Reader Photos: August 2006

Sergeant Ben Barrett with a fish from the Tigris River, caught using a HMMVV antenna and an MRE. Field & Stream Online Editors

29-year-old Heather Murakami, of Tampa, Florida, with her first-ever dolphin, caught on a personal charter in the gulf. Field & Stream Online Editors

_Dear F & S,
I caught this 35″ mystery fish in the Boundary Waters in Minnesota. It weighed close to 13 pounds. We caught a lot of pike of similar size in the lake, but this fish was essentially silver in color, with no obvious pike pattern. When it was fighting in the water, and even slightly noticeable in the picture, you can see a hint of (faint) vertical bars, but the fins and fish appeared to be solid silver. I dont recall the number of lower jawline markings. Any thoughts?_–Brian Dittman, Granite City, Illinois Brian, Fishing Editor John Merwin thinks the fish is a silver pike, an uncommon (though not especially rare) color variation of the northern pike. Do a google search for details on the fish. Good fishing. –the Eds. Â Field & Stream Online Editors

From top to bottom:
Hugh Sanderson with daughters Amy and Natalie and wife Sonya on safari in Botswana, in June 2006, posed here with Hugh’s elephant. Amy Sanderson with a common springbok taken in South Africa in June 2005. Hugh Sanderson with a cape buffalo taken in Botswana in June 2006. Sonya Sanderson with an ostrich taken in South Africa in June 2006. 5-year-old Natalie Sanderson with a roan antelope taken in South Africa in June 2005. Field & Stream Online Editors

Christine Ward with her first-ever chinook salmon, taken near Muskegon, Michigan in September of 2004. She caught the fish jigging a 3.5-inch silver and pearl LOCO spoon in 35 feet of water. Field & Stream Online Editors

Three generations of the Staloch family tagged big bucks during the 2005 season. From left to right, Ron Staloch (with 10-point), Zeke Staloch (10-point), and grandpa Dean Staloch (eight-point). Field & Stream Online Editors

Janelle Hahn, of Champlin, Minnesota, caught this 31-inch northern on a tipup while she was ice fishing a small lake in the northeastern part of the state. Field & Stream Online Editors

Olivia Kilfoyle, 6, is her family’s professional nightcrawler-catcher.Â¿Â¿ “She can collect a bucket full for the next day’s fishing trip.Â¿Â¿ She knows to water the lawn and wait until after dark.Â¿Â¿ None of us can compete with her so we just sit and watch,” says her mother, Michelle. Field & Stream Online Editors

Jason and Mandi Geary of Jeffersonville, Indiana caught this 56.8 -pound flathead in July at Starve Hollow Lake on 12-pound-test line. Field & Stream Online Editors

Gretchen Kriegmont with a 16-pound coho caught trolling near Juneau Alaska. Field & Stream Online Editors

Barry Pabst sent us this photo of what he says is a nine-point doe with a 15-inch spread, taken with a muzzleloader in Benton County, Missouri, in 2004. Field & Stream Online Editors

Dave Berg pulled this 40-inch black drum out of Matagorda Bay in Texas. He estimates its weight at 40-50 pounds. Field & Stream Online Editors

An anonymous angler sent in this photo: “How is this for an 8 year old,” he says. “Approximately 8 pounds of bull trout, but can’t tell you where (it’s a secret)!” Field & Stream Online Editors

Steve Tiso caught this 49-pound striper off of Sandwich, Massachusets, after three hours of actionless fishing. Patience pays off! He says he also hooked an even bigger fish after this one, but lost it. “The one that got away bent my Penn 2701 Slammer in half, but sadly I did not re-spool my line to start the season and lost it.Â¿Â¿Penny wise, pound foolish!!! Will not happen again.” Field & Stream Online Editors

Craig Salcido caught this 27-pound catfish in Colorado’s Aurora Reservoir using salmon eggs and six-pound-test line. Field & Stream Online Editors

The anonymous angler in the photo above sent us this little story: “I was recently competing in the first annual specialist tackle world carp challenge and trying to beat some of the world’s best carp anglers when I caught this 25-pounder. As we were about to take the picture he took a “number 2″ on my knee. my partner thought it was so funny he had trouble taking the picture and I had trouble not having such a big smile. As you can see I couldn’t help it, it was too funny.” Field & Stream Online Editors

Logan Dunlow, 4, of Windsor, North Carolina, caught this 4-pound bass all by himself while fishing with his grandfather. Field & Stream Online Editors

Karina Heath of Ogilvie, Minnesota, with a 48-inch sturgeon caught and released in the St. Croix River, near Rush City, Minnesota.Â¿Â¿ Field & Stream Online Editors

Mason Elgin, 10, of Port Lavaca, Texas with a 40-inch drum caught in Lavaca Bay.Â¿Â¿ According to his father. “Mason fought the fish for over 30 minutes and won’t let me help. All I could do was watch!” Field & Stream Online Editors

Louis Wenger with a 4-pound carp caught on canned corn.Â¿Â¿ “I fish almost every day for all sorts of gamefish,” he says, “but the most fun is coming back home to my creek and pulling out some hard-fighting carp.”Â¿Â¿ Field & Stream Online Editors

Jenny Johnston with her biggest fish of the summer, aÂ¿Â¿25.5-inch rainbow. Field & Stream Online Editors

11-year-old James Dutton of Lutz, Florida, caught this 12-pound largemouth in his backyard lake on a rubber worm. Field & Stream Online Editors

Jason Short, 11, of Springfield, Missouri, with his first wild turkey. The bird weighed 22 pounds and had a 10.5-inch beard. Field & Stream Online Editors

3-year-old Ethan (with his father, Brad) caught this largemouth in aÂ¿Â¿farm pond outside of Cincinnati while fishing for blue gill with a hot dog using a “Tigger” toddler fishing rod. Field & Stream Online Editors

Matt French, Fairfield, Ohio Field & Stream Online Editors

Michele Baldwin of Earlton, New York, with an 18-pound steelhead caught in Lake Ontario in June on a Northern King spoon. Field & Stream Online Editors

Jeff Bloom, New Richmond, Wisconsin Field & Stream Online Editors

Cash Haeder of Wolsley, South Dakota shows off a pair rabbits to his sister, Emma. Field & Stream Online Editors

Judy Hundley caught this 9-pound, 10-ounce largemouth while bass fishing for the second time in her life. Field & Stream Online Editors

Sheena Morrissey of Guelph, Ontario, with her first smallmouth bass of 2006, a 19-inch fish caught and released in Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay. Field & Stream Online Editors

Tim Wallace caught this 8.5-pound largemouth in two feet of water after it scared away two smaller bass that had been investigating his 7-inch Culprit worm (tequila sunrise). Field & Stream Online Editors

Jared, of Kentucky, with a big Kentucky River largemouth. Field & Stream Online Editors

Reader Photos: August 2006

MORE TO READ

Opinion: Your Preseason Deer Scouting Efforts Don’t Help You. They Help Me

Surprise Release Vs. Command-Style: Are You Shooting Your Hunting Bow the Wrong Way?

Western Waterfowl Habitat Dries Up As Great Salt Lake Hits Lowest Levels Ever