“It was now nearing dawn; the first tinges of gray and pink were seeping into the horizon. We had been on the water since 5:30. Six o’clock was rolling around, and the water was eerily calm, without a single ripple. It was like being surrounded by glass in the darkness. All of a sudden, my client, a very large man I should add, rose out of his chair like it had caught fire, rod in hand. I realized now that he had a hit, and it was a big one. I ran to the remote for the trolling motor and had to whirl the boat around to keep the line from snapping and to follow his prospective catch. I was instantly relieved that I use Eagle Claw “Water Eagle” rods and “Lazer Sharp” hooks, because anything of lesser quality couldn’t have stood up to this beast. It took me and my client several minutes (and grunts) to haul our striper up out of the water. When we finally brought it in, we knew it was a large one. When we weighed it in, the scale topped at 42 pounds! The record on the lake is 55 pounds. I am very glad that I use such high-end Eagle Claw fishing gear, or my client and I would have missed out on a beast of a catch.”

Congrats on the big catch guys!!

Here’s what Henry had to say!

“About 26 years ago, we built a 26 acre watershed lake on our property and stocked it with both Florida and Northern strain largemouth. Four years ago, I took out 26 bass over 6 pounds from the lake. It is obviously doing quite well.

Last winter I rolled 4 large concrete culverts off the lake dam and they sank in about 10-12 feel of water. I was attempting to create some good harborage for the bass. Here in the deep South, bass get lethargic during the heat of the summer and seek the coolest and shadiest spot they can find and just sit there waiting for a meal. They prefer something big and easy to catch. I thought that this spot might be the place to coax one into making a mistake.

As it is way too hot and bright to fish until about 6:30 pm, that is when this trip started. Using a quiet electric motor, I drifted into range of the submerged culverts. I was using a Gander Mountain rod with some purple worm attached on some 2/0 Eagle Claw hooks. I bumbed the worm over the culvert, and on the fall it started to head sideways and into deeper water. As I set the hook, I knew it was a big fish, and soon the drag on the reel confirmed my thoughts. It was a good fight but I had the gear on him and once I got my thumb and forefinger in his mouth I did not let him go! I will leave the weight of this big fellow up to everyone’s imagination…

Yesterday afternoon, I almost repeated the exact same story over again except for the fact that the fish was larger and the hook pulled loose from soft tissue about 6 feet from the boat. Never fear, I have this bass’ zip code.

I thought you might want to hear something good about your products. Keep them sharp, keep them strong, keep making them in the United States!”

Henrys Big Bass

Thank you Henry for such a great story! Now go land that monster that barely escaped you last time!

He had been on the water four to five days a week through June but had come up empty. Maybe today would be the day. Soon enough, McKinnon spotted a dark shadow in the water, then the white-splotched fish. He cast his bait, a piece of yellow perch and, with growing tension, waited. The fish moved toward the bait. The bobber went under. McKinnon set the hook, and the battle was on.

“I pulled up my anchor, and it was pulling the boat around,” McKinnon said. “I had it on for what seemed like 20 minutes — you can’t be sure when you’re in a situation like that — and it was extremely fun. When I finally got it in, I was flabbergasted. But I was pretty confident I might have a state record.”

Daris McKinnon takes the record 35 pound, 8 ounce catfish from Aurora Reservoir.

In due time, it became official.

McKinnon’s channel catfish, taken with an Eagle Claw Red Hook on 65-pound-test braided line weighed 35 pounds, 8 ounces. It was 36 1/4 inches long and had a girth of 27 ¼ inches. It edged past the old record, taken one year ago almost to the day from Aurora Reservoir by Mike Stone, by 4 ounces.

“It feels fantastic, and I’m relishing it,” McKinnon said. “I hope it stands for a while, but records are made to be broken. Someone’s going to break mine.”

Having two state-record fish taken in a short time from the same reservoir is rare, certainly, but not a total surprise to Ken Kehmeier, senior aquatic biologist for the Colorado Division of Wildlife’s northeast region, which includes the greater Denver area.  

“It’s a pretty productive body of water,” he said of Aurora Reservoir. “It gets mostly good, mountain water, and when that warms up, they (catfish) start to grow well there. We have a number of reservoirs along the Front Range that have some large catfish. I know of big catfish in Boyd Lake, Lon Hagler, Lonetree . . .the big ones are there, but they’re an underutilized resource. They’re not fished for very much. You have to target the bigger fish and spend some time on the lake fishing for them.”

Big cats mostly prowl at night, and traditionally, fishing for them means fishing after dark. That is not possible at Aurora Reservoir, which is open from dawn to dusk, making McKinnon’s catch all the more exceptional. He believes timing was among the key factors.

“The water’s pretty cold in the spring, and they come into the shallows for a short time, looking to warm up,” McKinnon said. “They’ll be lying in the weeds sunning themselves. That’s when you can see them, and if you make a quiet approach, maybe you can catch one. It’s too late this year; they’re gone already. But they should be back next spring — maybe sometime in May.”

McKinnon, a concrete cutter by trade, is not about to give up fishing for the season. After a couple of fruitless return trips to Aurora Reservoir in pursuit of channel cats, he’s turning his attention to smallmouth bass and possibly blue catfish.

“I just enjoy fishing,” he said. “I think Aurora has some blue catfish, and it would be kind of neat if I could get a big one of those.”

The state record for blue catfish, taken from a private pond in Lincoln County in 1976, is 20 pounds, 1 ounce.

McKinnon already has four DOW Master Angler certificates for smallmouth bass, one for largemouth bass and hopes of catching a state-record smallmouth.

He’ll keep trying for other big channel cats but says he probably won’t keep one unless someone beats the current record.

“My record won’t stand,” he said. “Someone else can catch another one if he’s dedicated and goes after it. I just hope it doesn’t happen real soon.”

Congrats to Daris on the monster fish!! Continue the good work and keep making Eagle Claw proud!!

Kids line up and await the start of the tournament.

Heres what Jason had to say…

“The New Brunswick Sportsfishing Association just finishing holding their 7th Annual Kids Fishing for Charity Event on July 10, 2010. All money raised is donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. I am pleased to say we raised $2000.00 and the New Brunswick Government just announced that they will contribute $2.00 for every dollar we raised. Juvenile Diabetes strikes far too many of our children and each donation, no matter the size, takes us one step closer to finding a cure for this terrible disease. In 2010, the event collected and donated $6000.00 to this worth-while cause. 

Out of all the tournaments throughout the year this is the one I enjoy the most. Just to see all of the smiles on of all the kids’ faces. This event also gives kids a chance that they might not normally get: a chance to go fishing and to get in a fancy bass boat and experience the thrill of fishing.

We have Angel boaters that do not have their own children to take. So they volunteer their time and boat for such a worthy event. Angel boaters are willing to take one (1) child and their parent/guardian into this event. The entry fee is $25.00 per boat which goes towards our donation. 

The kids are split up into 3 groups for this event. The group’s ages are 6 to 8, 9 to 11, and 12 to 15. The first group was set at 6 to 8 but every year we see more and more eager anglers under 6 signing up for this event. 

Until 2 years ago, I was an Angel Boater. At that time my daughter was 4 and she decided she was old enough to start fishing tournaments. She has won a trophy both years she has fished. The way she is going I might have to expand my fishing room to hold all her trophies. Rumor has it that the Eagle Claw scouts have their eye on her. 

The target species are Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel, and Smallmouth Bass. Each child is allowed to bring one of each species in to be measured. Our Tournament Advisor also volunteers his time and experience to measure and release all the fish. 

Every child receives a participation medallion and a grab bag with goodies like Eagle Claw hooks, soft baits, books, and even a Dave Mercer Bobble head. Trophies are awarded for the three top fish in every category. Every child is giving a chance to pick one gift from the prize table that was donated from generous people and companies. The prizes ranged from rod and reel combos to a Super Soaker squirt gun. In addition to the prizes, five bikes were donated as a special draw for the kids. With 56 kids fishing this year, it made many children happy and enlightened a few people’s minds. 

After the kids weighed in their fish they were treated to a BBQ, snacks, and cake. 

I would like to thank everyone that helped make this Annual Event such a great success. My daughter is already making plans for next year.

I am grateful to be fortunate enough to belong to an organization that has the same passion about taking care of our sport and resources to provide our kids a chance to enjoy this sport for years to come.”          – Jason

Jason sits with his daughter while everybody enjoys a BBQ.

Do your part to help out when necessary. Eagle Claw is a proud partner of the Kids Fishing Derby and we understand the significance of the help we can give. Thank you, Jason, for such a wonderful and inspiring event that you dedicate so much of your time and efforts to. Eagle Claw, along with millions of other people, are proud and thankful for the determination and understanding you give to the children with Juvenile Diabetes.

Hook Location: Of all the fish they landed, only one fish had “swallowed” the hook and was hooked fairly deep. The hook removed relatively easy with no harm to the fish. Every other fish was hooked in the mouth.

Hook Removal: The small circle hooks were easy to remove, but forceps or a pair of needle-nose pliers could be helpful. The hooks have short shanks and are tough to handle with fingers. The barbed hooks were easy to remove with pliers or by hand after pinching the barb down.

Hook Sets: As with large circle hooks, no swift jerk is required, and attempting to set the hook (as if you were bass fishing) won’t catch many fish. In fact, the jerk usually pulls the hook out of the fishes mouth. Fishing in about 6-8 feet of water, simply lifting the rod is proven most effective.

Hooking Success: The group missed a few more fish than traditional hooks, but the fish were so plentiful it didn’t really matter. The bite was subtle on the test day, often only noticed by a slight twitch or tightening of the line while the bait was on the fall. The light bite may have been another factor in the number of missed fish.

Baits: The bluegill hit both baits consistently, but the Gulp! crickets won out on this day by a significant margin. The tiny legs on the plastic bugs may have attracted the fish, or a huge grasshopper crop in Central Texas may have played a role. The plastic crickets held up well, didn’t get dirt under the fingernails, and each bug was good for several bites and successful catches.

Overall: The tiny circle hooks were a big success. No fish were killed in attempting to remove hooks. No cutting the line and leaving the hook in the released fish hoping the fish would make it. The hooks are a definite plus for fishing with live bait, still fishing while anchored, or anywhere that fish populations are such that large numbers of fish are expected to be caught and released.

“I would just like to say thanks for making a great product! On July 5th while fishing the Caney Fork river in Smithville TN I hooked into a monster brown trout! I was using ultra light gear and your number 6 pan fish hook and managed to land a 8.75 lb brown trout after a 2.5 hour fight! Thanks for the great product with outstanding quality!

Thanks Again!”

Faithful customer, Nickie Morton, stand with his 8.75 pound Brown Trout caught out of Smithville, Tennessee.

Our mission is to provide all of our customers with outstanding quality products that get the job done, every time! With affordable prices, we guarantee that the joy and excitement found in fishing is attainable by any and every customer! Thanks again Nickie for the story, and keep up the good work!

Chase Plott hauls in his monster 130-pound halibut from Gustavus, Alaska.

His older brother, Tanner Plott, caught with a 140-pound halibut caught on July 1 on a jig. Tanner was using a Wright & McGill halibut rod to land the big fish in less than 20 minutes. With a big grin on his face, he pulled the monster to the surfaced and also landed the fish in the boat.

The Plott Family with their hoard of fish.

The Plott Family, Linda, Chase, Norm, Zack and Tanner, caught a load of halibut on their July 1 outing from Gustavus, Alaska, with Capt. Andy Martin. The group caught eight halibut over 100 pounds, plus dozens of fish between 50 and 90 pounds during their five-day trip. Halibut were not the only fish caught; the family managed to catch dozens of yelloweye rockfish and some larger salmon on their trip. They used Wright & McGill halibut rods, Eagle Claw hooks, and baits marinated in Pautzke’s Halibut and Rockfish Nectar.

On July 13th, Andy Martin led another guided tour with Pueblo, CO resident Scott Brown. He caught a 250 pound halibut, the largest one he has ever caught. This monster was caught on a 16/0 Eagle Claw circle hook, and a Wright & McGill halibut rod. The bait used was a cod head with a live herring. Brown landed the fish after a 20-minute fight in 145 feet of water just inside Glacier Bay National Park.

Scott Brown stands with his 250 pound halibut.

Yet another client trip was made by Andy on July 20th, where Hank from Pennsylvania caught a 300 pound halibut. This gigantic fish made three runs back to the bottom, and took Hank over 40 minutes to land. The fish was caught on a Wright & McGill halibut rod in 180 feet of water near Glacier Bay.

This 300 pound brutus was caught just outside Glacier Bay, Alaska. Andy Martin continues to impress with his growing number of halibut catches.

Bernie Franklin, of Sonora, California, caught a 210 pound halibut on July 30th with Andy. The fish was caught on a Wright McGill halibut rod and a 16/0 Eagle Claw circle hook. The bait is herring and octopus soaked in Halibut/Rockfish nectar. After a 45 minute battle, Bernie managed to haul the beast into the boat just outside Glacier Bay.

Bernie stands with his 210 pound catch.

Andy Martin has had a tremendous year with the Halibut. He continues to please clients and allow people to enjoy the thrill of catching a 200+ pound monster, day in and day out!!

Before he could even get the rod re-rigged and back in the water, another rod bent over even stronger than the first! As the drag screamed, Bill picked up the rod and he realized the real fight was on! He knew this fish was even bigger, in the “monster calibur” size. “It pulled so hard I wish I had a fighting belt on,” Bill said. “The fish dove and surfaced many times as I asked God for the fish to stay hooked.”

Before he knew it, Bill had a 68 pound blue catfish in his boat! He removed the Lazer Sharp L2022 hooks from the fish’s mouth and felt an urge of satisfaction. “God and Eagle Claw answered my request of landing the monster!” Bill commented on his enormous catch.

Bill stands with his 68-pound trophy in Huntersville, Alabama.

Thanks to Eagle Claw, the Lazer Sharp hooks did the job and secured Bill’s dream of a trophy catfish! This was a day that Bill will never forget, and he has nothing but good things to say about the Eagle Claw team! Good job Bill!

Jeffrey flew out to Denver and went ice fishing with Matt on Lake Antero this last winter. They faced brutal conditions as the temperature was 33 degress below! However, they managed to drag up some lunkers and make for a great day on the ice.

Recently, Jeffrey returned the favor by inviting Matt to fish with him on Jordan Lake in North Carolina. Mike Jackson from Eagle Claw joined the crew for the intense bass fishing fiesta. The conditions were completely the opposite as the sun blazed to the 100 degree mark. But nothing was going to stop the group from landing several trophy bass.

The entire story, along with pictures, can be found on the Carolina Outdoors website. To view the page, click here.

The team used several Eagle Claw and Wright & McGill products, including the Skeet Reese Series Tessera Jig/Worm Rod, the Sabalos Bait Casting Reel, and the Eagle Claw Bass Fish Attractant.

Shane Long from Utah lands this 215 pound halibut on his Alaskan trip.

A Utah man caught the fish of a lifetime June 17 while halibut fishing near Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park.

Shane Long of Talmage, Utah, caught a 215-pound halibut on the carcass of a king salmon he landed the day before.

Long was part of a group from Utah and Colorado staying at Alaskan Anglers Inn in Gustavus, a small fishing community west of Juneau.

“Before this my biggest fish was only four or five pounds,” said Long, who battled the giant halibut for nearly 45 minutes before his fishing guide harpooned it after it reached the surface. The big halibut was then shot with a .410 shotgun before being brought aboard the Icy Rose, the charter boat Long and his friends were fishing from.

During their five-day trip with Alaskan Anglers Inn, Long and his three fellow anglers caught three halibut topping 100 pounds, and dozens of halibut from 50 to 90 pounds. They also landed five salmon from the cold waters of Icy Straight.

The group’s guide, Capt. Andy Martin, saved a few of the salmon carcasses from the previous day and threaded one onto a size 20/0 Eagle Claw hook. The salmon heads had been marinating overnight in Pautzke’s Halibut and Rockfish Nectar. Shortly after Long lowered it to the bottom, a big halibut inhaled the carcass and took off on a long run. The fish stayed near the bottom for 15 minutes before Long was able to begin forcing it to the surface. It was caught in 110 feet of water less than 10 miles from the Gustavus dock.

After filling eight 50-pound boxes with fillets during their first four days of fishing, Long’s group decided to catch and release on its last day. One of the fishermen released a 150-pound halibut, while three more fish just under 100 pounds were let go.