Fishing Goals for 2017

[Ham]

First and foremost, I want to fish with friends and family as much as possible. I already have trips planned to do just that. 

I'm going to try to fish 100 times and not wind up divorced. 

Pushing for 4000 fish.

52 Species

a 25 inch Brown trout

a 25 inch walleye

A 15 inch crappie

A 5 lb smallie

more panfish ( should help get to 4000).

salt water trip (should help with 52 species)

use my fly rods more

goofy stuff to be sure. Let's see how it goes. 

 

[Quillback]

Ham if you are ever over here on this side of the state the spring we'll have to go and see if we can catch some redears.  There's some in a few of the Bella Vista lakes and according to the AGFC biologists there is a healthy population of them in Bob Kidd lake which is located southeast of Fayetteville and is an AGFC lake.

[Norm M]

 I had a lot of time to think about fishing while recuperating . I decided to work on shoring up techniques and lures , I am weak in .

Time to get better at heavy metal,  in line spinners, blade baits and maybe spoons in moving water for this year .  I am just starting to get back into pond fishing , most likely start with a good refreshing on plastic worms and spinnerbaits for bass . I started getting into fishing spoons for panfish this fall, likely keep trying to refine that .

[Johnsfolly]

Ham

That's a great list.

I have been giving next years goals a bit of thought. As I mentioned in the Devil in Details thread, I want to increase my PB for trout and bass. I don't know yet if I want to base that upon each species, e.g., rainbow, brown, largemouth, spotted, smallmouth, or as a general category, e.g., a trout or bass.

I want to catch and photograph some species in their breeding coloration, i.e., male greenside darter, male bowfin, etc.

Catch three new darter and five new minnow species.

Catch all three species of rock bass in MO. I missed Ozark bass this year.

Catch a warmouth sunfish

Catch a longnose or shortnose gar in MO.

If we can afford the trip and I have the time from work; Florida trip with coppernose bluegill and Suwannee river bass as primary targets.

A saltwater trip with redfish, sheepshead minnows as new species targets.

If I can get drawn for Wyoming hunt; catch at least two of the four cutthroat subspecies on the Wyoming slam.

[Ham]

19 minutes ago, Johnsfolly said:

Ham

That's a great list.

I have been giving next years goals a bit of thought. As I mentioned in the Devil in Details thread, I want to increase my PB for trout and bass. I don't know yet if I want to base that upon each species, e.g., rainbow, brown, largemouth, spotted, smallmouth, or as a general category, e.g., a trout or bass.

I want to catch and photograph some species in their breeding coloration, i.e., male greenside darter, male bowfin, etc.

Catch three new darter and five new minnow species.

Catch all three species of rock bass in MO. I missed Ozark bass this year.

Catch a warmouth sunfish

Catch a longnose or shortnose gar in MO.

If we can afford the trip and I have the time from work; Florida trip with coppernose bluegill and Suwannee river bass as primary targets.

A saltwater trip with redfish, sheepshead minnows as new species targets.

If I can get drawn for Wyoming hunt; catch at least two of the four cutthroat subspecies on the Wyoming slam.

I'd like to get in on the micro fishing stuff and I know whwere we can go get you an Ozark Bass and a long nosed far in Missouri on the same day. I have the boat if you're willing to try Norfork for trout again. Maybe they will run water this time. 

[Ham]

2 hours ago, Quillback said:

Ham if you are ever over here on this side of the state the spring we'll have to go and see if we can catch some redears.  There's some in a few of the Bella Vista lakes and according to the AGFC biologists there is a healthy population of them in Bob Kidd lake which is located southeast of Fayetteville and is an AGFC lake.

I'd love to do so. 

[Johnsfolly]

4 hours ago, Ham said:

I have the boat if you're willing to try Norfork for trout again. Maybe they will run water this time.

Ham

Would love to try again for the Norfork trout slam. Wouldn't mind actually getting out on the lake. Between Pens discussions we will come up with a plan on different trips. Still interested in seeing if LittleRedFisherman is up for a big river multispecies trip.

[Ham]

51 minutes ago, Johnsfolly said:

 Still interested in seeing if LittleRedFisherman is up for a big river multispecies trip.

Heck Yeah! That would be awesome. 

[jdmidwest]

Spend more time in Tennessee.

Still trying to land that hog smallie that weighs more than 6 lb.  Came close this year, broke a rod.  Almost yanked it out of my hands.  I horsed him in too fast not knowing his true size and species.  But I got him to surface and had a witness, then he dove for the deep so fast the drag did not slip.  He would have broke the 6 lb barrier with room to spare.

Still in conversion from stream and river fishing to lake fishing.  Gaining ground but still have lots to learn.  I spent the first 50 years of my life in water less than 10' deep for the most part.  It is a whole new world in deeper lakes.

[Guest]

I can get you around 5 lb + Smallmouth, but the lakes not in Arkansas.....