Grade Your 2014

[yugrac]

How would any of you guys rate your 2014? [i am speaking of your fishing ]  The last 2 years really have not been great around here, mid east Indiana and mid west Ohio. Water temps were very slow coming up and I never seen anything above the high 70 water temps all year, including mid summer.  Had a few good days wading, but in the boat on the lakes only had maybe 2 really memorable days. One of them was with my wife, we got on some big bluegill at Whitewater Memorial, then the last time I was out this year was with my son, we put about 60 fish in the boat at Brookville Indiana, but we were on the water for 12 hours that day! I would call my year a C+, hoping for an A this year, need for the ice to go away first!   Hey, hootie, yes, yugrac is "carguy" backwards. Hows my spelling?

[scyounggun]

I would say a B+ for me.  I am still learning a lot and as the year went on my average number and size of fish went up.  Hoping to keep building and get in a few small tourneys this year.

[DocNsanE]

caught two 4.5lbers in 2014, best was shy of 3lbs the year before. Had a week of insane fishing where me and 3 buddies landed over a 100 bass each day. Discovered how incredibly fun night time top waters could be. Caught fish using new techniques. I'll give 2014 an A-. I can't give it any better than that because then I'd feel like it couldn't get any better .

[Matthew2000]

A- I didn't catch the one 8-9 pounder in the pounder that I missed in 2013. It was in a small pond that is vey clear so I know what he looks like. But that being said I caught a lot of fish and had good success found new lures that I like and ways to fish them.

[papajoe222]

Constant changing weather forced me to change tactics often, many times during the same outing. That accounted for more unproductive time than what I normally see. For that reason, I give the season a B- On the other hand I give myself an A for being able to adjust and for being persistent.

When I average them out, I come up with an A+. Then again, I'm an optimist

[A-Jay]

 Looking back at 2014, I'd say every thing happened like most seasons on my local waters.  it just happen faster or earlier. 

 

My spring bite came late & ended quickly.  My summer bite started and ended a little sooner than I expected.  And my fall bite started the first week of August and was done by the second week of September.   I had what seemed like a late fall / winter type bite in October that was mostly a blade bait deal. 

 

  During mid summer historically speaking, most of my smallmouth come from deep water on a drop shot. The largemouth can be targeted with jigs on shallow and mid depth cover.  This season, even during the summer both big smallies and largemouth stayed shallow and  I caught more good fish on shallow crank baits this year than most recent years. Can't really account for it but I did enjoy it.  Square bills and lipless baits worked all year, jigs not so much.

 

  As this winter eventually turns into spring, I'll be watching the dates of this transition closely.  Last year was dramatically different (late) from most anything I've seen.  But now I have a guide, so if this spring is similar, I'll have a baseline and something to work with  -  So I'm looking forward to it all even more.

 

Additionally, I was extremely fortunate to travel a little and fish a couple of world class fisheries with good friends. One place yielded a couple of Double digit largemouth and the other a couple of PB Walleye.

 

But the important thing to remember here is; Regardless of the catches, if you get to do it, Every Fishing Season Is a total success !   To look at it any other way is a failure.

 

A-Jay

[corn-on-the-rob]

My first year with baitcasters, my first year tournament fishing, first year with any 5lb+ bass (got 3). Also the first year I focused on improvement. I made a ton of mistakes but I'm glad I did. Every glaring mistake I made was not fun at the time but made me eager because I know I learned something from each one of them which will make me better this year.

 

I'll give myself an A. I had successes, I had failures, but most of all I have never had so much fun fishing and will do so again this coming season.

[lmbfisherman]

I'll give myself an A for meeting my goal for learning/using more crankbaits in catching fish.  I'll give myself an C though for the overall year because I didn't catch many big'uns.  Last year I caught a lot of dinks 1lb. 

 

This year I am challenging myself to break out of the comfort zones (bodies of water, fish more bodies of water) and to catch bigger ones more consistent.  The year before I was more consistent in catching 2-3 lbers and set my PB 5lb LMB and 4lb Smallmouth. 

[EvanT123]

I'd say -A/B+. I wouldn't give myself an A because I didn't really get out as much as I would have liked.

2014 highlights.

1. Caught my 2nd biggest fish ever a huge pike.

2. Launched and used my first boat on my own.

3. Beginning to understand how to use a fish finder and starting to understand current breaks and alittle structure.

What I'm looking forward to in 2015.

1. See number 3 2014.

2. Installing and learning the trolling motor.

3. Utilizing jerk baits and trolling deeper crank baits.

[BaitMonkey1984]

B+, started using bait casters, learned different casting techniques and different presentations. By far the most 5+lb bass (caught approx. 10). Cant wait till ice out to try casey ashley new bait.

[Dwight Hottle]

My early fishing on Lake Erie for 2014 was a disappointment. Delayed ice out with a stubborn warm up produced my second worst year overall for quality smallies. Summer & fall were off as well. My only salvation was a new PB largemouth in Florida this last December.

[Jeff H]

Weird year for me  Was "off" from start to finish.   Below average.  C-  

 

 I cannot remember a year where fish were so spread out and the wind was so constant.  

[fisherrw]

I'm gonna give my year a B+ cuze I learned a lot about bass fishing this year a lot of the credit goes to BR

[paul.]

numbers?  B    size?  C   # of outings?  D 

[Crank Bait Nut]

I'd Say An (A) I Don't Fish Tournaments , But I Fish 4 to 5 Days A Week , At My On Pace. 

 

Mike P.

[BasshunterJGH]

2014 was my first year of "dedicated" bass fishing, so I'd say A+. Caught my Pb and had some amazing days in the late spring, summer and fall. Lots of 3,4 and 5 lbers and a couple of 6-7's. Also got 10-15 smallmouth in the 4-5 lb range one day last fall. Definitely one of the highlights of 2014.

[BasshunterJGH]

Hoping for a big bite this spring, goal is to catch a DD largemouth and 6-7 lb smallmouth up in northern ca next october.

[OK Bass Hunter]

A solid B, didn't go out as much as I wanted. When I did, though, I learned a few things and caught some nice fish.

[Bluebasser86]

C- for me. Selling my boat and fishing out of a johnboat made it really tough. Almost no big fish, 1 smallie over 4 and 3 largemouth over 5 and nothing bigger than 6 is terrible for me. Being the first year with having to arrange someone to watch my son if I wanted to go fishing was tough too. Now that I have a boat and we have a stable daycare situation figured out, this year will hopefully be a whole lot better. 

[SirSnookalot]

From the standpoint of enjoyment 2014 was outstanding.

I caught no large bass, I didn't fish for them too much.  I fished ponds with a ul spinning outfit and caught a bunch of bass I was real happy to catch.  I did quite bit of site casting for peacocks, with a good degree of success.

Inshore was both good and bad, snook was big disappointment but I may have my best year catching both barracuda and tarpon.  Much of this has to do with weather and bait bringing fish into the area.

[Lund Explorer]

My Grade - Incomplete.

 

You have to able to get on the water more than 10 times a year to make any kind of grade.

[Bassfink86]

My 2014 would be a C-, I spent the entire spring, summer, and fall in the desert, so I got to fish for maybe a month total thanks to the long winter before I left, the only up side was that I had six months worth of MTB and LTB waiting for me to get back, along with some new rods, reels, and a ton of tackle and gear for christmas

[Bankbeater]

I would say a strong C+.  2014 started off kind of slow, but then it picked up.  I was only skunked once, and that was December.

[ABW]

B+ I just recently got back into fishing last spring/early summer and I don't know why I stopped in the first place. Got my first baitcaster by the beginning of summer and eventually got 2 other rods. I didn't catch any lunkers, but I rarely skunked. Good enough for me.

[Mainebass1984]

 This past year was an exceptional year for me. It would have to be an A. I did not get a personal best nor did I catch very many over 7 lbs. The consistency was difficult to beat. For the season I landed 56 largemouth over 5lbs mostly form Maine. I also landed just shy of 1400 largemouth. Didn't land any big smallmouth nor did I land an exceptional amount only 182 but I don't target them. My heaviest 5 fish bag for the year was exceptional for New England in my opinion weighing 5 fish for 30 lbs 6 oz. I would give this past season an A because of the incredible consistency. The season started off very well and the fishing never seemed to slow down. I did well in my club tournaments finishing 3rd, 1st, 1st, and 1st to win angler of the year as a non-boater beating all the boaters as well, 43 members in my club. Finished well in the other 4 tournaments I fished 4th, 5th, 3rd, 4th.  I would give 2013 an A as well, landing an incredible amount over 7 lbs out of Maine and Vermont, 13 over 7, 3 over 8 and 1 over 9, including my personal best at 9 lbs 1 oz. The past two seasons have been exceptional and hopefully this will be a great year as well.