THE GRANDE FINALE TIGHT LINES, TIGHT FINISH
Hook & Paddle 2 Day series finale weekend kicked off on Saturday, September 7th in Hook & Paddle ~ Nackawic ~ Series Finale Day 1 ~ anglers knew they had two days, in two different bodies of water to knock off as many species as they could. Many had an idea of what they wanted to accomplish, but with the weather predictions of down-pouring rain, and howling wind gusts, would they be able to still fish even?
As luck would have it, Destination Nackawic somehow had a bubble around the boundaries we were fishing, as there seemed to be rain surrounding us everywhere else, but the clouds, rain and crazy wind seemed to hold off for most of the day. Light drizzle and overcast with minimal wind.. it was almost an ideal fishing scenario. Not only that, anglers were putting huge species of fish on the board!
Also as luck seemed to have it, one of those anglers that took home the Big Axe Brewery $250 cash prize for finishing first on the bend was none other than Andrew Burtt, who landed his first muskie ever in the series! Burtt also managed to find 6 other species, including the rare sucker, which propelled him to first with 98.50 points on the day. Konnor Nyenhuis aslo put his first muskie on the board in Nackawic, combined with 5 more species to finish second on the day with 95 points, while Peter Nyenhuis was able to find loads of fish, including a valuable sucker, and large catfish to start his weekend off which gave him a total of 87.75 points in third. Guillaume Cote landed his biggest fish ever with a 40 inch muskie, and Jean Muzzerall set a new hook and paddle record for catfish length with a whopping 14.25 inches!
It was a great day one, with loads of BIG fish caught in Nackawic, setting anglers up for their final push to move up the standings for Hook & Paddle ~ Fredericton ~ Series Finale Day 2 . As it is every year, your entire season can come down to just inches, and 2024 was no exception. The Top 5 anglers all had a chance to potentially win the overall season heading into the day, along with the bass series competitors, youth division, and rookies --- everyone had a plan on what they needed to do to make it happen.
The Fredericton Capital Region Tourism tournament started off a bit overcast, followed by strong winds, a bit of rain, then ended up calm with some sun poking through the clouds. Determined anglers were seen traversing all over the boundaries on the day, searching for BIG fish to move them up the standings, as they anxiously awaited their fate at the end of the day when pictures were submitted. It was Damien Dorcas who put together an amazing finale weekend, winning his first ever HP tournament by landing his first ever muskie a 38.75 incher, paired with an important 34.75 inch sturgeon, and 6 others species, he finished with 153.50 points on the day, winning a custom Doiron Outfitters Yeti, 1st place Walters Baits trophy, 1st place Atlantic Laser Works plaque and sweet 13 Fishing Canada Baitcaster Combo, what a haul! Travis Melanson also had a great couple days finishing with 8 species, 129.50 points, claiming 2nd place and 13 Fishing Rod. Peter Nyenhuis found 8 species for 124.75 points, winning a Scotty Fishing Products 131 camera boom. Guillaume Cote finished 4th with 123 points, winning the Minnow Tackle Shop prize pack, and Roy Butler wrangled in a muskie and sturgeon, for 118.25 points on the last day to take 5th place and a 13 Fishing Canada baitcaster. Parker Sherwood won the 506 Tackle Supply prize draw, Konnor Nyenhuis won a Malone Auto Racks kayak cart draw, Stan Matthews won a Suspenz Storage and Transportation air cart draw, Ben Woo won the X Zone Lures THE ROD GLOVE target species combo with a 42.50 inch muskie, and 18.50 inch smallmouth. Andrew Craig won $100 for the Big Bass on the day with an 18.00 inch smallie. Matt Stiles for catching a new HP record Sturgeon with a 45 incher!
Youth Division
Gage Nyenhuis had an impressive season for the youth anglers, winning several trophies and prizes all year long, he walked away as the HP 2024 Top Youth Angler with 1098 points, Gage won an awesome Daiwa Rod and Loaded Tackle Box supplied by Von Paving. Alex Hickey was able to claim second place with 1016 points, winning a new hockey net, while Damien Dorcas finished in third place with 993 points and took home a Kit Kat inflatable kayak. Each angler took home custom wooden trophies from Walters Baits -- Congrats to all our youth anglers this summer!
Rookie of the Year
This years battle for top spot as the 2024 HP Rookie of the Year was another tight race. Alex Hickey was leading the way heading into the final weekend, with Amanda Metz and David Owen not far behind. It all came down to a matter of inches with David and Amanda both landing a sturgeon, but it was Amanda Metz who took home the Minnow Tackle Shop gift card, HP Rookie of the Year Certificate and Atlantic Laser Works plaque.
HP Elimination Bracket
The bracket came down to Gage Nyenhuis and Travis Melanson for bragging rights and a large pay day. It was Melanson who was able to claim the top spot based on his second place finish in the finals of the Von Paving HP elimination bracket, but the fellas made a gentleman's agreement to split the money 50/50 so both anglers walk away winners with $500 each courtesy of our generous sponsor TJ Silliker and Von Paving.
Capital Region Clash
This season we added a new competition in partnership with Fredericton Capital Region Tourism. Anglers could be in attendance for 5 tournaments held in the capital region, where their scores would add up from each tournament for a grand total and cash prizes. The winner of our first ever Capital Region Clash was Travis Melanson with 461.75 combined total points! Peter Nyenhuis with 455.50 in second, Bryan Cawthra 395.25 third, Gage Nyenhuis 376.50 fourth, and Greg McLaughlin 369.25 for fifth.
Travis - $500
Peter - $400
Bryan - $300
Gage - $200
Greg - $100
HP Bass Series
The Bass Series competition this year also came down to the wire, with two anglers battling it out, Ben Woo and Travis Melanson. Melanson had the lead heading into Fredericton, but it was Woo that was able to squeak out the Dub by the smallest of inches, 0.25 to be exact. Ben takes home top spot as the winner of the 2024 HP Bass Series, winning a Power-Pole Total Boat Control micro, battery pack, spike and accessories. Travis claims silver spot, winning a DAIWA Corporation - Canada CDN rod and fuego Reel combo. While Rene Pelletier was able to medal for the third season in a row with a third place finish in the bass series, taking home a $200 Livingston Lures gift card.
HP OVERALL STANDINGS
It all came down to the last day, the Super Nyenhuis bros were leading the way most of the season, including heading into the final day, but the rest of the field had a chance to catch them with a few key species left in Fredericton. Melanson needed a muskie and sturgeon, Cawthra needed a muskie and Muzzerall needed a sturgeon, along with maybe a few small upgrades where possible in Nackawic and Fredericton combined. It came down to the wire, and with two days of grinding it out, Bryan Cawthra managed to find a much needed 15th species on his list, a 32 inch muskie to leapfrog Peter for the top spot and claim his first ever Hook and Paddle Championship! A consistent season with bonus points, propelled Cawthra to the top with a total of 332.50 points on the season, winning an Old Town Watercraft Old Town Fishing Sportsman 120 PDL as his prize. Peter Nyenhuis had a season to remember, very consistent as well, taking home second overall with 322.25 points, winning the Swamp Bear Art - Joel Palmer - custom trophy for longest fish only points total (263.50), along with an Easy Kleen Pressure Systems LTD. pressure washer. Travis Melanson takes home bronze with 316 points on the season, claiming a Power-Pole Total Boat Control micro + battery. Gage Nyenhuis joins the 300 club with 305.50 points in fourth place, winning a Power-Pole Micro + battery. Damien Dorcas moved up 10 spots on the final weekend with his performance to land in the top 5 overall with 271.75 points and a brand new DAIWA Corporation - Canada CDN rod and Fuego reel.
Special thanks to Minnow Tackle Shop Amanda & Henning for your continued support of the HP community and the fishing community in NB. Also for opening up your shop for anglers to get last minute tackle, as well as helping set up and host the finals awards! 506 Tackle Supply who was there to host anglers with snacks and beverages, and an amazing draw prize for each tournament. Thanks to the communities that partnered with us to make this a record breaking season yet again, your support is greatly appreciated by each participant. Shout out to Emily Rodger and Red Lama Media for attending our finals weekend, as we are looking forward to watching her experience in HP play out as part of a great video that will feature Fredericton in a unique way.
And a special shout out to the anglers that come out to each event, you are what makes up this HP Community, your time, dedication, commitment and help growing the sport is what makes this series worthwhile. It's a privilege to organize this for a great community of anglers that are excited to learn, compete and help each other out when needed.
Until Next Season -- Keep your Boat-A-Float!
Hook & Paddle 2 Day series finale weekend kicked off on Saturday, September 7th in Hook & Paddle ~ Nackawic ~ Series Finale Day 1 ~ anglers knew they had two days, in two different bodies of water to knock off as many species as they could. Many had an idea of what they wanted to accomplish, but with the weather predictions of down-pouring rain, and howling wind gusts, would they be able to still fish even?
As luck would have it, Destination Nackawic somehow had a bubble around the boundaries we were fishing, as there seemed to be rain surrounding us everywhere else, but the clouds, rain and crazy wind seemed to hold off for most of the day. Light drizzle and overcast with minimal wind.. it was almost an ideal fishing scenario. Not only that, anglers were putting huge species of fish on the board!
Also as luck seemed to have it, one of those anglers that took home the Big Axe Brewery $250 cash prize for finishing first on the bend was none other than Andrew Burtt, who landed his first muskie ever in the series! Burtt also managed to find 6 other species, including the rare sucker, which propelled him to first with 98.50 points on the day. Konnor Nyenhuis aslo put his first muskie on the board in Nackawic, combined with 5 more species to finish second on the day with 95 points, while Peter Nyenhuis was able to find loads of fish, including a valuable sucker, and large catfish to start his weekend off which gave him a total of 87.75 points in third. Guillaume Cote landed his biggest fish ever with a 40 inch muskie, and Jean Muzzerall set a new hook and paddle record for catfish length with a whopping 14.25 inches!
It was a great day one, with loads of BIG fish caught in Nackawic, setting anglers up for their final push to move up the standings for Hook & Paddle ~ Fredericton ~ Series Finale Day 2 . As it is every year, your entire season can come down to just inches, and 2024 was no exception. The Top 5 anglers all had a chance to potentially win the overall season heading into the day, along with the bass series competitors, youth division, and rookies --- everyone had a plan on what they needed to do to make it happen.
The Fredericton Capital Region Tourism tournament started off a bit overcast, followed by strong winds, a bit of rain, then ended up calm with some sun poking through the clouds. Determined anglers were seen traversing all over the boundaries on the day, searching for BIG fish to move them up the standings, as they anxiously awaited their fate at the end of the day when pictures were submitted. It was Damien Dorcas who put together an amazing finale weekend, winning his first ever HP tournament by landing his first ever muskie a 38.75 incher, paired with an important 34.75 inch sturgeon, and 6 others species, he finished with 153.50 points on the day, winning a custom Doiron Outfitters Yeti, 1st place Walters Baits trophy, 1st place Atlantic Laser Works plaque and sweet 13 Fishing Canada Baitcaster Combo, what a haul! Travis Melanson also had a great couple days finishing with 8 species, 129.50 points, claiming 2nd place and 13 Fishing Rod. Peter Nyenhuis found 8 species for 124.75 points, winning a Scotty Fishing Products 131 camera boom. Guillaume Cote finished 4th with 123 points, winning the Minnow Tackle Shop prize pack, and Roy Butler wrangled in a muskie and sturgeon, for 118.25 points on the last day to take 5th place and a 13 Fishing Canada baitcaster. Parker Sherwood won the 506 Tackle Supply prize draw, Konnor Nyenhuis won a Malone Auto Racks kayak cart draw, Stan Matthews won a Suspenz Storage and Transportation air cart draw, Ben Woo won the X Zone Lures THE ROD GLOVE target species combo with a 42.50 inch muskie, and 18.50 inch smallmouth. Andrew Craig won $100 for the Big Bass on the day with an 18.00 inch smallie. Matt Stiles for catching a new HP record Sturgeon with a 45 incher!
Youth Division
Gage Nyenhuis had an impressive season for the youth anglers, winning several trophies and prizes all year long, he walked away as the HP 2024 Top Youth Angler with 1098 points, Gage won an awesome Daiwa Rod and Loaded Tackle Box supplied by Von Paving. Alex Hickey was able to claim second place with 1016 points, winning a new hockey net, while Damien Dorcas finished in third place with 993 points and took home a Kit Kat inflatable kayak. Each angler took home custom wooden trophies from Walters Baits -- Congrats to all our youth anglers this summer!
Rookie of the Year
This years battle for top spot as the 2024 HP Rookie of the Year was another tight race. Alex Hickey was leading the way heading into the final weekend, with Amanda Metz and David Owen not far behind. It all came down to a matter of inches with David and Amanda both landing a sturgeon, but it was Amanda Metz who took home the Minnow Tackle Shop gift card, HP Rookie of the Year Certificate and Atlantic Laser Works plaque.
HP Elimination Bracket
The bracket came down to Gage Nyenhuis and Travis Melanson for bragging rights and a large pay day. It was Melanson who was able to claim the top spot based on his second place finish in the finals of the Von Paving HP elimination bracket, but the fellas made a gentleman's agreement to split the money 50/50 so both anglers walk away winners with $500 each courtesy of our generous sponsor TJ Silliker and Von Paving.
Capital Region Clash
This season we added a new competition in partnership with Fredericton Capital Region Tourism. Anglers could be in attendance for 5 tournaments held in the capital region, where their scores would add up from each tournament for a grand total and cash prizes. The winner of our first ever Capital Region Clash was Travis Melanson with 461.75 combined total points! Peter Nyenhuis with 455.50 in second, Bryan Cawthra 395.25 third, Gage Nyenhuis 376.50 fourth, and Greg McLaughlin 369.25 for fifth.
Travis - $500
Peter - $400
Bryan - $300
Gage - $200
Greg - $100
HP Bass Series
The Bass Series competition this year also came down to the wire, with two anglers battling it out, Ben Woo and Travis Melanson. Melanson had the lead heading into Fredericton, but it was Woo that was able to squeak out the Dub by the smallest of inches, 0.25 to be exact. Ben takes home top spot as the winner of the 2024 HP Bass Series, winning a Power-Pole Total Boat Control micro, battery pack, spike and accessories. Travis claims silver spot, winning a DAIWA Corporation - Canada CDN rod and fuego Reel combo. While Rene Pelletier was able to medal for the third season in a row with a third place finish in the bass series, taking home a $200 Livingston Lures gift card.
HP OVERALL STANDINGS
It all came down to the last day, the Super Nyenhuis bros were leading the way most of the season, including heading into the final day, but the rest of the field had a chance to catch them with a few key species left in Fredericton. Melanson needed a muskie and sturgeon, Cawthra needed a muskie and Muzzerall needed a sturgeon, along with maybe a few small upgrades where possible in Nackawic and Fredericton combined. It came down to the wire, and with two days of grinding it out, Bryan Cawthra managed to find a much needed 15th species on his list, a 32 inch muskie to leapfrog Peter for the top spot and claim his first ever Hook and Paddle Championship! A consistent season with bonus points, propelled Cawthra to the top with a total of 332.50 points on the season, winning an Old Town Watercraft Old Town Fishing Sportsman 120 PDL as his prize. Peter Nyenhuis had a season to remember, very consistent as well, taking home second overall with 322.25 points, winning the Swamp Bear Art - Joel Palmer - custom trophy for longest fish only points total (263.50), along with an Easy Kleen Pressure Systems LTD. pressure washer. Travis Melanson takes home bronze with 316 points on the season, claiming a Power-Pole Total Boat Control micro + battery. Gage Nyenhuis joins the 300 club with 305.50 points in fourth place, winning a Power-Pole Micro + battery. Damien Dorcas moved up 10 spots on the final weekend with his performance to land in the top 5 overall with 271.75 points and a brand new DAIWA Corporation - Canada CDN rod and Fuego reel.
Special thanks to Minnow Tackle Shop Amanda & Henning for your continued support of the HP community and the fishing community in NB. Also for opening up your shop for anglers to get last minute tackle, as well as helping set up and host the finals awards! 506 Tackle Supply who was there to host anglers with snacks and beverages, and an amazing draw prize for each tournament. Thanks to the communities that partnered with us to make this a record breaking season yet again, your support is greatly appreciated by each participant. Shout out to Emily Rodger and Red Lama Media for attending our finals weekend, as we are looking forward to watching her experience in HP play out as part of a great video that will feature Fredericton in a unique way.
And a special shout out to the anglers that come out to each event, you are what makes up this HP Community, your time, dedication, commitment and help growing the sport is what makes this series worthwhile. It's a privilege to organize this for a great community of anglers that are excited to learn, compete and help each other out when needed.
Until Next Season -- Keep your Boat-A-Float!
GALLERY
FINAL RESULTS
