So with this in mind, here is a log I'll keep through the year for all my fishing ventures. I'm not sure yet if this will be the best way to organize this information, so I may make adjustments as the year goes on.
Note, I haven't included any of the trips where I failed to catch fish!
Yearly Totals (Kayak fishing only):
| Fish | Number | Longest | Comments |
| Sturgeon | 114 | 54 inches 50 inches 49.5 inches 47.75 inches |
Finally starting to heat up on Oct 1st. 12 on Nov 11th, 11 on Nov 16! |
| Sea Run Trout | 3 | 11.5 inches | |
| Yellow Perch | ~83 | 11.5 inches | |
| Eel | 23 | 29 inches | |
| Catfish | 42 | 10.5 inches | |
| White Perch | ~48 | 12 1/8 inches | |
| Tommy Cod | ~67 | 10 1/2 inches | |
| Gaspereau | ~26 | 11 1/2 inches | |
| Shad | 1 | ~18 inches | Jumped out of my hands before I could measure! |
| Sucker | 12 | ~15 - 17.5 inches | Catching them at crowley's when we intended to fish for shad. |
| Pickerel | 107 | 25 inches | Landed on Godzilla |
| Sunfish | 1 | 7.5 inches | |
| Striped Bass | 2 good ones | 38 inches | 10 - 12 more that were babies! |
| Sculpin | 12 | 16 inches | Saltwater! |
| Fall Fish | 2 | 16 inches | |
| Smallmouth Bass | 17 | 16.1 inches | |
| Mackerel | 16 | Up to 13.5 inches | Saltwater! |
| Pollock | 2 | About 9 inches | Saltwater! |
| Smelt | 2 | 6 inches | Saltwater! |
Other notables:
- 34 inch dogfish shark caught ice fishing with Rowan in early Feb.
- 6 striped bass caught in boat (not kayak), so they aren't in the list.. but they were certainly a blast to catch. The biggest was a strong and fat 37"!
Date/Time: April 18th
Location: Hammond River & Sturgeon Alley
Conditions: Beautiful sunny day with little to no wind. Water is VERY high, almost touching Darling's Island Bridge, and very muddy.
Comments: The tide was going out for the few hours I was out, but with the water so high, it didn't matter.
Pictures: Blog Entry for this trip.
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Shortnose Sturgeon (x7) | 37", 38" and 46.5". Others were smaller. | Nightcrawlers. | Lost one that may have been bigger than the 46.5" sturgeon. It was VERY heavy! |
Date/Time: April 21th
Location: Hammond River & Sturgeon Alley
Conditions: Very Windy and a bit cloudy. Water is even a little higher than this past Friday!
Comments: Wind was so strong it was hard to stay anchored in all the waves! Horrible conditions!
Pictures: Blog Entry for this trip.
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Shortnose Sturgeon (x1), Atlantic Sturgeon (x1) | Both about 32 inches. | Nightcrawlers. | An adventure paddline back to Darling's Island! |
Date/Time: April 26th
Location: Hammond River & Sturgeon Alley
Conditions: Sunny and no wind, beautiful day!
Comments: First outing with the GSJKA group. 9 anglers caught 29 between us!
Pictures: Blog Entry for this trip.
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Shortnose Sturgeon (x3), Atlantic Sturgeon (x3) | 54 inch Shortnose, and all the rest were 28 - 32 inches | Nightcrawlers. | Posssible NB Record for biggest sturgeon landed in a kayak. |
Date/Time: May 15th
Location: Hammond River next to the lodge
Conditions: Sunny and no wind, beautiful day!
Comments: Trying for sea run trout
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Yellow Perch (x20 or so) Sea Run Trout (x1) |
Perch were a good size, up to 10" Trout 11.5" | Spinner & Nightcrawlers | The trout run is a little late this year, mid May is when they finally started to show up. |
Date/Time: May 19th
Location: Hammond River & Strugeon Alley
Conditions: Cloudy and a little rain. Had been raining all morning.
Comments: Trying for sea run trout, IPop caught a 15" striper close to the train bridge!
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Yellow Perch (x20 or so) Eel (x1) Catfish (x3) |
Perch were a good size, up to 10.5" Eel 29" Catfish 9.5" - 10.5" | Spinner & Nightcrawlers | Personal best eel out in sturgeon alley. Wasn't able to find any trout below the train bridge. |
Date/Time: May 21th
Location: Hammond River
Conditions: Took Rowan out for his first kayak fish looking for perch and trout
Comments: Trout were up across from the farm, in the shallow grassy water
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Yellow Perch (x3) Trout (x3) | Perch were a bit small. Trout was 7 - 9.5" | Spinner & Nightcrawlers | Rowan got to eat trout for breakfast! |
Date/Time: May 24th
Location: Wheaton Lake
Conditions: Cloudy, little wind but otherwise very nice
Comments: Almost everyone in the group caught smallies, but me!
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| White Perch (x5) | 10" - 12 1/8" | Spinner & Nightcrawlers | Rowan landed a few after I hooked them. |
Date/Time: May 25th
Location: Sturgeon Alley
Conditions: Cloudy, little wind but otherwise very nice
Comments: Fynn's first time fishing on the kayak.
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Tommy Cod (x3) Yellow Perch ((x3) | Tommy Cod < 7" Yellow Perch ~9" | Nightcrawlers | Fynn caught his first in the kayak! |
Date/Time: May 29th
Location: Hammond River
Conditions: Beautiful Sunny evening.
Comments: Dropped the shad before I could measure
Pictures: Blog entry
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| American Shad (x1) Gaepereau ((x6) | Shad ~ 18" Gaspereau 9 - 11.5" | Shad Darts | Dropped the shad before measuring. |
Date/Time: May 31th
Location: Hammond River
Conditions: Beautiful Sunny day.
Comments: Dropped the shad before I could measure
Pictures: Blog entry
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Suckers (x10) Gaepereau ((x20) | Sucker - 15 - 17/5" Gaspereau 9 - 11.5" | Shad darts, jigs, flies, worms...etc. |
Date/Time: June 12th
Location: Kingston Creek
Conditions: Early morning, nice day
Comments: Water levels were low, and the pickerel were attacking the perch-colored top water, but not many were hooking up.
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Pickerel (x3) Perch (x2) | Pickerel - 15 - 18" | Top water | perch/propeller lure, white rat, white/green frog. Gaspereau by the hundreds in the weeds. |
Date/Time: June 15th
Location: Kingston Creek
Conditions: Rain, rain and more rain
Comments: Water levels were much higher. low, and the pickerel were attacking the perch-colored top water, but not many were hooking up.
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Pickerel (x2) Perch (x3) Sunfish (x1) | Pickerel - babys Perch - babys Sunfish - 7.5" | worm on weedless hook. | Still lots of gaspereau in there. |
Date/Time: June 20th
Location: Oromocto River
Conditions: Beautiful Sunny Day
Comments: Day before the Paddler's Derby, I got out with Rowan
Pictures: Blog article here
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Pickerel (x1) Yellow Perch (x10) White Perch (x1) Eel (x3) Catfish (x5) | Pickerel -21 inch | Everything on worm |
Date/Time: June 21th
Location: Oromocto River
Conditions: Beautiful Sunny Day
Comments: Paddler's Derby
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Pickerel (x1) Yellow Perch (x6) Fall Fish (x1) Catfish (x10) Eel (x5) | Pickerel - 19" | worm on weedless hook. | Took 3 hours to get the bloody pickerel to take the top water mouse.. had to use a stringer. |
Date/Time: June 27th
Location: Kingston Creek
Conditions: First the morning by myself, then a nice evening fish with the boys
Comments:
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Pickerel (x1) Sunfish (x2) Yellow Perch (x10) | Pickerel - baby Sunfish - 8" | worm on weedless hook. |
Date/Time: June 28th
Location: Mispec Beach
Conditions: Sunny and no wind.. perfect for the salt water!
Comments:
Pictures: Blog article here
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Sculpin (x12) | Sculpin - 8 - 16 inches. | worm, shiny weighted lure and mackerel rig caught them | A couple of pollock were caught by some of the others. |
Date/Time: July 1st
Location: Above Reversing Falls
Conditions: Morning fish, then evening fish. Sun, a little wind, then heavy fog in the evening.
Comments:
Pictures: Blog article here
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Striper (x1) | Striper 26" | Silver Rapala Husky Jerk, and double jointed silver Sebile | Missed the hit on the Rapala, but got the one on the Sebile |
Date/Time: July 2nd
Location: Hammond River
Conditions: Beautiful Sunny day
Comments: Took some kids from a camp out for kayak fishing, and landed a smallie at Crowleys.
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Smallmouth (x1) | 15" | Berkeley Havoc Green Watermelon on a wacky rig. | Missed a second, smaller one just after. |
Date/Time: July 6th
Location: Sturgeon Alley
Conditions: Day after Hurricane Artur. water very high, very dirty and very fast.
Comments: 6 kayaks from the fishing group, Rowan was on the back of mine. Rowan caught 2 eels, and about 8 catfish in addition to what I caught here below!
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| American Eel (x3) Catfish(x15) | Eel 22" the biggest Catfish 11" the biggest | Nightcrawler and chunked up Gaspereau | Paddle back against incoming tide was brutal! |
Date/Time: July 8th
Location: Walton Lake
Conditions: Little wind, but other than that a nice evening
Comments: Probably my first trip even exclusively fishing for smallies
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Yellow Perch (x2) Smallmouth Bass (x2) | Perch 10" SMB 12.5" | Small jointed perch rapapa for the perch. Dark red with pink tail Zoom fluke for the SMB | Gotta get better at smallie fishing! |
Date/Time: July 12th
Location: Walton Lake
Conditions: Little wind, but other than that a nice evening
Comments: Back on the water this time with Garry Safford
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
Smallmouth Bass (x3) | SMB 13.25, 16.1, and a smaller one | Translucent minnow on a weedless worm hook. | At the start hooked a big one with a green pumpkin seed wacky rig, but lost him when he jumped about 3 feet out of the air and spit out the lure. Could have been bigger than the 16"er. |
Date/Time: July 13th
Location: Fredericton, Saint John Rive
Conditions: Started great, but the wind kicked up big time in the afternoon.
Comments: Fishing for muskie, hooked into somethign heavy but don't know what it was.
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
Smallmouth Bass (x1) | SMB 14.5 | Pink/White spinnerbait |
Date/Time: July 18th
Location: Kingston Creek
Conditions: Beautiful day on the water!
Comments: First time getting my Dad out kayak fishing.
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
Pickerel (x6) | Largest at 19 | Pink/White spinnerbait |
Date/Time: July 19th
Location: Kingston Creek
Conditions: Beautiful day on the water!
Comments: Kayak fishign with Dad and Rowan. Dad tipped the kayak after catching 11 pickerel!
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
Pickerel (x9) | Largest at 23" | Pink/White and Pink spinnerbaits |
Date/Time: July 20th
Location: Kingston Creek
Conditions: Beautiful day on the water!
Comments: Out again on a beautiful day with Dad. He caught 11 once again!
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
Pickerel (x12) | Largest at 23.5" | Pink/White spinnerbait, pink spinnerbait, and pink fluke. |
Date/Time: July 22th
Location: Kingston Creek
Conditions: Beautiful day on the water!
Comments: Out again on a beautiful day with Dad. He caught 11 once again!
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
Pickerel (x3) | 19", 20" and 21" | Pink/White spinnerbait, and pink fluke. | Weeds has grown up a lot with all the sun in the past few days. |
Date/Time: July 26/27th
Location: Modsley Lake
Conditions: Beautiful but somtimes breezy day on the water!
Comments: Fantastic weekend camping trip to a lake we were not familiar with
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
Pickerel (x40) Fall Fish (x1) White Perch (x1) | Pickerel up to 22" Fall Fish 16" White Perch 10.5" | Pink/White spinnerbait, and pink fluke. Lyman Lure for the Fall Fish and a couple pickerel | Can't wait to get back. Andrew caught a 24.5 and a 25.5 pickerel! |
Date/Time: August 4, 2014
Location: Otnabog
Conditions: Beautiful sunny day.
Comments: Weeds were extremely thick in the back of the lake. Come back in early July next year!
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
Pickerel (x10) Smallmouth (x1) | Pickerel up to 22" Smallmouth ~12" | Pink pink flukes Worm for the smallie. | Can't wait to get back again! |
Date/Time: August 6, 2014
Location: Walton Lake
Conditions: Break of dawn, very foggy
Comments: Peaceful, quiet morning
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
yellow perch (x1) Smallmouth (x4) | Smallmouth ~12" | Green texas rigged senko, small lime plastic. |
Date/Time: August 9, 2014
Location: Walton Lake
Conditions: Mid day
Comments: Bright and sunny
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Smallmouth (x2) | Smallmouth ~12" | One on minnow/jig head, one on worm |
Date/Time: August 10, 2014
Location: K-Creek to Gorhams Bluff, then Sturgeon Alley
Conditions: Sun and wind
Comments: Weeds too overgrown now for much pickerel. 15km round trip kayak to Gorham's Buff in heavy wind and waves.
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Pickerel (x1) Smallmouth (x2) Yellow Perch (x1) Sturgeon (x1) White perch (x20) | Nothing of any impressive size. | All on worm except the pickerel.. a pink fluke | First sturgeon of the summer! Right at high slack tide. |
Date/Time: August 16, 2014
Location: Hammond River Classic
Conditions: Little wind, and cooll
Comments: Derby day! Rowan and I got 4th out of 35!
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Pickerel (x1) Yellow Perch (x8) Sturgeon (x1) White perch (x3) | 27" strugeon | Pretty much everything on the worm. | Something BIG hit some gaspereau. Either a striper or a 4 foot sturgeon. Either way it would have gotten us a trophy on the day! It broke the line. |
Date/Time: August 23, 2014
Location: Blacks Harbour
Conditions: Beautiful day on the saltwater.
Comments: Outgoing tide the whole time.
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Mackerel (x16) Pollock (x2) Smelt (x2) |
13.5" mackerel | sabiki rig | Great day on the salt water! |
Date/Time: August 29, 2014
Location: Sturgeon Alley
Conditions: Evening fish at high slack tide.
Comments:
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Striper (x2) White Perch (x5) Smallie (x1) Sucker (x1) |
7.5 & 8.5 inches on the stripers! | worms | Smallest stripers I've ever seen! |
Date/Time: August 30, 2014
Location: Hampton Dock
Conditions: Sunny day with other kayakers.
Comments:
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Pickerel (x1) | 22" | White frog | Looks like a great area, but hard to find the fish. |
Date/Time: Sept 8, 2014
Location: Secret Local spot ;-)
Conditions: Evening, near low tide
Comments:
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Pickerel (x5) | 17, 20 and 25" | Pink | Finally landed my monster! |
Date/Time: Sept 12, 2014
Location: Sturgeon Alley
Conditions: Evening/Night, outgoing tide
Comments:
Pictures:
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Eels (x8) Catfish (x1) White Perch (x1) Sturgeon (x2) Striped Bass (x1) |
Eels, catfish and white perch were small. 23" and 34" on the Sturgeon. 38" Striper!!! |
Nightcrawlers | 15 min fight on the Striper... was awesome!!! |
Date/Time: Sept 13, 2014
Location: Secret Local spot ;-)
Conditions: Afternoon, incoming tide
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Pickerel (x10) | 20" the biggest | Pink |
Date/Time: Sept 24, 2014
Location: Sturgeon Alley
Conditions: Evening, outgoing tide
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Catfish (x1) White Perch (x2) Yellow Perch (x1) Eel (x1) Tommy Cod (x1) |
11.5 Yellow Perch | Nightcrawlers | Biggest yellow perch of the year. Now that the tommy cod are back, I expect to see the sturgeon as well anytime! |
Date/Time: Sept 26, 2014
Location: Sturgeon Alley
Conditions: Evening, outgoing tide
Comments: Matt caught a monster 32" eel, no sturgeon or stripers again.
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Catfish (x1) White Perch (x2) Eel (x1) Tommy Cod (x4) |
10.5" Tommy Cod 24" eel | Nightcrawlers | Was a beautiful clear night, but slow fishing |
Date/Time: Sept 27, 2014
Location: Sturgeon Alley
Conditions: Evening, outgoing tide
Comments: Matt caught a 50" sturgeon... 4 in total. Was a great night for him! No other sturgeon caught.
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Sturgeon (x1) White Perch (x2) Eel (x1) Tommy Cod (x3) |
31" Sturgeon | Nightcrawlers | Was a beautiful clear night. Outgoing tide |
Date/Time: Oct 1, 2014
Location: Sturgeon Alley
Conditions: Evening, outgoing tide
Comments: Experimenting with a new rig... seems to work!
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Sturgeon (x7) Tommy Cod (x2) |
34.5" Sturgeon the biggest | Nightcrawlers | Incoming Tide, cloudy and windy. |
Date/Time: Oct 3, 2014
Location: Sturgeon Alley
Conditions: Evening, outgoing tide
Comments: Lost 2 sturgeon when the leader cut off on the scutes.
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Sturgeon (x6) Tommy Cod (x6) Yellow Perch (x4) White Perch (x1) Eel (x2) |
42" Sturgeon the biggest | Nightcrawlers | Incoming Tide. |
Date/Time: Oct 5, 2014
Location: Sturgeon Alley
Conditions: Sturgeon Derby
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Sturgeon (x3) | All small | Nightcrawlers | Weather was brutal! |
Date/Time: Oct 11, 2014
Location: Sturgeon Alley
Conditions: Early morning till mid day
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Sturgeon (x2) Tommy Cod (x5) Striper (x2) | 39" the biggest sturgeon. Stripers were babys | Nightcrawlers | Hard to find sturgeon. |
Date/Time: Oct 12, 2014
Location: Sturgeon Alley
Conditions: Out in the morning with Fynn
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Sturgeon (x2) Tommy Cod (x8) | 44" Sturgeon the biggest | Nightcrawlers | Still hard to find sturgeon |
Date/Time: Oct 13, 2014
Location: Kingston Creek
Conditions: Out with Rowan
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Pickerel (x2) | 18 " the largest | White spinner bait | Hard to find them. |
Date/Time: Oct 18, 2014
Location: Sturgeon Alley
Conditions: All day, very windy and overcast
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Sturgeon (x2) Tommy Cod (x20) Yellow Perch (x2) Catfish (x2) Baby Striper (x3) |
Nothing of any size. | Nightcrawlers | So hard to find sturgeon. The stripers are very hot now. Matt caught a 41" striper! |
Date/Time: Oct 25, 2014
Location: Sturgeon Alley up to the Deep Hole
Conditions: Overcast, a little wind, a little rain
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Sturgeon (x5) Tommy Cod (x4) Catfish (x5) | 49.5" sturgeon. 3 others over 3 feet. | Nightcrawlers | Matt caught a burbot in the deep hole!!! |
Date/Time: Nov 9, 2014
Location: Sturgeon Alley
Conditions: Water very high and extremely fast.. needed to add to my anchor to prevent dragging!
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Sturgeon (x4) Tommy Cod (x4) | 43" sturgeon. 2 others over 3 feet. | Nightcrawlers | They were jumping, but not biting in the very fast current. Jigged 2. |
Date/Time: Nov 11, 2014
Location: Sturgeon Alley
Conditions: Again, water very high and this time a fast incoming current. Needed the extra weight on the anchor again, though partially due to the wind.
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Sturgeon (x12) Tommy Cod (x8) | 50" sturgeon! 10 of the 12 were over 3 feet. | Nightcrawlers | Jigged all but three! It's all in the technique!!! |
Date/Time: Nov 16, 2014
Location: Sturgeon Alley
Conditions: Water down a few feet from the past outing. Out 10:30 AM - 6:00 PM. Not a sign of a fish till about 2:00, then it got pretty busy. IPop caught 10 as well.
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Sturgeon (x11) Tommy Cod (x2) Sucker (x1) | 47.75", 45", and a few more around 41 - 41" | Nightcrawlers | 1 had lots of damage, possibly from a gill net? |
Date/Time: Nov 23, 2014
Location: Sturgeon Alley
Conditions: Beautiful sunny day. High slack tide was halfway through the day
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Sturgeon (x24) | 45"the biggest | Nightcrawlers | 37 caught between 4 of us. Amazing day for me! |
Date/Time: Nov 30, 2014
Location: Sturgeon Alley
Conditions: Overcast and cool. Little ice floating in the water. Was there around high slack tide.
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Sturgeon (x3) | 36"the biggest | Nightcrawlers | Much slower day than the week before. Hoping for one more day on the water. |
Date/Time: Dec 28, 2014
Location: Sturgeon Alley
Conditions: Record setting mild temps has complete wiped out all snow and ice. Cool but nice day on the water with very high water levels after a lot of rain.
| Fish | Size | Lure | Comments |
| Sturgeon (x17) | 47" the biggest | Nightcrawlers | 17 sturgeon in just over 3 hours.... aweome day of fishing here at the end of the year! |