I was planning on doing something like this back around the turn of the new year, and it seemed like every time I started writing it, I'd get distracted or busy. Half the problem was also that there was WAY TOO MUCH AWESOME happening throughout the year last year, to be able to fit it all in 10 posts, let alone 1.
Now it's partway through February, but I couldn't just not make it. Especially since I am losing my ever loving mind, waiting for the snow and ice to melt enough for me to get back out on my boat, and can't think about ANYTHING other than that first tug of the year.

Here in Vermont, our fisheries biologists created a "master angler" program, to let anglers who decide to participate showcase the trophy fish caught each year, but also so they could keep tabs on which bodies of water produce these fish.

2024 was a trip, the beginning of a dream come true, a plethora of stupendous adventures, and most importantly, it was the best year of fishing I've ever had the joy of experiencing. Not only did I catch a new PB smallmouth and largemouth bass, but I also set several new bycatch PBs, including northern pike, walleye, freshwater drum and brown trout (the kind with fins).

So I'll start working on shutting up… Here's most of the "trophy" fish I entered in VT's master angler program, and a bunch of other unforgettable memories I made with a Dobyns rod in hand in 2024.

dobynsrods #dobynsdifference