Rate your fishing year =2015

[badhatharry]

I would rate my year a good solid ....incomplete.  First year of retirement, getting back into fishing after 15 year hiatus, didn't pick up a boat until late August, only got out 3 times.  I did manage to catch a few keepers on the old gear.

2016 will be a different story. I just have to get the old touch back.

[lbriggs]

Great spring and summer for me. I was able to get out almost every day in June since I was out of high school and preparing for college. Caught my PB Smallmouth, Largemouth, Walleye, and discovered a love for Northern Pike. Also forgot my scale each time I caught a big fish, though (except walleye). Smallie was 18.5 inches around 3 pounds, Largemouth was 22 inches maybe 5 to 6 pounds, Northern was 31 inches,  and Walleye was 24 inches and 4.5 pounds. Great spring and summer Iowa angling, but slow Fall bites and a nonexistent Winter bite wasn't fun. 9/10 overall.

[Jake the Cake]

First year of really getting into LMB fishing and it went okay.  Learned a lot of new things (especially from you all) that I'm excited to use in '16.  I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to Crappie and White Bass and Catfish, but I am definitely welcoming chase of bigger and more frequent Large Mouth!!!!

[SchlottyD]

Would rate my 2015 as unsatisfying. That was largely due to not getting as much time on quality water as I used to. Will be changing that in 2016 though. I have my priorities straightened out and the wife on the same page and the approval of some other important family members. Moving closer to good fishing again so that will equal less driving, less fuel expenses, and more time on the water.

[Ersteman]

9/10 for me.  

• Caught and released alive 100% of fish caught, including a fish that swallowed the hook and thanks to this site, saw the hook removal through gill technique and saved the fish's life.
• Discovered a new, small, healthy bass lake 50 mins away from my house.  Averaged 9 fish a day for 5 hours of fishing every fish day.
• Bought a fishing kayak and took it out about 20 times this year.
• Caught my PB largemouth on a top water  3.01lbs.
• Used jigs for the first time and caught over 20 fish on jigs this year. 
• Used soft plastic lizards for the first time and caught fish on it. 
• Caught fish on 2 new bodies of water.
• Expanded rod/reel inventory, lures, and a back pack.
• Discovered fishing gloves, which prevent the tops of my hands from being sunburned.

[stkbassn]

2015, a bad joke that only sadistic people would laugh at! I'm hoping for a better 2016!! Like, where I actually get to fish, a lot!

[clh121787]

B+ 

[bkohlman]

I would rate my 2015 as a C+. We moved to a new community and my wife and I both are in new jobs, that took up a majority of my spring through fall.

I am committed to a local bass club this year, so 2016 is looking up!

[Ratherbefishing75]

My year wasn't that good spent time on the water but learning how to use a bait caster and a lack of fish wanting what I was casting out there for them and a but load of new bait lost.  Hopefully this year will be better the. The last one fish on my friends 

[Jaderose]

Got my PB (9.3) and got my first boat.  Spent a LOT of time on the water but didn't get up to Minnesota.  That will change in 16.  Will be looking to beat that PB and maybe fish  my first few tournaments from the BOTB with a guy that is going semi-pro this year.  He'll be doing some FLW stuff and I will be doing some smaller regional stuff with him.

[WPCfishing]

I had the best bass fishing year of my life. I'm hoping 2016 is even better. Caught over twenty 5 plus, one was 9.4 and lost a 10 plus at the boat in mid air when I hoisted his ass. 

[Kidflex]

2015 was a decent year for me. Many bass in the 5-6lb range caught on top waters to creature baits. The summer wasn't as good as I'd like it to have been.

But 2016 has been superb so far. Jan 2, I got a 7.10, 7.3, 6.14, 6.1 in four hours with multiple 3-4's in the mix. Jan 3, I scored a 7.8 and a 6.4 and lost the largest bass of my life. I wish I never saw it. Still butt hurt about it. 

[E. Guido Soda]

Great thread.  2015 was an _excellent_ year of fishing for me, I would give it an 8.5 / 10 lbs!  I fished a ton when I was a kid and some in high school and college, but put the sticks down for many years with the exception of very occasional outings...very occasional.  Before 2014, the last time I fished was in the Mississippi Delta in 2011, probably.   So I bought a kayak in the middle of '14 and started over, in essence.  All new equipment, all new tackle, all new approach.  I basically had to learn how to fish again, and '14 was more or less fumbling around learning the basics all over again...including how to throw a baitcaster.  I caught one nice LMB in '14, 18" / 3.5 lb or so, mostly out of luck and some others out of sheer time on the water - right place, right time.  In 2015, I caught fish more through applied principles than spray-and-pray(prey?) luck and cast volume.  There is always an element of luck, but in '15 I learned how to mitigate that factor slightly more.

So '14 was training wheel time, but cut to the late winter / early spring of '15, I found a highly reliable creek channel and wore some spots out - personal bests were pretty much every one I caught, each one bigger than the other, culminating in a nearly five lb. spot.  In the summer, all I was catching were dinky little spots, so I did some pond fishing and landed a 7.8 lb LMB; by far my PB.  Fall fishing was pretty slow for me, nothing great to report there.  Early winter fishing was decent, but on Chirstmas and a couple of days later, we had torrential, and I do mean torrential rainfall coupled with record high temperatures.  So the baitfish were flowing in like crazy to my creek channel honey hole, and it was pretty much a catch on every cast; pulled a 20" / ~5 lb LMB out, and a bunch of 15" - 18" ones.  Then on NYE, I went out and hit the channel.  The flow had slowed significantly as did the bite, but I did catch a couple.  On a proclaimed last cast (of 2015), I caught a 24" / ~8lb beast on a shakey head (3/8 oz Picasso Shak-E-Football) and black Zoom Trick Worm - by far a PB.

A couple of the other oddities / surprises / highlights were:

- catching an 11 lb saltwater striper in a spring fed impoundment

- dunking a rod in April only to "catch it" on a spinner bait in December

- my son catching a 2lb LMB and a 3lb channel cat from his kayak + a 1.5lb pond bream (profile pic)

- I hesitate to call catching chain pickerel a highlight, but there were those, too

- catching a ton of fish on a range of crankbaits, which was a goal of mine

- numerous 4+ lb fish

As good as it was, I consider 2015 a learning year for me.  If I can build on this year and make it even marginally better, 2016 will be fantastic.

In 2016, my number one goal is to catch a SMB - we don't get them this far down, so I'll have to do a little travel...but that's goal numero uno.

EGS

 

[Lunker Addict]

The lake that I fished the majority of the year was pretty good with the average being between 1.5 and 2 pounds and the biggest weighted in at just under. 6.5. I was disappointed that I was unable to get a tiger musky to the boat. I hooked a couple but couldn't get them in. Maybe next year.

[DogBone_384]

On January 5, 2016 at 11:49 AM, badhatharry said:

I would rate my year a good solid ....incomplete.  First year of retirement, getting back into fishing after 15 year hiatus, didn't pick up a boat until late August, only got out 3 times.  I did manage to catch a few keepers on the old gear.

2016 will be a different story. I just have to get the old touch back.

Congratulations on your retirement!

[everythingthatswims]

On 1/10/2016 at 11:08 PM, Kidflex said:

2015 was a decent year for me. Many bass in the 5-6lb range caught on top waters to creature baits. The summer wasn't as good as I'd like it to have been.

But 2016 has been superb so far. Jan 2, I got a 7.10, 7.3, 6.14, 6.1 in four hours with multiple 3-4's in the mix. Jan 3, I scored a 7.8 and a 6.4 and lost the largest bass of my life. I wish I never saw it. Still butt hurt about it. 

On my way

[Kidflex]

3 hours ago, everythingthatswims said:

On my way

Come on. Matter of fact on Jan 3, I took my son in law that has never caught a lmb. His first fish was 3.0, second fish was 6.4 followed by a 4.8. Was a magical two days for me. What makes it better was that we were fishing from a 14 ft John boat with paddles and anchor only. Kickin it old school and I have a triton bass boat in the garage. 

[tholmes]

I'd rate 2015 as below average in both numbers and size. I had back surgery in the spring which kept me from fishing through most of April and May and slowed me down for most of the summer. I only caught a handful of 5+ lb. fish and only about a half-dozen smallies.

This year, my back is fully recovered and I'm positive it will be a better year.

 

Tom

[bassguytom]

My year was great! Just like every other year. The older you get the more you just enjoy being out on the water.  Some days you catch fish and some days you don't.  After taking my wife out fishing with me a few times this year she finally realizes how patient I really am! 

[Lunker Huntin]

2015 was poor for me, spring hit and I was completely consumed in selling my house to upgrade to a new one so fishing took a big hit there I don't think I made it out on the water between Apr- July 8 so that really hurt. Summer was hot and busy with the new house so I didn't make it out much. Oct hit and it was off to clear lake for 5 days of fishing and I was ecstatic well once again 2015 brought doom and gloom, thought that the reports of no fisherman on the water because of the massive fire around the lake meant we would have a great chance at really getting into some good unpressured fish.......didn't see on the schedule that there was a tournament starting 2 days after we got there so for 4 out of the 5 days of fishing we fought with about 180-200 boats to even find a place to fish and the bite was terrible. Got in a couple of good trips before the cold shut it down and the ice hit but all in all the year really sucked for me. Hope 2016 is better getting ready to deploy to Afghanistan for the next 3 or so months so I hope when I get back the spawn is in full swing and fishing is hot. LOL the selfish cynical person inside of me hopes that winter goes long this year in Utah at least so that I can make it home in time for pre spawn. Good luck this year fellas     

[mitchbayboy]

This year was amazing year ,,,started out with spring cold water blue gill and pumpkin seed fishing that was amazing ,,,one night limited out with 50 big gills in 55 minuits ,,,,best spring ever for gills ,,,,and living on lake st. clair on Canadian side we had high water this year which made it hard to decide should I flip and frog buckets or deep water smallies ,,,first love is largemouth flipping and frogging ,,,fished 3 to 5 days or nights a week after work ..numbers were up on largemouth number are always up here for small mouth ,,,its St. Clair that's just how it is ,,,,so 2015 was a great year ,,,hoping 2016 can match it at least

[Hawghead]

My year was one of less fishing that usual.  I bought my first piece of hunting ground, and this past year I spent A LOT of time getting stuff ready for hunting season.  This year should get me back into my kayak and more time on the water.

[burrows]

Deleted 

[FishnFritz]

2015 was a good year for me.  I learned a lot of new techniques for me.  Started fishing local tournaments. Went from a kayak to a Skeeter.  Caught lots of bass.  Pretty sure I spent more time fishing than working last year.  Fished from March to December and haven't put the boat up for the winter yet.  Looking forward to 2016 and what the new year will bring with it. 

[5fishlimit]

The year wasn't bad, but I really noticed that the fishing seemed to "off" in the NE Ohio area.  I think it can be related to the two very severe winters we've had.  I feel that the smallmouth fishing was a bit better for me than the largemouth, but not by much.  There was never a great numbers day.  Any tournament that I fished you really had to grind it out all day to get a limit, but more boats came back with empty livewells than I can remember over the past few seasons.

On a grading scale of 1 through 10, I would have to give this season a 6.  I would have given is a 4.5, but I was able to learn a lot of new things this year that helped me get the "skunk" out of the boat that the years before wouldn't have happened.