What did you accomplish?

[Susky River Rat]

With the end of the calendar year dwindling down, did anyone accomplish their 2023 fishing goal? Maybe something wasn’t a goal but, they had another fishing accomplishment ?
 

I had a goal of getting away from my Ned rig ways. I worked on pitching T rigged baits around cover. Which proved to save the day quite a few times. I also started using a spinner bait more. This proved to be effect many days too. 
 

I also fished 22 days and only went fish less 5. I would have fished more but, have been boat less since the beginning of July. Not bragging numbers by any means. Just happy catching more than 50% of my trips this year.
 

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

It's cool that you branched into two, new lures. 

 

I added T-Rigged Zoom Trick worms, underspin paddletails, and poppers to my bag o' tricks.

[MIbassyaker]

I don't know if I'm done for the year, but things don't look good given my current work/life to-do list.

 

I also don't know that I had a "goal", but every year I try to check out a few new places and visit more-familiar places in times of the season I haven't been before.

 

I fished 30 days for an average of 4.17 hours/trip, and caught 233 bass, for an average of 1.86/hour -- a number that says very little about how I fished, but says a lot about where and when I fished, which is why I keep track of it.   I didn't get skunked, although I had a couple close calls.

 

In those 30 trips, I visited 20 natural lakes, 5 distinct sections of three rivers, one gravel pit lake, and one river bayou.  Most I visited only once; three I visited twice.

 

Three trips took me to a new place I had never fished (one lake, and two river sections). Seven other times I went to a familiar place during a different month of season than I've previously visited.

 

 

[WRB]

Nope! Had I excellent outing with member Big Hands, outside of that 1 outing it’s been a tough year.

Tom

[T-Billy]

I started targeting muskie outside of the cold water periods for the first time back in August. August 10th to present, I've put 34 over 30" in the boat, with 9 of them being over 40". Hopefully I'll add to that number this morning. The forecast is looking good, with colder temps and a consistant SW wind for a few days. 

[GreenPig]

I backed off the Spotted bass, which was very tough, as they produced great numbers. Been focusing on the LM with 96% swimbaits and the quantity of course dropped but they are larger fish.

My Neds, Shakey Heads, and Micro jigs called out to me every trip. I'm not done with them, they're just on the bench.

[islandbass]

I missed one goal of getting that first jig and pig bass and I came close but no cigar. I started experimenting with adding weight 1/8oz to 1/4oz to change the rate of fall of a senko and see what that does. 
 

I personally didn’t like how the senko fell but I am glad it didn’t make me change my mind. What do you know. I caught bass. Maybe sometimes when that shimmy slow descent is not what they want and it’s true. 
 

I just  caught last week what will probably be my last bass of the season. You guessed it… 3/16 oz bullet weight and t-rigged senko. Got to the lake at about 6:25pm. Sunset was at 6:47pm so not much time. 
 

In my haste unfortunately, I mistakenly rigged the bullet backwards. Because the sun’s clock was working against me I said screw it and fished with it as it was. 
 

I was on the lake’s dock and I cast it here and pitched it there and nothing. Then a thought. Let me skip it. I hardly ever skip baits. Ever. Either it’s not on my radar or okay. It’s never on my radar. I got it to skip four times which I thought  is not bad since I don’t practice use this technique. Four skips and a faster than normal descent of a senko in about 5-6 of water fairly close to the dock’s walking bridge. The backward facing bullet caught some grass so I ripped it to break free from the grass. 
 

Then I felt that “mushy” sensation so I pull back just to get enough tension to get some feedback and the line went limp. Instinct took over. She’s swimming toward me. 😎

 

She’s about 10’ away and close enough to the surface that I can see her and she’s got this nonchalant look about her as if she doesn’t know she’s hooked. Her demeanor changed when she was about 5’ away (I guess she saw me) and she got active really fast and really tried to get away. 
 

I brought her in took a few pics and released her. 
 

 

I believe my goal with using a little weight to senkos was successful. To this point, I never felt the need to add weight to a 5” senko but I wanted to find out how this would change the presentation equation whether it was a positive or negative outcome. 
 

There might be something to a reversed bullet weight for sandy and grassy bottoms. 😂

 

Trying to catch bass from the shore in western Washington starts to suck by mid November so I think that will probably be the last bass until next year. No worries. It’s time to target salmon anyway. 
 

Lastly, this is the ONLY time I ever take selfie photos. I used to just extend my arm and take a picture of the fish but folks ask, “How do I know that’s your arm holding the fish?” That’s not real proof, Lol. 😂

[Pat Brown]

I caught a lot of fish on a Jerkbait which prior to this year I had sort of neglected thinking water wasn't clear enough near me.  It was my most productive lure during the spring and into the post spawn.

 

Summer rolled around this year and I committed myself to the buzzbait during the second half when fall started to rear it's head a little faster than normal this year.  The buzzbait has been my most productive late summer/fall technique.  I know why I neglected this one.  Figured with fishing pressure it was a waste of time based on throwing it a few times and not being able to fathom a bass commiting to something so obviously fake.  Well, I'm here to tell ya that fishing pressure doesn't mean much for the ole buzzbait bite.  When they're on it, they're on it.  When they're not they're not.  Like a jig.

 

My goal was to catch a double digit bass this year and I got close in February with a 9.1 lber on a Bluegill Flash Siebert Swim jig with a Yum Scottsboro 4.5" shad pattern trailer during a warm rainy front in early February and then in mid July during a mayfly hatch on a main lake point I stuck an 11 lb 5 oz bass on a berkley power worm in motoroil red flake with a pegged 3/8 oz weight.  Caught many 8 lb class fish in pursuit throughout the summer and spring.  Got close to 9 on a red 6th sense lipless in late March also with an 8 lb 12 oz bass.  

 

Catching that 11 lber was one of the highlights of my life so far and put the fire for big fish into me even more.  I've always enjoyed catching any fish that is willing to bite and pride myself on a dink from a pressured pond on a tough day.....but I know at heart I am after big ones when I get out there.

 

Current goals:

 

*Learn to winter fish more consistently this year with my 2d sonar and accumulated offshore wisdom from late spring/summer patterns.

 

*Finesse techniques (I was under the impression that North Carolina was dirty water and it just so turns out that it's really not at all dirty) Especially where I fish and that dirty water to a human is often times very clean for bass and we have to learn to really be critical about how the water looks to us and how deceiving it can be to think 'its kinda hard to see my lure so it's dirty water'. There are a couple of lakes/ponds I fish that are more or less highland impoundments and it's pretty remarkable how pointless it is to power fish on those lakes most days.

 

* I'd like to catch a really fat pre-spawn double digit this winter.  Lofty goal I know.  But it would be a lot of fun and make all that cold weather feel a lot nicer.

 

* I'd like to catch a truly large glide bait fish and a truly large buzz bait fish and a truly large jerk bait fish this year in colder water just to prove to myself that it can be done.

 

* This is a way outside goal that I'm working on right now. Maybe for the rest of my life but definitely for the unforeseeable future: really like to catch a lake record around here. Really really like to catch the state record someday. 

 

*30 + fish day

*30 + lb 5 fish limit.

[Catt]

Stayed above the dirt 😉

[Woody B]

My fishing goal is simple.  To have fun.  I've had a BUNCH of fun fishing this year and plan on having more.  

 

My New Years resolution for 2023 was the same it's been for decades.  To not die.  So far so good for 2023.   

[Jar11591]

Season isn’t over yet, but i accomplished my first skunkin’ since at least 2016. I fished all of 2017-2022 without a skunk. Ended my streak on a nasty cold spring day this year. 

[Mobasser]

Here's my accomplishment: I'm still on two feet, breathing, and able to go fishing. I did catch some this year. I'm grateful.

[DaubsNU1]

When I picked up this boat in 2000, it was just boat, motor and trailer, nothing more. Paid a whopping $600 for the entire set up. Quickly added trolling motor, a make-shift casting deck+chair up front, and chair in the back. It served me well for 20 years.

 

In 2021 the daughters got me a Garmin Echomap 7SV for Christmas, that prompted a rebuild / re-imagination / renovation. It was fun creating the framing, decking, installing fuse block, lights, bilge and a rear Garmin Striker 4cv.

 

 

It was a good boat, but could only fish two (at best), no live-well, limited in a few other ways.

 

The long term goal was to get in to a Lund. Something in the 16-17' range, multi-species boat that was more capable and comfortable. I researched, looked, watched countless youtube videos, planned, saved, planned some more, and picked my brother's brain non-stop. Three years ago he purchased his dream boat, a Lund Alaskan 1800.

 

Well, goal accomplished when I purchased this 2021 Adventure 1775 in August.

 

 

 

[king fisher]

My goal was to catch a bass over 11 pounds.  I got this one on May 7 my second trip of the year bass fishing.  It was over 26  inches, long and close to 11 pounds, but had recently spawned ( notice bloody tail) and was thin for it's length.  I landed two more bass right at 10 pounds each in June, and haven't been bass fishing since.  I still hope to get one over 11 pounds before the end of the year, but right now I will be very happy if I simply get a chance to bass fish a couple days before then.

     I will have the same goal next year, and maybe I will be able to fish more then.  It took me 40 years to break my old PB of 6 pounds, so another year to get past 10.5 isn't really a problem.

[MontclairDave]

My # 1 goal was to fish with my son, who is by far my best friend and fishing partner. Did just that this weekend on the Delaware. And I also had the goal of having more fun on the water by slowing down and enjoying the scenery and I did a pretty good job of that. I did catch my first bass this weekend on a technique I’ve read about and tried a bunch of times but had no luck: retrieving a swim jig through lanes in Lilly pads. Nice 3 lber. My next goal is for the off-season: getting the bait monkey off my back. I’ll let y’all know how THAT goes in the spring!  

[thediscochef]

I didn't quite have the lizard success I was after this year but I did catch fish on them.

I continued gaining confidence with baits, mostly the t rig and topwater lures, but also some tiny non-bass tackle and nighttime a-frames. Had my first successful spawn fishing season, the first time I've ever really been able to nail down patterns and the changes of lake seasons. 

My goal was to catch more and bigger bass and maybe a DD. I don't know that I caught more bass, but I definitely caught bigger bass. No DDs but those take years for some of us. I had a lot of lost fish heartache this year, more than last year, but that was going to happen sometime. Overall I feel good about the year I've had, but there are many moons left before I'm done. There may yet be a new PB left for me in 2023. All my PBs came in December each of the last two years so fingers crossed

[TOXIC]

This has been a tough year for fishing relationships.  My fishing partner was overseas for work for a month +, I didn’t get to working on my boat, we had 1 of our longtime (20th year straight) Lake St Clair buddies pull out and looks like another maybe will this upcoming year and scheduling our Florida trip has been a real hassle.  A lot of it has been due to the economy and how it is affecting people.  As for the fishing itself, it’s been fun and productive but honestly after 40+ years of fishing I am pretty confident on the water.  Everybody has bad days but just keep it in perspective.  The company that bought Yamamoto also has purchased Buckeye Baits, Bill Lewis, SteelShad and Big Bite baits so I have a lot more products to try and write about which should be a blast.  

[LrgmouthShad]

I went back to @ol'crickety’s thread titled Attainable Goal for 2023. I said in there that I wanted one bass in the 8-9lb range. It’s decently likely that I will not be fishing in Texas again until next year, so it’s also likely that I will fail my goal. I didn’t accomplish much else so for me it’s better luck next year

[Alex from GA]

Caught my PB, over 7 but still want a double digit fish.  I've fished where they are for several years but struck out.

[casts_by_fly]

My standing fish goals for the year are a 5 lb largemouth and a 4 lb smallmouth.  I didn't get to fish anywhere near as much this year as last (maybe half) and I didn't get to fish my usual big fish time/place of early mornings in late august.  The smallmouth bite timing this year was horrible relative to the times I could get out to fish.  All that said, I lost a largemouth that would have pushed 6 and another that would have pushed 5 back in the spring.  I caught a bunch of 4# fish, probably more than last year in total.  I'm getting close, but still not boating that magical 5.  I think I maybe caught 3 smallmouth all year?  Its been an off one for me.  Still not done entirely (going to make a weekend of it this coming one) but not super high hopes for big fish right now.

 

From a knowledge perspective, I've gotten a lot more proficient with a texas rig.  In the past it was a pitching lure.  This year I've boated a bunch of fish on it.  Different plastics, different lakes, different reasons why but I've now got a confidence in throwing it to cover water that I didn't have before.  Given our waters here, I think that's a big asset.  I started fishing jerkbaits this year.  I picked up a couple over the winter and caught a few on them this spring.  The big one I lost was on a jerkbait.  Now that I've got a taste for them, I'll be fishing them more this coming spring.  I think the March/April time period before the grass grows up could give a few good ones in a couple spots.  Lastly, I've slowed down (or at least learned when I need to).  My default is cover water to find active fish.  That works some times in some places and will usually pick a couple fish, but recognizing when that's not the best option was something to work on this year.

 

Lastly, getting to fish with my dad 3 separate times this year was a bonus.  We usually get 1-2 so I'll chalk that up as the big win.

[TnRiver46]

I’m just enjoying the ride 

[A-Jay]

Through a myriad of life's challenges,

I managed to come out on the other side mostly OK.

I stayed true to myself and hope to continue that deal

to the bitter end.

As for my 'Bass Fishing Goal's' for 2023,

Well, there's always next year.

A-Jay

[BFS-Angler75]

My youngest and I didn't have a fishing goal until June. 2 years ago she wanted to learn how to fish, and I came out of "retirement" to teach her. 12 years ago when my kids were small, I had just started fishing and wanted to go all the time. That made my other half upset so she chewed me out one night so bad that I just quit. Fast foward to 2 years ago, and my youngest got me back into it. I swore I wouldn't get so hardcore into it and here we are now, a couple of hardcore anglers. My other half doesn't mind at all now since things have changed, and she now sees I'm passionate about a hobby and lets me do it as I let her do hers (always did but no need to go there).

 

We go out just about every weekend, and I go out solo when she wants a break. We tend to fish the same lake since we know it so well, and its 10 minutes away. We switched lakes for 2 months, and it paid off as our catch rate went up from that lake. We went back to our regular lake, and started catching more of bass out of there and finding some areas with low fishing pressure. We accomplished quite a bit. But the main goal we had this year was to catch 100 largemouth bass. We hit that number in mid-September, and we've added 30 more on top of that. 

 

We average 8 - 10 bass over the weekend. Yeah its not much compared to some of you more seasoned folks, but to us, its a big deal. We went the first few months this year getting skunked repeatedly. Then things turned around as we started to learn what baits worked and what colors worked in our lakes. 

 

My daughter, well she's started catching bass more frequently and has mastered her hookset enough that shes not losing fish too often. She knows how to adjust her baitcaster and roll casts awesome. But she's learned an important lesson: how to be persistent, patient, and how to deal with failure. She's 11 and I hope she stays my fishing buddy forever, but enjoying the time I have with her now before she gets too grown up (although she tells me she'll never be too old to roll out in the boat with me).

 

Anyway, sorry for the long post. But this year has been an awesome year of learning for both of us, and we accomplished our main goal and many others. It doesn't freeze too bad where we live so we'll go out in the winter; at least I will. This winter might be different with El Nino but we'll see. 

 

Our new goals which we've started working on is trying out different rigs than our go-to/confidence rigs.

[Susky River Rat]

It seems like almost everyone accomplished goals they had set which is awesome! 
 

@ol'crickety added more tools to the arsenal too keep slaying thoughts hogs.

 

@MIbassyaker explored new places and didn’t get skunked which is quite an accomplishment. 
 

@WRB had a tough year and might not have reached goals but, we all have tough years. You can’t succeed without failures in life.

 

@T-Billy he has been slaying musky all year. Which some people never catch one in a lifetime.

 

@GreenPig when away from something familiar. Which, can be very hard. Humans are very much creatures of habit.

 

@islandbass changed up a presentation and it paid off big! Always a great feeling.

 

@Pat Brown learned the deadliness of a jerkbait all year round. These forcing yourself to use different things can save a day. It can also make you have a new favorite technique.

 

 @Catt very good you are still here. Your knowledge in simplistic boat set up is unparalleled.
 

@Woody B that is always one of my top goals. I like to expand as an angler but, having fun is most important!

 

@Jar11591 skunking is a regular accomplishment for me usually. I just had a year where I pulled out a couple fish to save my day.

 

 

@Mobasserthat is always a great accomplishment

 

@DaubsNU1 Awesome boat that will do most things well! You sure got a work horse that should serve you a long time. I am impatiently waiting for my new boat. Any day I have my fingers crossed.

 

@king fisher Any double digit bass is truly an amazing feat! I for one know I will never get one.

 

@MontclairDavethe father son fishing bond is awesome. I try to fish with my dad as much as I can.

 

@thediscochefYou still have plenty of time to get your DD. Keep on chugging. I am glad you had a great year! 

 
@TOXICthats a bummer about your fishing trips/buddies. I am glad you still had a productive year on the water.

 

@LrgmouthShadthe better we become as anglers the higher our goals become. It will happen some just take more time and patience then others.

 

@Alex from GA I know it’s easy to say from behind a screen. You will get it! It also seems once you do get a goal it becomes easier to get there again.

 

@casts_by_flygive the susky a try for a good smallie! If you ever get out this way maybe we can make a trip out. Getting to fish with your dad is always great. The enjoyment I get from it is amazing.

 

@TnRiver46 that’s all we can ask for most seasons.

 

@A-Jaythat is such a positive attitude to have. I hope next season goes well for you!

 

@BFS-Angler75I hope you and your daughter continue your fishing relationship!  Even if it does fizzle out I hope that it comes back full circle and she gets hooked again. My wife at times isn’t the biggest fan of my fishing at times. She also sees how not doing it affects my attitude and stress levels.

 

I am glad most of you accomplished what you wanted or came very close!

[Swamp Girl]

20 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

I went back to @ol'crickety’s thread titled Attainable Goal for 2023. I said in there that I wanted one bass in the 8-9lb range. It’s decently likely that I will not be fishing in Texas again until next year, so it’s also likely that I will fail my goal. I didn’t accomplish much else so for me it’s better luck next year

 

I had two goals for 2023. One was a 20 lb. bag, which I did achieve, and the other was a 100-bass day, which is likely beyond me now because of my age. I did have a 59-bass morning and several mornings with more than 40 bass. I even had a 44-bass evening a few days ago, but I'm too old to fish all day nowadays, so I'll never set that as a goal again. I do have 100-bass days in my past, so I can always revisit those. I also broke my PB several times. 

 

I just read @Darnold335's post. He is a mensch. 

 

I also love @BFS-Angler75's post. If you and your daughter ever want to fish Maine, I'll be your guide and take you to my honey holes. We'll wind down rivers in the dark to bogs and roll canoes across meadows. My young fishing pal, who is about your daughter's age, loves the adventure in Maine fishing and I think she would too.