# Fish over 20



## Dodger (Oct 20, 2009)

Something just feels good for me about catching a fish over 20 pounds. I've only done it 4 times in my life. But 2 of them were this year.

1997 - The guide said a 40 pound striped bass trolling near Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. I think it was mid 20s;



2011 - 23 pound lake trout, Flaming Gorge;



2014 - 22 pound halibut on a personal built custom rod made specially for the occassion, Pacific Ocean, Newport Oregon

; and

2014 - 21 pound carp, Flaming Gorge.


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## bass2muskie (Nov 5, 2013)

Nice fish. It's always a blast to catch a big fish. I caught this halibut last year out of Homer Alaska. 165 lb halibut. Wish I would have caught it on a custom built rod by me that would be awesome.


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## Dodger (Oct 20, 2009)

Very cool. Is that discoloration on the back from the bottom of the boat? Like a non-skid rubber floor mat or something?

I also forgot to add in the first post - show 'em if you got 'em.


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## bass2muskie (Nov 5, 2013)

Yea part of him was laying on the mat on the ride home.


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## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

I will be hitting the gorge in 2 weeks for some macs, my friend's dad is guiding us and I hope to bring home a few in the 20-25 pound range, I hear once they get bigger than that they don't taste as good but am yet to taste one myself.

Closest to a 20+ pound fish I have come was when I hooked into a Sturgeon on the lower Kennebec River in Maine back in 2006, it was just over 3 feet but have no pictures of it, you are required to cut your line the second you identify it as a Sturgeon or you can go to jail.


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## Dodger (Oct 20, 2009)

I caught a 6 pound mac and tried to eat it but it had more grease in it than a pound of butter. Plus there is a mercury advisory on macs over 25". If you want a mac to eat just to try it, catch a smaller one. They are a lot better. Catch the big boys, but of you aren't doing a skin mount, they aren't worth keeping, for what it's worth.

I can only imagine the rules on the Atlantic sturgeon in Maine. But that pretty cool. I should try sturgeon fishing sometime.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

103lb










Caught a Coho that went 21lb once, need to find that picture. Caught some sand sharks that shouldn't count in the 20-30lb range. Many halibut over 20, only a handful over 50lb though.

-DallanC


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## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

Dodger said:


> I caught a 6 pound mac and tried to eat it but it had more grease in it than a pound of butter. Plus there is a mercury advisory on macs over 25". If you want a mac to eat just to try it, catch a smaller one. They are a lot better. Catch the big boys, but of you aren't doing a skin mount, they aren't worth keeping, for what it's worth.
> 
> I can only imagine the rules on the Atlantic sturgeon in Maine. But that pretty cool. I should try sturgeon fishing sometime.


We weren't fishing for the Sturgeon, one just happened to hit what I had on the end of my line, I think we were actually targeting stripers that day.

As for the macs, I'll certainly keep that mercury advisory in mind, especially since we hope to have a baby on the way soon. Isn't the limit on macs 8 fish right now?


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## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

DallanC said:


> 103lb
> 
> 
> 
> ...


One of my dream trips is to go after some monster halibut, nothing like having some nice fillets in the freezer.


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## Dodger (Oct 20, 2009)

30-06-hunter said:


> We weren't fishing for the Sturgeon, one just happened to hit what I had on the end of my line, I think we were actually targeting stripers that day.
> 
> As for the macs, I'll certainly keep that mercury advisory in mind, especially since we hope to have a baby on the way soon. Isn't the limit on macs 8 fish right now?


Right, I was just saying I can't imagine how protective they are of the Atlantic sturgeon.

Yeah 8 lake trout, but only one of the eight over 28". And those are separate from your regular trout limit. So you get 4 trout, only 3 of which can be salmon and 8 macs.


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## Dodger (Oct 20, 2009)

DallanC said:


> 103lb
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hey, this is fish over 20, not fish over 100!;-)

Way cool halibut. I definitely see more of that in my future.


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## Bo0YaA (Sep 29, 2008)

Caught this 65lb 48" king back in 03" on a river the size of the Provo. Man I love Washington!


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