2023 Fishing Goals

[Johnsfolly]

Not going to step on toes on other threads. Posting my annual Fishing goals list for 2023.

Ribbonfish

Lifer Bullhead / madtom - snail or spotted / tadpole, etc.

2 Swamp Lifers - e.g., banded sunfish, pirate perch

4 Darters; 1 from MD (Rainbow) and 3 Lifers -

4 Lifer minnows - inland silverside, mimic shiner, silverjaw, etc.

15 Lifers in 2023

Catch at least one Fish in New State or previous State w/o Photo

[FishnDave]

Oarfish.  On fly.  From Shore.

Snag a Unicorn by the horn on a blind backcast.  Narwhal on fly will also be acceptable.  Barbless fly.  9 wt or less.

Bull Shark on fly from a specific tributary creek off the Missouri River.  Tiger or Hammerhead will also be acceptable.

Coelocanth...2 on one cast, using a hopper-dropper rig.

 

[Devan S.]

2023:

UT/WY cutt slams. 

4 states off my Western Native Trout Challenge(UT/WY/ID/MT)

2 new Arkansas Master Angler Species

[FishnDave]

Addendum 1:

I'd really like to catch a Lancetfish on fly!

 

[Johnsfolly]

1 hour ago, FishnDave said:

Addendum 1:

I'd really like to catch a Lancetfish on fly!

 

I would love to catch one of these guys on any bait. I can't even put this on the bucket list. Roosterfish yes, but this guy seems to be too uncommon to target.

[Ham]

I always have too many fishing goals for any given year.

2023 Fishing Goals:

1) all five species of North American Gar on fly in the calendar year.

2) get the lifer list up to 225 (from 202) 

3) every year is beat last year (but that’s gonna have to stop eventually) so 2022 I caught 56 species on fly and 126 species on hook and line. So, in theory it should be 57 on fly and 127 species on hook and line, but the heck with that. I’m shooting for 75 species on fly and 150 species on hook and line.

4) get the lifetime on fly species list up to 100. 

5) Catch a fish in least 7 more new to me counties in Arkansas

6) catch a snakehead on fly

I really should try for harder stuff 

 

[FishnDave]

On 12/29/2022 at 9:14 AM, Johnsfolly said:

Not going to step on toes on other threads. Posting my annual Fishing goals list for 2023.

Ribbonfish

I hope you get one of these this year, John!  A friend of mine sent me pictures of one caught in South Carolina.  Really cool fish! 👍I wanna see a picture of YOURS!

[Johnsfolly]

56 minutes ago, FishnDave said:

I hope you get one of these this year, John!  A friend of mine sent me pictures of one caught in South Carolina.  Really cool fish! 👍I wanna see a picture of YOURS!

I came late to the party for these guys in 2022. I knew about ribbonfish down in NC and SC and with our car issues driving down there was a no go. However, I found out in mid to late Sept that one of the spots we fish in VA a couple of times a year has a big population of ribbonfish. Once I started to get the right gear, it was Nov. We will get on them in the early summer this year and keep going until we land a few. I know that Livie and I will want to clean up the heads and show off the skulls 😉. 

[Johnsfolly]

1 hour ago, Ham said:

I’m shooting for 75 species on fly and 150 species on hook and line.

These are big numbers and as you know will require a lot of travel. Worth it if you can make it happen. Not many people can say that they caught over 100 species in a year and that number drops dramatically when you get closer to 150.

[FishnDave]

48 minutes ago, Johnsfolly said:

I came late to the party for these guys in 2022. I knew about ribbonfish down in NC and SC and with our car issues driving down there was a no go. However, I found out in mid to late Sept that one of the spots we fish in VA a couple of times a year has a big population of ribbonfish. Once I started to get the right gear, it was Nov. We will get on them in the early summer this year and keep going until we land a few. I know that Livie and I will want to clean up the heads and show off the skulls 😉. 

What IS the right gear for ribbonfish?

Ah.  I found some good info here:

https://fishtalkmag.com/blog/how-catch-ribbonfish