How have you progressed this year?

[Strike Prince]

This year was the most I've been fishing and the most serious I've been about it.

I think I'm most happy about my improvement with spinnerbaits.  Before this year, I could probably count the number of spinnerbait fish I've caught with one hand...

Now they are one of my favorite lures to use.

[J Francho]

My biggest improvement has been swinging for the fences to get a lunker.  The downside is you sometimes get skunked, or get a little discouraged, but it has been worth it.  My other big add is fishing tournaments again for the first time in twelve years.   I'd forgotten how fun it was.

[BassFishingMachine]

Well I learned how to fish straight tail worms, and am currently learning crankbaits (not including lipless cranks, been there done that) so far this year, pretty good progress if you ask me. Although I still haven't become too confident with shaky heading, I've caught one bass like this, but I'll work on it sooner or later.

[Avalonjohn44]

I wanted to do seven things this year:

1 Learn to fish with a baitcaster

2 Learn to fish a jig

3 Learn to ultra clear water

4 Get really aggressive with my expensive cranks

5 Teach my son to fish

6 Get better with soft plastics

7 Not fish a Senko at all

So far:

1 - I am buying my third baitcaster, love them.  Saving up for a Viento by TD.  

2 - Failed.  Haven't even tied one on yet.

3 - Failed, but not my fault.  Even the usually super clear lake near me has been stained this year...

4 - Got very good with cranks.  Threw even my LCs and Megabass lures into thick cover.  Lost my compunctions about jumping in after a stuck bait.  I've jumped in and dived for my baits about twelve times this year.  Had some nice swims.  

5 - My 8 yo daughter caught about fifteen bass this year, and just two weeks ago my 3 yo son caught his first bass, 2 pounds on a Zoom Horny toad.  

6 - Got better I think.  Learned to slow way down, and pay attention to the line.  Can't do this when the kids are around, but otherwise I caught fish on many baits that I've never had success with before:  Beavers, Brush Hogs, 10 inch worms.  This also made me better with other soft baits like frogs, jerk baits, and worms.

7 - Have caught over 120 bass this year (not bad on 19 trips so far, IMO) and have not yet touched a senko.  I bring them, just in case, but haven't needed them at all.  That took more willpower than you can imagine.

[Certified Public Angler]

My goals were to learn to use a baitcaster, which I am more efficient with than my spinning rod now.  Also to learn to fish more baits then a senko.

I now have a huge bag of different kinds of plastics and have caught fish on all of them, my go to is a lizard or a U-vibe worm these days.  

I also have started catching fish with topwater trebles and crank baits!  Not very many but I will continue to throw em and learn when and where to use them effectively.

[CRFisher]

I just got back in after about 20 years out so I really progressed.  The last season I fished before this year I remember using the same Blackberry (remember when worms smelled like fruit?) worm over and over, trying to rig it every which way to keep it together, because I was saving up for a car for when i got my license and had no cash.

[basspimple]

ive actually gotten a lot better this year. fish a lot harder also. never caught a single fish on jig before until this year. ive really stuck with it, and amost use one evertime i go. catches have beeb more consitant also. out of maybe 40-50 trips this year, and have only been skunked twice. its good to be patient, at least now when i am i actually catch somthing ;D

-j

[rondef]

My improvements were with the top water bite and the jig bite.  I have caught a lot of bass top water using Rage Tail (toads & shad) and Cavitron buzzbaits.  I have also been catching bass finally using jigs with Rage Tail chunks, prior to using the chunks I never caught a bass with a jig.

[J Francho]

5 Teach my son to fish

5 - My 8 yo daughter caught about fifteen bass this year, and just two weeks ago my 3 yo son caught his first bass, 2 pounds on a Zoom Horny toad.

This BY FAR is the most important thing you've done in your entire life.  I don't even care that its fishing related.  Real men spend time with their kids.  Nice job brother!

[MichiganFisherman]

This year has been my most serious year and most productive.  I've learned to fish soft plastics pretty good which I never really fished before.  I also got more species of fish than ever before.  My gear has upgraded.  I've made a few baits and even caught a fish on one.  I've gotten better at locating fish and structure.  And most of all... I've just had a lot of fun doing it all.  

[Red]

i think i had steps forward and back this year.  i think i improved my jig fishing ALOT.  but i am slacking with t-rigs compared to last year.  also i improved with spinnerbaits, but havent caught a single fish on a crank.  i have caught far fewer fish but the ones i have caught were bigger.  this is due to alot of reading here on BR and putting what i read to use on the water.  mainly going SLOW!!  i am looking forward to the wall and winter months, as they were my best months last year.  my goal over the next we months is to catch better fish(3lbs plus), more often, and to break the 5lb barrier.

additionally i learned this year how to build my own rod, tear down and put back together my own reel, and i have learned that quality is much more important than quantity when it comes to my gear.

Cliff

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

I decided to go big and have not looked back since.

I'm a swimbaiter now.

This is a perfect time to pass out the thank yous.

4Bizz,MattLures, Branus, Paul, etc, for the tips and techniques and all the explanation for the things I was experiencing.

Big M, dsaavedra, and all the others in "tacklemaking",...you guys are a great resource, a HUGE help.

A HUGE thank you to RedlineRobert and Glenn.  Redline gave me a Crucial for my birthday and Glenn gave me a Revo stx as a Thank you.  Without this set up, I'd be stuck where I was.

How I got here.  Thanks to Muddy (+ Elaine), RW and Alpster for the rods I used and broke to get to where I am now,lol.  Your rods were my "growing pains".

Thanks to all.

[Avalonjohn44]

This BY FAR is the most important thing you've done in your entire life.  I don't even care that its fishing related.  Real men spend time with their kids.  Nice job brother!

Thanks!  

Every time we pass a pond, lake or river in the car now, the boy says, I want to 'Fish there with You!'  I ask him what he'll use, and he says 'My Frog'... He likes the topwater action...

[Kase]

Oh wow, where to start. I have improved alot this year and became a better angler. This is my 3rd season seriously targetting Bass, haven't fished for anything else this year beside Salmon(3 days now).

My goal this year was to learn how to use a BC. I can now Skip, Pitch and Flip. I can also use both right hand and Lefty reels. I can cast to the next area code now too.

I have learned to fish SLOW. Tough it out when the bite gets tough.

Topwater lure was also new this year, still working on improving my skills.

Over all, I will con't to learn new things and con't to hone in my skills in stuff I have already learned.

Thanks to the net the learning process was a fast one and lots of info out there.  ;D

[Joe Boss]

I wanted to do seven things this year:

1 Learn to fish with a baitcaster

2 Learn to fish a jig

3 Learn to ultra clear water

4 Get really aggressive with my expensive cranks

5 Teach my son to fish

6 Get better with soft plastics

7 Not fish a Senko at all

My list of things to do this year was much like yours except for #3 (I always fish clear water) and #7 (Senkos are an addiction I can't shake)

1) I practiced with my baitcaster this spring in my backyard and got pretty good at casting. I have purchased a second baitcaster I enjoyed it so much.

2) I have been on a boat three times this year and two of those times I did almost exclusive jigging. I would say both outtings were productive.

4) Lost an expesive crank on a submerged tree and gave this up for the rest of the year.

5) My biggest success this summer was teaching my 4 year old son how to fish. He caught his first fish this summer it was a pumkinseed sunfish. He also caught his first Carp (a first for both of us) and first Largemouth Bass. Now all he needs to learn is patience, after a few minutes he was more interested in throwing rocks into the water.

6) I had a lot of success with soft plastics this year. I caught almost as many on plastic as live bait. #6 was more about getting away from live bait for me and fishing more artificial.

[fishinfiend]

This has been a really fun year for me and I am pleased with the success I have experienced. This can be attributed, for the most part, to becoming a multidimensional fisherman; whereas, I previously fished primarily with soft plastics. I am now comfortable and confident using topwater, cranks, and jigs. I have really developed a fondness for frogs and spooks. Also, I am getting better at trying to find a pattern and "thinking like a bass." I really appreciate all the information that I have gathered while a member of this forum.

Other accomplishments worthy of mention:

- caught my PB LM around 7#

- a dozen or more fish over 5#

- caught a 5# spot (many over 3#)

- caught a 50# spoonbill catfish ;D

Most Importantly:

My father and I have spent more time together talking than we have ever done in my life. I truley cherish and am very thankful for every second we spend together fishing.

[Muddy]

Jigs have become my weapon of choice Thanks to the help of many especially Russ and Catt! Boy these guys have patience!

I have found through switching up that I actually do prefer Flooger Trions( especially like the centrifugal brakes over magnetic / hybirds) and the Flooger Trion Spinning reel as well as the President.

I am most comfortable with 6'6" rods as I have some shoulder and elbow issues going on

Spinnerbaits have finally worked thioer way into my tacklebag

I love 5inch watermelon/purple  and 4 inch Shimmer Shad Tick Stiks

[Avalonjohn44]

I have found through switching up that I actually do prefer Flooger Trions( especially like the centrifugal brakes over magnetic / hybirds) and the Flooger Trion Spinning reel as well as the President.

I use Trions too, both spinning and BC.  Haven't found a reel I like better yet... I am saving for a TD Viento, I love the idea of that twitch bar...

[EastTexasBassin]

This year has been my most productive so far, and I started bass fishing 15 years ago.  I almost feel like I wasted the first 14 years by getting stuck in a couple of techniques and just accepting that I was going to get skunked sometimes.

I've only been skunked once this year, and that was in January.  We had an unusually cold snap (for Texas) and the water temp reached its all year low.

I started using the shakey head this year and I got a lot better with a jig/craw combo.  I learned when to put down the weightless rig and bounce a t-rig on the bottom.  My most successful lure this year has been a t-rigged GYCB flappin hog.  It killed 'em in the winter and it still did me good yesterday.

Next I want to learn swimbaits (thanks LBH- you've got me curious) and jerkbaits. (like the pointer and such)

It never ends...

[Wayne P.]

Last year I caught the highest number of bass in a year's time than I ever have. My goal was to exceed that. So far this year I am 318 ahead of that number.

[MillerTime]

I made a jump in equipment quality.

Increased tackle quantity and quality.

Learned to pitch and flip.

I'm getting better at picking lure colors for different conditions.

And last but not least I outfished my cousin/fishing teacher for the first time.

[flatbass]

I don't feel like I HAVE progressed this year. Because of health and finincial problems I have only got to fish 1 or2 times a month and that is either in club or jackpot tournaments. Although I finished 3rd in my club I havent really had a chance to learn anything new because I don't feel like a tournament is the time to try something new.

[detroit1]

I'm pleased with my year so far. Quantity & quality is up from last year(largemouths), smallmouth #'s down("keepers")are up, but pike-not so good. Also, finally, i got to take my football partner out fishing, and now he believes me when i tell him about the fish i catch. But my best progress is not with me, but my best friend's. He doesn't get to fish as much as we wanted (in the past), and pretty much just fished with a little Storm pre-rigged grub. This year i taught him how to fish dropshots, senkos, and to slow down and how to fish deeper than 6'. It really paid off for him as he caught a 19.75" LM yesterday afternoon. (his biggest bass) It was his only bite , and now i think he'll hang in there a little longer when the bite is tough. He now understands that you just never know what might happen on the next cast. Only got about 6 more weeks of fishing this year.. :'(

[ptomacbass]

only 6 more weeks of fishing for you?  i love fishing in the winter

for me i have really improved.  since i am rather young(14) I just started to take fishing seriously even though i have fished every weekend since i was 3.  this spring i read almost every article on bassresource and have the actions and powers for rods memorized for specific tactics.  I have also gotten very good with a jig.  i have also learned when to use what tactics like c-rig for deep water, t-rig for shallow water, jigs for deep and shallow water,  spinnerbaits for deep,yes deep and shallow water, and cranks deep or shallow depending on diving depth

[fishizzle]

I made a committment to fish offshore, away from the bank and it is paying off big time.

I have the whole middle 3/4 of the lake to myself.

and as a bonus I actually catch fish....it was a scary committment, much like marriage