Current gold pin leaders

Thought this would be cool to post once in a while. Cant believe that someone has already checked in a almost 9lbs Largemouth!!!
http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/recreation/fishing/awards/sportfish_leaders.htm
Lets see if one of us on this site can get a gold pin this year!!!

question ? i practise catch and release. i beleive that if i'm not going to eat it why kill it let it go for someone else to catch and then release.so my question is how do you catch a fish and document it without killing it?if i have to kill it to document it i guess just knowing myself that i caught it will have to be enough. any ideas?

question ? i practise catch and release. i beleive that if i'm not going to eat it why kill it let it go for someone else to catch and then release.so my question is how do you catch a fish and document it without killing it?if i have to kill it to document it i guess just knowing myself that i caught it will have to be enough. any ideas?

Im guessing the guys catching trout an salmon are keeping them. Alot of guys have livewells that they can throw the fish in. You can also make one with a reel good airator and a 10 gallon cooler that will work just fine. Then all you do is bring the fish to an official weigh station an get it weighed an measured an bring it back to the pond an release. Some guys keep the cooler system in there car or truck an if they get into something thats a pin fish they run out an get it weighed. Believe me I would never kill a fish just for a pin. I caught a 5lbs smallie at the Q. We were 5 miles from the boat ramp an had cooler but no airator. I threw it back. I wasn't gona kill that fish. The sad thing is if you catch a state record you have to bring it to a fish and game facility and the kill the fish to make sure its a legit fish from Ma. A marine biologist has to make it official. Theres talk of having a catch and release catorgory as well. They do it in CT. You take picks and show a scale reading an measurements an you can get a pin.

i would think they could come up with somthing your only lying to yourself if you are not truthful i know a lot of people do and end up spoiling it for everyone but there's got to be someway of doing it.i'm in a kayak alone a lot of the time so any pictures are at arm lenth away.you can't keep the fish out of the water too long i hold it up take the best picture i can and release it unharmed but i a'm open to suggestions.i just caught a 11 pounder i'm excited i take a picture.kiss it now i'm a 1/2 mile from the car what do i do with it?

Right now with the way things are if your a goods sportsman which I have no doubt you are. You let the fish go. I do get what your saying cus the system benifits people with livewells if your gona catch and release. Im not sure how the catch an release rules in CT for pins works ill see if I can find out an hopefully someday MA will do the same.

thank's for the feedback it was one of those naging questions that roll around in your head. again thanks.

Hey Bob, you know I have a kayak as well. I think it would have to be at least 10 lbs for me to even consider keeping it or taking the chance of it dying on me just for a weigh in. Do what I do, keep a digital camera loaded, in a zip lock baggie and when u need it, use it. Take multiple pics for those who u'd like to share it with. Who really cares about a pin anyways? I think a 7 lbs largemouth gets a pin in MA. I would have had 2 last year. My pictures will last me forever....Have u ever seen a squirrel swim across a lake? Pictures are worth a thousand words right? Good luck this year...I need to beat my personal best of 8.4 lbs.

thanks for the in put i also try to keep my camera with me but sometimes have a hard time getting the right shot.my personal best is 8pds. the day a caught it my camera was home.good thing my son was there to witness it or he would of never beleived it. where are you getting your pictures do you live near grizzly adam's?you have some excellent shots.