Hindsight - Would you have done anything differently this season?

[king fisher]

I wish I would have brought a camera, and scale with me on the day I caught the biggest bass of my life.  This next year, I will always have a camera, and scale with me.  My other goal is to slow down.  I always think I need to fish fast, and cast at what is around the next corner, when I probably just past a fish by that I could have caught if I had just slowed down.  I need to realize there is a reason they sell more plastic worms, than buzz baits.

[DogBone_384]

Even though size was way off this year, and the big water learning curve is bigger than I anticipated, the only thing I would have done differently this year is buy Lowrance Hook Reveal fish finders for my new Ranger instead of Elite Ti2's.

 

All in all it was a pretty good year.

 

[Hewhospeaksmuchbull]

I would give up on the Raiders game one and fished instead.

 

And fished jigs more, a lot more.

[DogBone_384]

On 12/4/2020 at 12:38 PM, the reel ess said:

The wife is in her last year before she retires.

 

We're in the same age group.  I have 10 years (or less) until I retire and wifey plans on working until she's 70.

[soflabasser]

Overall I am happy with my catches this year considering obstacles that occurred attributed to the pandemic. I was able to catch new species of fish, big fish, and many fish. The weather is nice and there are a couple days left this year so I hope to go fishing and catch more nice fish.

[billmac]

I should have taken my boat to a mechanic, rather than futzing around with it myself.  I should have used a jig more, and thrown it in tighter cover.

 

Next year I hope to get the boat running better, sooner.  I want to spend more time on the St. Lawrence, drop shotting.  I want to learn my electronics better.  I want to spend more time fishing with my grandkids.

[schplurg]

Wish I would have, or could have fished better fisheries. I was stuck in the south bay all season. 

 

The couple of times I made it out of the Bay Area I went to Tulloch Lake and caught some really nice LMB. The fish are bigger, fight a lot harder, and there are way more of them than what I'm used to.

 

I will fish better water this season, and with my yak if I don't have a small boat yet. Gonna camp in my mini-van and set that all up. I have big plans!

 

And I will fish more often.

[Kyle S]

This season was the first that I had my own boat. With that, I had access to all kinds of new fishing opportunities. I fished the Pamunkey river every chance I could and had a blast. I found a creek that seemingly always had fish on it. That creek is where I spent the spring, summer and the better part of this fall. Now that the fish have moved out of the creek, i'm like a fish out of water and can't seem to get on a good consistent bite. I should've gave that creek a rest and explored other areas of the river. 

[the reel ess]

13 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

 

We're in the same age group.  I have 10 years (or less) until I retire and wifey plans on working until she's 70.

Wow! More power to her. Some people really enjoy work. I've never been one of those. It keeps getting in the way of fishing.

[DogBone_384]

1 hour ago, the reel ess said:

More power to her.

She’s an accountant and loves it.  

[Bankbeater]

Last year I was pondering on the idea of retiring my older low profile reels, and some of my older rods.  In the end I decided to do it this year.  I don't like to buy gear sight unseen, so it's taken me until now just to get the reels.  I'm still working on the rods. 

I shouldn't have put it off and just pulled the trigger on the new gear last year.

[the reel ess]

1 hour ago, Bankbeater said:

Last year I was pondering on the idea of retiring my older low profile reels, and some of my older rods.  In the end I decided to do it this year.  I don't like to buy gear sight unseen, so it's taken me until now just to get the reels.  I'm still working on the rods. 

I shouldn't have put it off and just pulled the trigger on the new gear last year.

You don't have to do it all at once. I bought myself a new Lew's reel three years in a row when my ancient tackle started to fail. All three are still working like new.

[roadwarrior]

29 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

You don't have to do it all at once. I bought myself a new Lew's reel three years in a row when my ancient tackle started to fail. 

I like buying one rod & reel every year, too!

 

[the reel ess]

14 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

I like buying one rod & reel every year, too!

 

At least. I still have a bunch of my late father's rods and reels that I can't bring myself to sell or donate. They're a mismatched bunch of things. So I keep some mismatched combos just to say I need another reel for this rod and another rod for that reel. My dad was notoriously cheap so most of these combos are not "nice". I'll buy a reel and put on a cheapo rod, then I need a rood for that shiny new reel. But I do love to catch fish on my dad's tackle. I'm currently trying to come up with a use for an ABU Garcia Harold Ensley light baitcasting rod. I think it will have to be light topwaters or maybe inline spinner.

[roadwarrior]

My dad's stuff was "donated".  

 

I sold five reels this year, but have given most of my collection to my brother. 

The goal is to replace all my production rods with customs and I am getting 

there. New rods require new reels so my brother gets some pretty nice gear.

[Bankbeater]

1 hour ago, the reel ess said:

You don't have to do it all at once. I bought myself a new Lew's reel three years in a row when my ancient tackle started to fail. All three are still working like new.

I'll start doing that in 2021!!

[roadwarrior]

22 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

I'm currently trying to come up with a use for an ABU Garcia Harold Ensley light baitcasting rod. 

I grew up in Raytown, MO.  Mr. Ensley was a neighbor and I dated his daughter in high school.

 

 

[the reel ess]

1 minute ago, roadwarrior said:

I grew up in Raytown, MO.  Mr. Ensley was a neighbor and I dated his daughter in high school.

 

 

Awesome story. I admit I had to look him up.

[garroyo130]

The recurring theme here seems to be throwing more jigs and I'm in the same boat. 

 

2021 goal will be to have the discipline to target bigger fish as opposed to fishing for bites/numbers and hoping for bigger fish.

[Bankbeater]

On 12/19/2020 at 12:21 PM, the reel ess said:

At least. I still have a bunch of my late father's rods and reels that I can't bring myself to sell or donate. They're a mismatched bunch of things. So I keep some mismatched combos just to say I need another reel for this rod and another rod for that reel. My dad was notoriously cheap so most of these combos are not "nice". I'll buy a reel and put on a cheapo rod, then I need a rood for that shiny new reel. But I do love to catch fish on my dad's tackle. I'm currently trying to come up with a use for an ABU Garcia Harold Ensley light baitcasting rod. I think it will have to be light topwaters or maybe inline spinner.

When my Dad passed I kept all of his hard baits, and a couple different rods, and reels.  I sold or auctioned off the rest.  I have broken off and lost a couple of his lures, and it bums me out when it happens.  Then I hear his voice in my head telling me to go out an buy another one.

[Spankey]

I thought when I started this topic this far in I would have changed my thoughts and have a different opinion. Not really. As one poster said they have that hindsight after every trip out. I have to agree with that 100%.  The old should-a, could-a, would-a thing. 
 

I’m gonna get back home to the river for sure. Switching to lake fishing has been fun and productive and really a game changer. But I have to revisit what I believe Mother Nature has taken a toll on. This has been playing on me for a long time now. Home is home. If I have to seek out new sections so be it. Have to do what I have to do. I’ll revisit my old stretches first. I can fish both the river and lake but I have to see if the river is coming back some. Just taking it to heart too much I guess and it’s a situation I have no control over. 

[Sam]

On 12/4/2020 at 12:14 PM, Spankey said:

I get out. For a working guy can’t complain too much. But hope I live long enough to retire in a couple/few years. I just want to be able to go like 3 or 4 mornings in a row. Starting in the dark and fish while the sun is coming up. That is my favorite time slot to fish. I like the early morning darkness. 

X2. Start before sunrise is my favorite time to go fishing.

[Spankey]

12 minutes ago, Sam said:

X2. Start before sunrise is my favorite time to go fishing.

I’m up everyday early. It is my time of day. I’m not the most religious guy by any means but on the water as the sun or daybreak is happening, even during rain showers it’s a connection time for me. I can reason and understand better. Certainly see a better picture. I’ve had a lot of good things happen when others are still sleeping. I know I’m gonna continue to roll that way. 

[InfantryMP]

I would have simply went out just a little more than I did in 2020. I am flipping a house for a quick sell....1 year flip...So I did not get to go out as much as I would have liked to.

[Silas]

I haven't visited this forum in about a year 

 

   Been through 4 hurricanes, and water was never right, so I haven't fished in months. 

 

     Focused on buying weapons and ammo and now have everything I ever wanted. And had fun learning them. 

 

    Haven't even ridden my motorcycle for months: lots and lots of my friends died of COVID, so I sort of hibernated in the Swamp. 

        Looked thru my 30 or so setups today, and rigged them for jerkbait fishing. 

 

    At 77, I gotta watch health issues very carefully and space out my fun times with about a 2-3 hour limit on any activity. 

 

      Today I respooled several reels and cooked some prime filet mignons, and quaffed down some very good champagne.

 

    Watched Jupiter and Saturn line up.......for the last time for sure. 

    Enjoy more simple pleasures now. 

 

Id like to have one more season. But I'm very thankful for such an adventurous life. 

      Nice to read the chatter of you guys!  Makes me feel young again!!!

 

Mitch