To find hot lakes and prime times to fish them, peruse these records. For example, Bob Daly of Indiana has consistently picked a prime time to target coho salmon in Alaska, bagging the two biggest this year as well as the largest one in 2011, all from the Cinder River.
Anglers landed three pike of 50 inches or more, fish of a lifetime: one from Alaska, one from famous Reindeer Lake and one from Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area. And speaking of massive toothies, consider Ryan Marjama's 58½-inch muskie from Leech Lake, Minnesota, caught on a sucker rig! For the scoop on this deadly presentation, check the new In-Fisherman Pike & Muskie Guide on news stands or available on our website. On a smaller scale, give props for Arthur Huttemeyer Sr.'s 31-inch pickerel from Lake Hopatcong in New Jersey. They don't get much bigger than that.
Some notable cats were entered, led by Kyle Simmons' 56½-inch monster from the Missouri River. In West Virginia, Mark Foster set a new state record for blues with a 43.9-incher that weighed 44½ pounds. Amazingly, he also set the state record for longnose gar on the same day. A 52-inch flathead also was caught in Tappan Lake, Ohio, and Brandy Tiller landed a 77-pounder at Clinton Lake, Missouri. Also noteworthy are big cat catches on cut Asian carp, both silver and bighead.
Catch a lunker, check size requirements for that species, and fill out the application found in In-Fisherman or at in-fisherman.com.
Bob Daly
Coho Salmon
Whitting, IN
Cinder River, AK
34.5" 9/10
Pixee Spoon
Chris Wagner
Chinook Salmon
Newfane, NY
Lake Ontario, NY
40'' 7/14
DW Spin Doctor
Sarn Eash
Chinook Salmon
Johnstown, PA
Creek, NY
44'' 10/22
Salmon Egg
Robert Soris
Chinook Salmon
Niskayuna, NY
Salmon River, NY
42'' 9/29
Salmon Egg Fly
Steven Frymoyer
Rainbow-Steelhead Trout
West Lawn, A
Salmon River, NY
31'' 11/4
Single Egg
Robert Swiatek
Rainbow-Steelhead Trout
Bellville, OH
Conneaut Creek, OH
30.5'' 3/18
Egg Sac
V. Ted Peterson
Rainbow-Steelhead Trout
Manteno, IL
St. Joseph River, MI
30'' 11/15
Mepps Aglia, slv #3
Doug Kowles
Brown Trout
Winona, MN
Whitewater River, MN
24'' 5/11
Jig & Craw
Matt Peterson
Brown Trout
Elgin, IL
Lake Michigan, WI
34'' 9/21
Jerkbait
Gene Ekdahl II
Brook Trout
New Richmond, WI
Lake Nipigon, ON
23.5'' 6/13
Rapala
Brent Wallace
Lake Trout
Buena Vista, CO
Twins Lake, CO
42'' 4/17
Swimbait, Gold
Brian Kemp
Lake Trout
Tonawanda, NY
Upper Niagara River, NY
36'' 3/17
Lucky Crafter Ponter XD
Dennis Musgraves
Lake Trout
North Pole, AK
Harding Lake, AK
36'' 4/21
Greg Engel
Lake Trout
Scottsdale, AZ
Clifton Lake, MB
41'' 6/9
Half Wave Spoon
Jay Zvolanek
Lake Trout
Downers Grove, IL
Nueltin Lake, MB
37.5'' 6/24
Kurt Benner
Lake Trout
Tiburon, CA
Scott Lake, CAN
39'' 7/29
David Meleedy
Lake Trout
Amesbury, MA
Nueltin Lake, MB
39'' 6/21
Daredevil
Robert Swiatek
Lake Trout
Bellville, OH
Lake Erie, NY
37.5'' 7/6
Spoon, Purple
Timothy Steinmetz
Northern Pike
Escanaba, MI
Little Bay de Noc, MI
40.625'' 7/26
Spinnerbait
Adam Melquist
Muskellunge
Fargo, ND
Detroit Lake, MN
51'' 9/11
In-line Spinner
Alex Udwari
Muskellunge
Tampa, FL
Lake of the Woods, ON
51'' 7/9
Dan Gibbons Danny Bait
Michael Nickel
Muskellunge
North Olmsted, OH
Pigeon Lake, ON
51.5'' 9/14
Musky Mayhem Double Cowgirl
Michael Kaplan
Muskellunge
Chicago, IL
Lake St. Clair, MI
51'' 12/8
Bulldawg, Black/Orange
Mike Harnetty
Muskellunge
Scandia, MN
Lac Seul, ON
53'' 9/18
Northland Booty Call
Patrick Haley
Muskellunge
Elk River, MN
Cedar Lake, ON
51'' 9/3
Poes Awakener, Yellow Stripes
Charlie Hall
Northern Pike
Bismark, ND
Artery Lake, CAN
43'' 5/28
Mepps, Red/White #5
Dawson Smith
Northern Pike
Billings, MT
Last Mountain Lake, SK
46'' 6/12
Rapala Husky Jerk, Silver/Blue #12
Kip Theno
Northern Pike
Long Beach, CA
BWCA, MN
51'' 9/12
Rapala, White
Kurt Benner
Northern Pike
Tiburon, CA
Scott Lake, CAN
45'' 7/28
Arthur Huttemeyer Sr.
Chain Pickerel
Budd Lake, NJ
L Hopatcong, NJ
31'' 9/22
Gulp! Grub, 6''
George D'Amato
Chain Pickerel
Canadaigua, NY
Seneca Lake, NY
25'' 3/15
Little Cleo Spoon, Silver/Blue
Patty Stalb
Chain Pickerel
Manheim, PA
Oneida Lake, NY
24'' 7/12
Senko, Red/Black
David Terrill
Chain Pickerel
Denisort, MA
Pond, MA
28'' 4/13
Worm
Adam Tomlin
Carp (Common or Grass)
Cumberland, IN
Sylvan Lake, IN
36'' 3/25
Wacker Pineapple Corn Pips
Brian Wingard
Carp (Common or Grass)
Hollsopple, PA
Juniata Lake, PA
36.5'' 11/28
CC Moore Boilies/Hair Rig
Conner Huffman
Carp (Common or Grass)
Galloway, OH
Reservoir, OH
36.25'' 6/24
Corn
Quinn Leonard
Carp (Common or Grass)
Reading, MI
Bel Aire Lake, MI
34.5'' 7/18
Sweet Corn
Mark Foster
Blue Catfish
Saint Albans, WV
Ohio River, WV
43.9'' 9/24
Skipjack
Kyle Simmons
Blue Catfish
Raytown, MO
Missouri River, MO
56.5'' 8/3
Bighead Carp
Robby Cothern
Blue Catfish
Elizabethtown, KY
Rolling Fork River, KY
52'' 3/14
Cut Skipjack
Blake Hasiuk
Channel Catfish
Winnipeg, MB
Red River, MB
36'' 5/12
Shrimp
Joe Gunter
Flathead Catfish
Highspire, PA
Susquehanna River, PA
43'' 5/20
Sunfish
Luke Tiffany
Flathead Catfish
Roscoe, IL
Rock River, IL
46'' 7/9
Cut Bluegill
Robby Robinson
Flathead Catfish
Senecaville, OH
Tappan Lake, OH
52'' 8/15
Bluegill
James Heitz
White Bass
Omaha, NE
Enemy Swim Lake, SD
17'' 6/21
Jerkbait
Jack Wall
White Bass
Seward, NE
Lake Oahe, SD
18'' 9/19
Worm/Jig
Justin Rousey
Striper
Sykesville, MD
Libery Reservoir, MD
40.5'' 2/27
Shiner
Paul Krystopa
Striper
Drexel Hill, PA
Delaware River, PA
37'' 5/29
Bloodworm
Richard Buchinski
Striper
Dickson City, PA
Lake Wallenpaupack, PA
37'' 10/5
Alewife
Brent Sasse
Hybrid Striped Bass
Lincoln, NE
28'' 4/28
Jig
James Ramsey
Hybrid Striped Bass
Tarentum, PA
Ohio River, PA
30'' 4/24
Storm WildEye Swim Shad
Joseph Keiffer
Hybrid Striped Bass
Craigsville, WV
Kanawa River, WV
24.5'' 4/20
Minnow
Tyler Hill
Hybrid Striped Bass
Olathe, KS
Lake La Cygne, KS
28'' 7/21
Shad
Louis Varela
Hybrid Striped Bass
Sparks, NV
Reservoir, NV
27'' 8/27
Crankbait
Jim Uran
Blue Gill
Lengby, MN
Roy Lake, MN
11.5'' 8/11
Northland Fire-Fly
Willis Graves
Blue Gill
Osawatomie, KS
Echo Lake, MN
11.5'' 9/14
Roadrunner/Nightcrawler
William Aslin
Redear Sunfish
Spokane, WA
Canal, AZ
13'' 4/22
Bob Dippery
Redear Sunfish
Apache Junction, AZ
Canal, AZ
14.5'' 4/21
Worm
Gary Harmon
Redear Sunfish
Radford, VA
Reservoir, VA
11'' 11/10
Red Wigglers
Douglas Hall
Smallmouth Bass
Columbus, MI
Lake St. Clair, MI
24'' 6/11
Worm
Dwight Hottle
Smallmouth Bass
Erie, PA
Lake Erie, PA
22.5'' 4/7
Lucky Craft Pointer, Clown
Greg Clusiau
Smallmouth Bass
Keewatin, MN
Lake Mille Lacs, MN
20'' 2/18
Macho Minnow, Gold/Orange 1/8 oz
Darren Beach
Smallmouth Bass
Toronto, ON
Lake Baptiste
21'' 10/14
Spinnerbait
John Amato
Smallmouth Bass
Darien, IL
Birch Lake, WI
21'' 6/15
Grub
Kay Hawley
Smallmouth Bass
Edina, MN
Lake Mille Lacs, MN
21.375'' 10/19
Minnow
Marcus Gersch
Smallmouth Bass
Bridgeport, NY
Oneida Lake, NY
21.5'' 9/9
Panfish Asassin
Nathan Smutka
Smallmouth Bass
Hutchinson, MN
Lake Mille Lacs, MN
20.5'' 7/27
Berkley Flicker Shad
Paul Strege
Smallmouth Bass
Deerfield, WI
Big Green Lake, WI
20.25'' 10/28
Terminator Super Stainless Rig
Pete Cartwright
Smallmouth Bass
White Oak, PA
Keystone Lake, PA
21'' 5/17
Tube, Green Pumpkin
Richard Quinsey
Smallmouth Bass
Kingston, ON
Sypenham Lake, ON
22'' 8/10
Worm
Tim McDonald
Smallmouth Bass
Warren, NJ
Reservoir, NJ
20'' 7/25
Lucky Craft Sammy
Todd Matera
Smallmouth Bass
Palmer, MA
Reservoir, MA
23.25'' 7/20
Perch
Christopher Lawson
Largemouth Bass
Philadelphia, PA
Ona Lake, MI
22'' 7/6
Yamato Senko, Pumpkin/Charcoal
Jason Carlson
Largemouth Bass
LeMars, IA
Pond, IA
23'' 1/16
Waxworm
Jeff Raybourn
Largemouth Bass
Oscoda, MI
Cedar Lake, MI
25.5'' 6/4
Minnow
Kyle Orendorff
Largemouth Bass
Rockton, IL
Victoria Lake, IL
23'' 4/3
Yum Crawbug/Brown Jig
Nam Nguyen
Largemouth Bass
Apple Valley, MN
Spirit Lake, MN
23'' 6/2
Rat-L-Trap, Crawdad
Rainer Raaska
Largemouth Bass
Spring, TX
Houston County Lake, TX
26.25'' 3/24
Lizard, Watermelon/Red
Steve Cicciarelli
Largemouth Bass
Peoria, IL
Hidden Lake, IL
26'' 7/15
Mepps, White #1
Jared Sutton
Largemouth Bass
Chester, VA
Pond, VA
25'' 4/10
Strike King KVD Crankbait, Charcoal
Randall Wong
Largemouth Bass
Colesville, MD
Farm Pond, FL
26'' 2/10
Shiner
Mark Beckman
Walleye
Hayward, WI
Lac Seul, ON
30.33'' 7/7
Northland Lipstick Jig, Orange/Charcoal/Leech
Mark Pothen
Walleye
Mounds View, MN
Farm Pond, MN
31.5'' 9/20
Redtail
Michael Faley
Crappie (Black or White)
Johnston, IA
Reservoir, IA
14.75'' 7/16
Rapala Shad Rap
Noah Ransom
Crappie (Black or White)
Carlisle, IA
Private Lake, IA
14.5'' 9/30
Beetle Spin
Troy Smutka
Crappie (Black or White)
Chaska, MN
Lake Waconia, MN
16.5'' 3/25
Berkly PowerBait Minnow on Jig
Jonathon Baker
Yellow Perch
Chassell, MI
Lake Gogebic, MI
15'' 8/17
Jig and Crawler
Gary Harmon
Walleye
Radford, VA
Claytor Lake, VA
30'' 11/26
Shiner
Jason Grahek
Walleye
East Bethel, MN
Pokegama Lake, MN
30.125'' 6/9
Nightcrawler