How did you do this year?

[Mike L]

Didn’t do much fun fishing this year as I would have liked too. 
I’ve been entering more tournaments than normally would both locally and regionally since recovering from back surgery. 
 

I guess the highlight so far was qualifying for the B.A.S.S. Nations Florida State Championship for the 7th year in a row. 
If I can get lucky it’ll be a good finish for an up and down year. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

[Log Catcher]

12 hours ago, scaleface said:

I am the king of 2 pounders .

At least you are catching fish. Last year and this year have been the two worst years I have ever had. I haven't caught enough to even mention. Someday I will get my act together and start catching fish again.

[Way north bass guy]

It’s been a good year for me, although the number of times on the water have been far fewer than normal. Between a crazy busy work schedule, and moving to a new house in June, that ate into a lot of quality fishing time. I’ve still had some good days out through, and the way the warm weather has been continuing, there should be a bunch more yet before the boat goes to bed for the winter ??  

[txchaser]

Solid patterns have been really tough for me this year. Lots of days felt like junk fishing or struggle. Frustrating because I couldn't figure them out. 

 

But... broke my PB twice, with some monsters. And caught "get the net" fish more this year than ever. 'Suppose I should just keep doing what I'm doing. 

[Zcoker]

On 9/29/2021 at 8:17 PM, the reel ess said:

Have you been to Fellsmere yet? 

 

No, have not been there yet. Will get there someday. 

[Fishlegs]

2021 fishing has been good for me. My total number of fish is down slightly from last year, but that's because I fished a lot more in 2020 with COVID shutting down many other activities. My total number of fish may be down, but I have caught more bass this year. 2021 brought me more bass, better bass, fewer drum, and fewer skipjack. ?

 

A few 2021 highlights are catching a PB smallmouth (thanks to @roadwarrior), had one trip where my friend and I caught over 40 bass, caught my first spotted bass, caught a bass in January and February for the first time ever, fished quite a few new (to me) spots, and developed some fishing friendships that I'm thankful for. It's not over yet, but I already count 2021 as a successful fishing trip.

[Chris Catignani]

19 minutes ago, Fishlegs said:

... 2021 brought me more bass, better bass, fewer drum, and fewer skipjack. ?

The thing about drum is you can say you caught a brown fish and not be lying ?

 

We still have a lot of fishing left in 2021.

[Fishlegs]

15 minutes ago, Chris Catignani said:

The thing about drum is you can say you caught a brown fish and not be lying ?

 

We still have a lot of fishing left in 2021.

Yes, sir! I'm hoping to pass my total from last year before 2021 is over. I'm just not there yet.

[Holetail]

Passed 250 bass for the year last week. I’m pretty happy about it but I set a goal of 300 so I have some work to do! Mostly only get out for an hour or two at a time, sometimes only 30 mins on my way home from work. Taking the kayak out this weekend and hoping the water has cooled off some and I can get off the dink train I’ve been on lately. Fishing some new waters now that I have the kayak so I am putting in the time learning them so next Spring will be productive. Didn’t really fish the Fall last year so I’m not sure what to expect, but planning on getting out as much as possible. 

[TnRiver46]

8 hours ago, Fishlegs said:

2021 fishing has been good for me. My total number of fish is down slightly from last year, but that's because I fished a lot more in 2020 with COVID shutting down many other activities. My total number of fish may be down, but I have caught more bass this year. 2021 brought me more bass, better bass, fewer drum, and fewer skipjack. ?

 

A few 2021 highlights are catching a PB smallmouth (thanks to @roadwarrior), had one trip where my friend and I caught over 40 bass, caught my first spotted bass, caught a bass in January and February for the first time ever, fished quite a few new (to me) spots, and developed some fishing friendships that I'm thankful for. It's not over yet, but I already count 2021 as a successful fishing trip.

If you ain’t catching drum, you ain’t doin it right…….

[Fishlegs]

12 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

If you ain’t catching drum, you ain’t doin it right…….

HaHa! I can't explain it, but my drum numbers are definitely down this year.

[TnRiver46]

1 minute ago, Fishlegs said:

HaHa! I can't explain it, but my drum numbers are definitely down this year.

[thediscochef]

2021 is my first year really fishing on a regular basis and is therefore my best so far. But it's been a great year overall if not a little bittersweet. Dad passed in January and I inherited his gear; I finally found work that lets me fish anywhere from 3-10 times per week back in the spring. There's been some frustrating moments and difficult lessons but I have a lot to be proud of considering how I started. Since I started jig fishing from the shore in March, I've landed 67 fish over 1lb across eight species, albeit only one bass species. Most have been largemouth or blue cat. I set personal best in Hybrid Gar (37.8lb), Largemouth (5+), Smallmouth Buffalo (10.8) and Blue Cat (19.1), with the cat being a water body record. I've also had a segment of three weeks skunk, several heavy fish lost, and much frustration. I'm about to go register my little jon boat and I have an engine on the way for it, so that I can finally get off the shore for a while. I found gear that works really well for what I do, and now it's more about using the stuff than getting the stuff (I'm always looking for good vertical tail baits still). The places I fish are popular and regularly pressured and it would be nice to find some friends with bigger boats or private ponds - somewhere I'm not having to watch where I cast to avoid the lines of others. I'm excited about 2022 for so many reasons - boat, less learning curve, etc - but most of all I'm booking a fishing trip somewhere out of state. I haven't decided whether I want to go to in search of double digit largemouths, my first ever smallmouth, some inland salmon, or white sturgeon. But whatever I choose...it will be posted ?

[roadwarrior]

If you decide to focus on double digit bass you don't need to leave the state. 

[thediscochef]

31 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

If you decide to focus on double digit bass you don't need to leave the state. 

Yeah that would likely be a Toledo Bend trip or an excuse to go to Florida ? which would give me the opportunity to do some saltwater stuff too. Also thinking Port A for red season...

[scaleface]

The year is not over . Caught 31 bass yesterday with 8 of them coming 22 foot deep . Big ones are out there some place maybe next week I'll get one or two .

[MIbassyaker]

I might be able to go out again Monday for what will very likely be my last time on the water this year.  I just don't have time during this time of year. I'll probably do a few shore-fishing excursions but they'll be brief.

 

It has been a weaker than usual year. I haven't been out as much, and haven't caught as well as is usual, for either numbers or sizes.  According to my records, by this point i've been out fishing 29 times, to 24 different bodies of water, for an average of 4.5 hours per trip, most of which were between 3 and 6 hours.  These trips were to 16 small natural lakes (smallest was 30 acres , largest was 2700), 2 free-flowing river sections, two impoundments, two river bayous, one flooded river mouth lake, and 1 gravel pit lake.  (I rarely fish the same place more than once or twice, maybe 3 times, per year).

 

Across all of these trips so far, I've caught 249 total bass, which is a lower number  than the last several years.  However, I didn't get skunked on any trips.  I had one 30-bass trip, a couple more where I caught over 20, and three where I caught only 1. I caught only one bass over 5lb, a 5.5 that tied my previous PB. 

[Kathrynk]

Caught my first northern ?. Caught lots of nice small mouth bass. Tried late fall fishing for first time, it was cold. But worth it! Wish we could go again but dock is out!

[ElijahH]

I know I kinda disappeared for a while, but I genuinely enjoyed reading all the responses! 

[T-Billy]

It was an awesome year. Only one bass over 5#, but several 4+ and best numbers and average size ever. Muskie in the pics were 42" and 49". Some nice cats on the T Rig. Had a couple GIANT flatheads eat the T Rig and drag me back into the wood piles and break me off on 40# braid. Freezer full of crappie, and saugeye. Last Sat had a 30" or so saugeye shake off at boatside. It was a beast, all fattened up for winter. Still have a few weeks to fish. I'll bundle up and grind away until the water gets hard.

[Bird]

Been an off year compared to Last year which was my best.

This year, especially late, the wife out of nowhere wants to fish and can be high maintenance in a boat. 

 

Had to sell my 1-man and purchase a 2-man to accommodate. Had to reinvent my patience and let her cast into the trees but at the end of the day......feel blessed. 

[A-Jay]

9 hours ago, Bird said:

Been an off year compared to Last year which was my best.

This year, especially late, the wife out of nowhere wants to fish and can be high maintenance in a boat. 

 

Had to sell my 1-man and purchase a 2-man to accommodate. Had to reinvent my patience and let her cast into the trees but at the end of the day......feel blessed. 

Great Term ~

Been there and we have to do that every time we foster a dog or get a new puppy.

A-Jay

[gim]

10 hours ago, Bird said:

Been an off year compared to Last year which was my best.

Same here.  2020 was a season for the record books personally.  2021 only had flashes of greatness.

[Bassbum1016]

I had a mediocre year. Caught them when I needed to, but found myself overthinking things and falling back to force feeding them.

 

good decisions win events and I’ve definitely gotta just go out to fish again ?

[leinad]

after a 20 year hiatus from fishing i got back into it in 2021. first 12 or so times out i went fishless and was taking it personally so i joined this forum and picked up some tips and some new techniques ( ned ) and by june i was back in form . lmb were hard  for me to find from shore and 3.5 # was the largest but then i switched to river fishing  ( housatonic ) and slayed the smallies with at least 50 fish in the 3.5 to 5 pound range and lately since the smallies are harder to find i've caught 22 trout in the last week ( about 6 hrs total time )with 5 over 3 pounds.