this year was caught with Rob during the PIKE-A-THON. Loads of Pike between 30-36 inches for me this year. I'm not sure where that pic is. Other nice catches are, couple of 20 inch Smallies, bunch of 5lb LM through the ice, Buncha nice Walleye over 24 inches, the biggest being 26 inches, weight unknown. Biggest Hybrid of the year was 25.5 inches. Surprise catch of the year had to be the damn Carp on a spinnerbait, what treat it was chasing this beast up and down the muddy banks. GOOD TIMES! Biggest Flathead of the year went 15lbs 9ozs or so, seemed to be a slow year for them. That's all I got fellaz. TIGHT LINEZ!!!

[gwl2oneida]

While I didnt have any monster catches this season, I have a ton of great memories. Monster musky hunt with skunk city, ice with duck or bleed and the pines lake crew, fluke with scoward also my first eyeball almost landed. Salmon river fly fishing with mikey topaz n crew. The best memories of this summer were with you Njf'ers. Bring on ice 2015.

[Chrisper4694]

I'd share but I can't figure out how to put the montage pics on here. Nice fish though guys!

[Skunk City]

Originally Posted by Chrisper4694

I'd share but I can't figure out how to put the montage pics on here. Nice fish though guys!

Download the "Photo Grid" app, it's free and very easy to make them.

[Eskimo]

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Amazing pics gents.

I don't have any jaw-dropping pics, but I have a few favorites from this summer.

The bass is twenty inches long and according to the length-weight charts is damn-near five pounds.

The pickerel is over twenty-four inches long. Not much by pike standards, but it's the biggest chain pickerel I ever caught.

What is amazing to me is both of these fish were caught in the same tiny heavily-fished pond located in a park. These bass are so heavily fished, at least one bass a day will barf up somebody else's plastic worm after you catch it.

Despite the fishing pressure, this pond manages to reliably produce good-sized bass. I believe it's due to pure serendipity that the minority of bass fishermen that kill bass just haven't discovered this pond....yet.
Just more evidence that any fertile pond is capable of producing trophy sized fish if some people can restrain their greed long enough to put the bass back in the water instead of on a stringer.


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