Lake Champlain United - Forums

I don't do facebook, but my wife is on there.

Today she sent me a text with a screenshot of her phone, of Liam holding his Laker from New Years Day from facebook. Apparently my friend Paul from our Scout Troop 539 saw Liam on the Fish Vermont Facebook page, with a comment from probably Jud or Shawn about his fish.

Here's the link to where I found it, but, like I said, I don't have facebook, and don't know how it works. Maybe some of you guys do.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... n__=%2AW-R

As soon as he caught that fish on New Years, I thought it would be fun to enter it in the program right away, and maybe get the first master angler entry of the year, about 9 hours after 2021 started I think? So we took the picture, and I entered it on my phone, as we drove back south from the Boquet River. I put in the comment section "First Master Angler entry of the year?".

I thought you guys would like to see what those guys wrote in the post, because a whole bunch of you were out there that day too. Both Jud and Shawn responded to his entry via email. Maybe they're getting to know us.

Here's a list of entries from our Boats in 2020:

Brody: 4 different species, 5 entries

Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
Salmon (2)
Lake Trout

Carter:

Lake Trout

Tess:

Lake Trout

Ozzy:

Lake Trout

and of course

Liam: 8 different species, 13 entries

Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass (2)
Northern Pike
Lake Whitefish
Sheepshead
Carp
Salmon (2)
Lake Trout (4)

For a family total of 8 species and 21 entries.

4 more master angler fish were caught this year by Liam's Friend, and Ozzy's Friend, but, weren't entered into the program by their parents. Liam's buddy boated 2 10lb lakers, and a 35" Northern. Ozzy's friend boated a hog of a yellow perch that caused a downrigger to release about 40' Down. Another one of Liam's friends came out with us and her dad one day, and lost one of the biggest unknown fish too, ripping drag off of our size 30 trolling reels.

For a Grand Total of 9 species, and 25 master angler fish caught aboard 4 different boats, Detritus (for sale), The Country Angler, The Dumpster, and Strike Three, in 2020.

Lots of exciting moments fishing this past year. But, like Dilly, the three biggest fish we've ever had on were also lost this year, never boated. And Brody lost a PR salmon.

All in all an excellent year of fishing.

GREAT READ!

Well done ! Not everything about 2020 was bad (unless you're a fish) !!

those big ones that got away are inspiration to get out there and try some more...

Nice read.
Congrats Liam on the first MA entry in 2021.

Hey Jack - glad you saw the post on Fish Vermont that I made after you entered Liam's fish. In case you hadn't figured it out, I also run the Fish Vermont facebook page for the department (as well as the Vermont Master Angler Page that Jud and I created), in my "free time" when I'm not doing fisheries surveys.

Looks like you guys had a great year!

- Shawn

Yeah, not all bad stuff came out of the pandemic. Big fishing year for us.

Liam has actually talked about becoming a wildlife biologist some day. Kid is always pointing out animals all of the time, and obviously has a love of our marine wildlife. I'm sure he'd like to meet you and Jud some day. My boys are scouts, and I'm a scout leader as well. Maybe we can do a scout meeting with you guys some day.

I saw that picture from the state and didn't make the connection. Congrats, Liam! Man, you guys piled on the Master Angler last year. That's awesome. I got 3 relatively tough ones last year, but just couldn't find any "easy" ones to finish it off. I got Laker, Northern Pike and Walleye, but couldn't find a perch or something to go with them.