TOPIC:

I had so much fun with the Ugly Cooler Shot contest, I’ve decided this year I will be saving all the Ugly KILL Board photos that get posted. Like ugly photos full of dead, bloody fish, I’ve never seen a board with a bunch of dead fish hanging on it which was anything close to being non-ugly.

I’ve seen some impressive shots - a dozen big kings hanging on the hooks, so many lakers the board or pipe sagged, but though impressive, they were ugly. If there’s one with a hot young lady in a bikini holding one end of the board or a Labrador Retriever in it, I’ll crop out the board, pet the dog and ogle the model. 

You don’t see many of those shots, anyway. What is usually in the photo is a few ugly guys, windblown, tired, shirt tails half in, half out with a bunch of obviously dead fish.

I understand (though I don’t do it) when a charter captain lines up his customers and then strings up the fish and takes a happy-snappy to send home a memento of the days catch. It proves to potential customers that he’s a great captain and capable of catching lots of fish. It’s not something a guy will be able to show off at work and get many ooh-ahs from co-workers - probably more “Yuks” than anything. Better is a nicely posed photo of an angler and freshly-caught fish. I’ll not go into what makes a good, pleasing fish photo. This is for ugly photos.

What will help in the ugly kill board contest, besides sunburn and shirt tails are things like ice marks on fish, half smoked cigars, posing half in the sun, half in shade, hanging a 16 inch coho next to a 16 pound chinook. Extra points for blood on the fish and extra fish laying on the ground.

So string ‘em up Southenders! I’ve got a dull fillet knife, a few lures with rusty hooks and a half empty bottle with some sort of oil in it to offer up as a prize!

Cutting Boards count ??

Haus Buckin Fin 
Haus 

I can certainly consider fish piles and cleaning board photos but this one isn't going to make the cut. I would need much more blood. This one might be a contender. Note the blood dripping all the way down the cooler. That's UGLY!  
 

Hoping I can get ahead with this.  

Now we are talking! Plenty of blood, scales on your belly, and that bit of juice dribbling down your forearm is a great touch. Definitely in first place for now. I am subtracting a few points due to the photo not being "fresh" from the 2021 season, but it does give all the Southenders some ideas of what to shoot for when the current polar vortex ends and we can get into the game for this year.