# Highlights of 2012



## BassAddict83 (Sep 21, 2010)

With the year coming to an end in just one short month I figured it'd be a great time to start a "Highlight thread". Many guys on this forum had a great year this year and I thought it'd be cool to recap on some of our personal favorite moments of 2012. 

For me this was the best year of fishing I've ever had. On an average week I was able to get out 2 or 3 times and can't really recall any "bad" trips. Of course I got skunked every now and then and I even had some embarrassing moments such as falling on my face, forgetting my fishing pole at home, casting the tip of my rod off, etc., etc.. But its all a part of the experience. 

First and foremost, my number one love... Good ol' hard fighting river smallmouth! 










I honestly can't get enough of these guys and caught a good number of them this year and finally feel like I have a grasp on this species! Where to find them, what to use, and so on...

I did pretty well with the Largemouth this year as well. I caught them in the lakes, I caught them on the fly, I started figuring out where to consistently find them in the rivers, and I was even able to put my 5 yr old son on a few good ones!










Not only did I catch a lot of bass this year but I also hooked into all kinds of different species. Hybirds, sauger/eye, flatheads, white bass, rainbow trout, you name it!










Oh and I can't forget the catfish/crappie trip my family went on where me and my boy caught back to back Fish Ohio Crappie! Not to mention some good channels....










I caught a couple really nice "trash" fish this year including carp, drum, buffalo, and suckers that put up AMAZING fights and were very welcomed surprises!










I took up fly fishing this year and absolutely fell in love with it! I think I probably went almost 3 months without even picking up my spinning gear one single time because I was so busy fly fishing. 

I caught some good smallies on the fly...










...Along with a few other species including bluegill, sunfish, crappie, rockbass, largemouth, white bass, and spotted bass.










Definitely a fun way to fish and I can't wait to get out to a lake sometime real soon with some trout in it and put a fly on them! Keep your eye out for a "trout on the fly" thread sometime here in the near future. 

With spinning gear I tried a couple new techniques this year that ended up paying off which was really cool. Some of those included the tandem rig and the float and fly rig... 










I have to say though that the number one highlight of this year has been getting together with friends and family and sharing these moments! Anything from the Smallmouth Battles, to the family fishing trips, to the late night wades in the river, to the fly fishing lessons, to just the regular morning wades... They were all a blast!










A really big thanks to WAREHOUSE, Matulemj, GarrettMyers, Fallen513, nitsud, imalt, my dad, and my kids for all the great times out on the water this year!

There were a few other guys I had planned on getting together with this year and I apologize to those guys that we didn't get the chance. I had a messed up living situation this summer/fall that put a damper on KY creek fishing but next year we will do it!

Although I'm not done fishing till the water freezes over I am very satisfied with this year already. I'll be doing my best to keep catching them till the new year though! 

Now I'd like to see everyone else's 2012 highlights!


----------



## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)




----------



## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)




----------



## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)




----------



## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

Fallen513....... AWESOME pics!! 

I don't have the pic posted here.. But one of my highlights this year was catching a 15" crappie on the mad river... What a surprise!!


----------



## oldstinkyguy (Mar 28, 2010)

Probably the biggest highlight of the year for me was having both my grandaughters catch their first fish this summer with papaw. I think next year they will both be old enough to go alot more. Another highlight was getting into double figures in Fish Ohio fish and catching a Fish Ohio smallie out of the Lmr. But also a couple big highlights were fish I never landed, a huge smallie I'll forever see in my mind spitting out my lure in gin clear water and a shark off the beach that I couldn't handle on a heavy surf rod. I also hooked a couple big fish below the dams on the GMR that will haunt me all winter for getting away. It's funny but the ones that got away sometimes have the strongest hold on us.
I also remember walking up on a big buck along the river, having a beaver swim by ten feet away, and having a pair of eagles move into a favorite stretch of the LMR. I also had a perfect day when the smallmouth couldn't stay off the deer hair bugs I tied last winter and I caught them all day on a little 6 wt fly rod. Another big personal highlight for me were two small channelcats wrapped in tinfoil and cooked over a campfire one full moon night by the LMR. I remember a barred owl filling the night with its call and shimmer of the moonlight on the water. Sigh....I'm ready for spring already.


----------



## FishermanMurph (Jan 29, 2012)

Top right bass is my biggest bass at 21inches. Rest are just some of my best fish. 


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## QueticoMike (Sep 25, 2008)

Hey Fallen........ were you at Montauk this year? Just looking at that picture of the stripers and I thought that looked like something you would see there.


----------



## co-angler (Jan 3, 2010)

My most memorable highlights for 2012 would most certainly be Lake St. Clair. It was my first trip up there and by all accounts, it was THE weekend to be there! Guys that had been going up for over 10 years claimed it was far and away the best trip they had ever had and I know it must be true. 
In 2.5 days my buddy and I caught over 100 FAT smallies. Countless largies and who knows how many hand sized rockies! The added bonus was that it was early June and it felt like we were fishing in Florida in lieu of Detroit!!!
I will for sure be going back next year!

Here are a few pics of our bounty! 
Check out Harry's smallie (the last pic), to this day it is still the most handsome smallmouth bass I have ever seen!


----------



## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

QueticoMike said:


> Hey Fallen........ were you at Montauk this year?



Actually, that's Kiser!


----------



## QueticoMike (Sep 25, 2008)

fallen513 said:


> Actually, that's Kiser!


I had to LOL when I read that.........


----------



## IGbullshark (Aug 10, 2012)

fallen513 said:


> Actually, that's Kiser!


i see what you did there...


----------



## oldstinkyguy (Mar 28, 2010)

fallen those are some of the coolest pics I've ever seen on here


----------



## Bassnpro1 (Apr 6, 2004)

6lb 6oz PB largemouth out of CC. 

Caught this musky the same day at CC










Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## SConner (Mar 3, 2007)

Fallen, do you do any professional photography? Those are sweet pics!


----------



## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

This year marked a return to SW Ohio from SE Ohio for me, as well as a return to obsessive fishing after a few years off of chasing fish to chase girls. Catching smallmouth bass around Cincinnati was a highlight for me in and of itself.








Here are a few other highlights:
Caught my first flathead, then my bigger second one, then my third which is my PB:








Caught my PB Saugeye:








Made an effort to get back in to some fly fishing:








Saw this balloon touch down and splash in the river before flying away, the same day I met Matulemj:








Got my best friend in to fishing:








And I caught a fish in December, way after I have hung up for the year in the past:








I also caught a big hen steelhead in Cleveland but don't have a picture 
I was not able to find my big striper/hybrid this year but I will be looking for him in the spring. I have learned a whole lot from this forum and from research and most importantly, a healthy dose of trial and error. Over all a good year returning to my favorite sport and pass-time.


----------



## deltaoscar (Apr 4, 2009)

BassnPro1, wow that was a great day you had on CC. How big was that Musky? Not that it matters, I'm just curious.


----------



## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

oldstinkyguy said:


> fallen those are some of the coolest pics I've ever seen on here



Thank you. It was a really good year for me. The spread you put up is very impressive, shows complete mastery of the fish that SW Ohio has to offer.

Well done.


----------



## Dandrews (Oct 10, 2010)

I caught some nice fish in 2012; but I have to include in my highlights, two stellar performances by Hamilton&#8217;s Great Miami River Hillbilly Theatrical Society (GMRHTS). 

On 6/23, I watched an interpretive dance performance by a drunken Yayhoo at the dam. He was trying to catch minnows with what looked like a flimsy butterfly net. I tried to focus my camera on him and capture the performance on video because I thought the world needed to see the poetry in motion that this true genius of dance was executing. At some point he incorporated swimming into his routine and that&#8217;s where the performance was cut short by the Police. It had stopped being fun for me at that point anyway; all I could picture was this guy being tangled in fishing line and drowning.

On 8/18, I was able to enjoy another riveting performance by Hamilton&#8217;s GMRHTS of the Old Man and the River/Hey, is that your dog. Act one opened to a Police Officer driving down the bike path on the east side, an old man had dehydrated and passed out; we all thought he was dead until paramedics revived him. I didn&#8217;t even see him until the Police showed-up, no idea how long he was there but he left after being revived, happy ending to thunderous applause. Act two: A new guy showed up on the east side with his tiny little dog in tow. The guy started wading and the dog followed. Suddenly, the dog was caught in the current and started floating away&#8230;the guy, obliviously continued fishing. I walked over to another fisherman and asked, &#8220;Hey, ummmm aaaaaa&#8230;is that dog floating away&#8221;? The dog owner must have heard me; he scrambled out of the water and chased the dog downstream until he rescued it&#8230;to more thunderous applause. Act three: Old man from Act one returned, sat down and started fishing again. Had to applaud him for his grit and determination, almost brought a tear to my eye&#8230;.Bravo! Old man&#8230;Bravo! I really, really hope he caught something but I couldn&#8217;t take it anymore.


----------



## Bassnpro1 (Apr 6, 2004)

deltaoscar said:


> BassnPro1, wow that was a great day you had on CC. How big was that Musky? Not that it matters, I'm just curious.


I didn't get a measurement or weight on the musky, 20lbs maybe? It was a great day on the water. My buddy and I landed 66 bass that day with 14 over the 15" limit. Mixed in a handful of eyes as well while bass fishing. Makes it frustrating in the summer struggling to catch just a few bass when you know how many are in there!


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## Dandrews (Oct 10, 2010)

With a few weeks to go, hopefully I can add a highlight or two.
Hopefully I'll get more fishing time in during 2013.
I didnt get in as much fishing time in 2012 as I did in 2010 or 2011 but Im not going to complain too much, I caught some good fish. I had a good year for flatheads and saugfish, I did ok with smallmouth. My new PB flathead came in August on a crankbait; I caught two nice flatheads with a crankbait on back-to-back casts in June. I caught a 26 inch saugeye in May.


----------



## Stekor (Mar 25, 2012)

Lots of great stuff in this thread guys! Im up in Grand Rapids MI right now, my hotel room overlooks the Grand River up here... if it wasnt snowing and freezing, id be tempted to get a weekend pass up here and grab my pole out of the car!

posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## whodeynati (Mar 12, 2012)

My highlight was catfishing all night on the Ohio River. With no success at our normal spots the wife and myself decided it try to find a new spot to fish. It was around midnight when I caught my biggest to date bluecat 43#. Then less than a hour later I caught another blue this one was 55#. Is a night I will never forget.


----------



## Dandrews (Oct 10, 2010)

fallen513 said:


>


Nice hybrid!!! 

I'd love to catch a flathead on a fly, that would definitely be one of my highlights.
I'm guessing a giant streamer w/sinking line? ...maybe not, that water doesn't look too big behind you.


----------



## Dandrews (Oct 10, 2010)

whodeynati said:


> My highlight was catfishing all night on the Ohio River. With no success at our normal spots the wife and myself decided it try to find a new spot to fish. It was around midnight when I caught my biggest to date bluecat 43#. Then less than a hour later I caught another blue this one was 55#. Is a night I will never forget.


Those things look like seals!!


----------



## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

That's my personal best hybrid at 15 lbs 4 ozs, caught on a five weight. Shad pattern. 

The cat ate a small black bugger. I've caught many that way, as well as on bait fish imitations.


----------



## Matulemj (May 29, 2012)

Highlights of 2012....

Getting out on my kayak on the Little Miami River and learning the river like the back of my hand. 










Mastering the art of catching a Smallmouth bass 










Being dragged on my kayak by those big channel cats










Learning the ways of the Hybrid/Striper










Catching other random Little Miami river monsters










Steelhead/Lake Trout Fishing on the Niagara River









22# Lake Trout









30" Steelhead

Sea Trout fishing in Nags Head










Putting out fires riverside with Milford FD










I caught 26 different species of fish this year:

Smallmouth
Largemouth
Spotted
Striper
Hybrid
White
Flathead Catfish
Channel Catfish
Sauger
Saugeye
Drum
Bluegill
Pumpkinseed
Crappie
Speckled (Sea) Trout
Croaker
Flounder 
Blue fish
Red drum
Lake trout
Brown Trout
Steelhead
Rainbow Trout
Buffalo
Gizzard Shad (14")
Gar

I've meet some pretty awesome people this year, some on this board, some who are not. 

I have cabin fever. I wish it was spring!


----------

