STOP #3 - Woodstock

Hook & Paddle ~ Woodstock ~ Tournament Recap
June 21st, 2025 | Woodstock Tourism & Events, NB

They said it might rain... and rain it did. It was like someone cranked on the shower and kept fiddling with the settings all day long. From downpours to sprinkles, soakers to drizzles—anglers battled the elements with soaked sleeves, foggy glasses, and pruned fingers. As the tournament wrapped up, a cool breeze swept across the water, a final rinse to a day where nothing stayed dry—not even the fish!

This year's target species was muskie, but not a single one was brought to the board. That left the field wide open for a good ol’ fashioned multi-species slugfest. With Chain Pickerel holding big value in the scoring system, landing one meant you were in contention—and several anglers made it count.

Top 5 Recap:

1st Place – Chris Bingham (72 pts)
Chris pieced together a strategic day with a 13” smallmouth, a rare 5.75” largemouth, a sunfish, yellow perch, and a crucial 9.25” white perch. But the game-changer? A solid 18.25” chain pickerel and consistent numbers across the board. It's been 4 seasons in the making, but Chris "Dirty" Bingham claims top spot and a beautiful Atlantic Laser Works plaque, and 13 Fishing Canada rod.

2nd Place – Jaret Phillips (62 pts)
Jaret dialed in his pickerel game, stacking up a 22.5” chain pickerel and a 6.50" pumpkinseed sunfish. Throw in a 9” yellow perch and some bonus points—Phillips claims his first HP Podium finish, claiming a Scotty Fishing Products prize -- and not only that, he also took home the Curries Hardware, Gun and Bootshop draw prize -- a brand new Hummingbird Helix 7! What a day to remember!

3rd Place – Andrew Craig (55.75 pts)
With all his catches coming in the last hour, Craig saved his day, and better yet, found himself on the podium for the first time this season landing one of the biggest yellow perch of the day 11.50" Andrew also hauled in a 15.5” smallmouth and a 20.75” chain pickerel. Solid effort taking home a nice Lucky Strike Bait Works prize pack!

4th Place – Jeremy Smelser (53 pts)
Jeremy matched the top chain pickerel mark with a 22.5-incher, backed by strong numbers in the panfish and bass categories landed him a 4th place finish.

5th Place – Aaron Tarr (50.5 pts)
Aaron’s 20” chain pickerel was clutch, paired with a consistent spread in smallmouth, and yellow perch moved him into the top 5!

Total Fish Caught: 189
(Count includes all species columns: Smallmouth, Largemouth, Yellow Perch, White Perch, Chain Pickerel, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Catfish.)

Congrats to Amanda Metz - who took home $190 for the lunker bass comp - 16.50"
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While the muskies kept to themselves this year, it was a gritty, grind-it-out kind of day that tested every angler’s patience, gear, and rain gear. Hats off to all who braved the wild weather and came out smiling through fogged-up glasses and water-logged boots.