2014 fishing goals

[jad2t]

Let's go ahead and make some commitments now. Here are mine:

1] Get the kayak in some new water. I primarily fish JPP (almost every weekend) and do pretty well in there. I have had it on Old Hickory once, Caney twice, and Williamsport twice. I'm planning on more than one trip to Chickamagua and maybe a weekend spent up at Dale Hollow. Every lake has something different to offer and I don't want to limit my experiences.

2] Land a rockfish from the yak and catch my first hybrid (preferably from the yak)

3] Learn how to fish for other species. I mentioned above all I do is fish JPP and all I do is bass fish. I sometimes try for crappie or deep water for hybrids/rockfish and when that doesn't work after 30 minutes I say "screw these fish, I'm going back to bass." I need to be more patient and put in the time. Crappie and Walleye fishing are tactics I definitely want to put some time into.

4] Catch a TARP qualifying largemouth bass (which is why I want to hit Chickamagua more than once this coming year) and at least one other TARP qualifier.

5] Resume fly fishing. I have a good quality 6wt flyrod and I'd use it from time to time but I'm a novice and want to step my game up. I haven't used it in a couple years so it needs some maintenance. I plan to use it heavily this Spring when the bass are shallow and active. I bet it would be fun in a school of busting white bass as well!

6] Qualify for the championship event in the 2014 Kayak Bass Fishing TN tournament series!


Good luck everyone, tight lines in 2014!

[MNfisher]

Catch a striper over 40 lbs.

Catch my first blue cat.

Catch a brown over 27"

Catch a rainbow over 22"

Catch my first TN Muskie.

Help Jimmy catch his first hybrid :D

Catch my first OH tilapia

Catch a crappie over 16"

Catch a fish in one of Jeremy's events! Haha

Get those stupid Caney fork browns more patterned!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Travis C.]

Thought I'd update last years goals and results...

Here are this years:

1. Striped Bass 20lb or greater on a fly rod or conventional gear.

http://a.dryicons.com/files/graphics_previews/blank_photo_hanging.jpg

2. Brown Trout 25" or greater on a fly rod or conventional gear.

http://a.dryicons.com/files/graphics_previews/blank_photo_hanging.jpg

3. Either Brown Trout or Rainbow on a fly rod from Dale Hollow Lake.

http://a.dryicons.com/files/graphics_previews/blank_photo_hanging.jpg




As you can tell I was all over it last year. LOL.

I think this year will just relax and fish.

[blink]

Well,
2013 was my first year in TN. I had a goal to catch my first ever smallmouth. I still have not met that goal. It will carry over.

I just got a fishing kayak back in September. I love it. I want to fish out of it as much as i can.

I want to fish more rivers and creeks. I still have not found any quite like the Chattahoochee and its tribs.

I want to catch my first ever Muskie. I am going on a DHL guided trip this spring.

[goreds.king]

I like this…put it in a post to hold myself accountable. My main goal for 2014 is to pick a creek on Old Hickory and learn how to fish it year round. I’d love to be able to travel and fish other waters but with kids playing sports it limits what I can do.

[XxthejuicexX]

I would like a bass over 7 pounds, I got close last year. I would also like to do well on the tournament circuit I am fishing this year.

[Reel Tune]

Man Travis, I had a year like yours.

I've caught some very respectable fish over the last couple years, and went on some amazing trips with some great people.

This year it is going to be about bringing the community together, having fun, introducing, and educating more people on what I enjoy doing. Taking time to spend with others to help them reach their own goals, and maybe going on a few awesome trips. Oh' and getting in the best shape of my life so I can do some of these things.

[tcintn]

I just want to catch a lot of trout on the Caney,Little Red ( Arkansas ),SanJuan (New Mexico),Taylor River ( Colorado ),and any river in Wyoming and Montana and be thankful I am still able.

[MNfisher]

Oh' and getting in the best shape of my life so I can do some of these things.

Yes!! This for me too!! I have to run 26.2 miles in April!

[SAMBOLIE]

Yes!! This for me too!! I have to run 26.2 miles in April!

That is only 1.15 mi. per day.:)

[tacklemake]

What I'm going to do in 2014 is the same as 2013 ,fish a lot and make new friends and eat some fish but no bass...................woody

[agelesssone]

You are SO BAD, SAMBOLIE!

[jad2t]

Help Jimmy catch his first hybrid :D

Catch a fish in one of Jeremy's events! Haha



Hey you catch a lot of striped fish and I catch a lot of green fish...I think we can workout a deal here...

[jad2t]

Well,
2013 was my first year in TN. I had a goal to catch my first ever smallmouth. I still have not met that goal. It will carry over.



Dude if you really just want to catch your first smallie, not particular about size, I can make that happen pretty easily in the Spring in a small creek. I wade small, knee deep at most, creeks with 2lb test and trout magnets and catch so many fish. Mostly small panfish but there are always a few rockbass and smallmouth bass thrown in. Small though, like 8-10 inches.

I've also caught a handful on JPP this year. I'd say for every 6 largemouth I catch, I get a smallie. Largest right at 18", one 16" and the rest 12-14". Crankbaits and zoom trick worms are what I got them on.

[jad2t]

Travis that's some photo album haha. That was funny! Hey don't worry, set a goal and make it happen this year. Now that you have a kayak, your fishing is about to be a lot more fun whether you set personal bests or not!

[Alphahawk]

My goal is to fish more and hopefully continue to catch what the water gives up.





Regards

[txnative]

1: Continue to improve as a steward of our sport. Particularly when it comes to introducing others to the joy of fishing.

2: Make contributions to forums such as this one and spread the word of our beloved hobby.

3: Catch at least three species I've never caught before, and (naturally) try to catch bigger specimens of species I have caught before.

4: Be more active in tournaments, especially local ones.

Bonus: Help TravisC catch a striper over 20 lbs from his kayak, let MNFisher take photos of me actually catching a fish, and catch something so breathtaking that even Sambolie won't be able to make a wisecrack ;)


Chris Bryant

[SAMBOLIE]

1: Get my son and grandson more involved in this great activity.
2: Find some productive streams to wade and fish (my favorite way to fish).
3: DO NOT buy another boat and motor. Perhaps get another yak.
4: Organize my tackle and not take 500 lures, 20 rods/reels each time I fish.
5: Meet more forum members.
6: Share my infinite wisdom with Merv.
7: Continue to enjoy fishing as much as I did when I was young and catching fish.
8: Be thankful that I am blessed with good health to be able to fish and a wife who never complains when I go fishing.

[SAMBOLIE]

Chris, I believe in you. You can accomplish all your goals.

I hope Mike gets Travis on a movie if he catches that monster in his yak. Of course Mike will have difficulty filming and keeping pace with Travis as the fish pulls him across the lake.
All of Mike's photos are breath taking and I promise not to wisecrack if you are included in one.

[blink]

Dude if you really just want to catch your first smallie, not particular about size, I can make that happen pretty easily in the Spring in a small creek. I wade small, knee deep at most, creeks with 2lb test and trout magnets and catch so many fish. Mostly small panfish but there are always a few rockbass and smallmouth bass thrown in. Small though, like 8-10 inches.

I've also caught a handful on JPP this year. I'd say for every 6 largemouth I catch, I get a smallie. Largest right at 18", one 16" and the rest 12-14". Crankbaits and zoom trick worms are what I got them on.

I am not huge on micro-fishing. Where i came from in Atlanta we caught Shoal Bass from 1 to 5 lbs in the creeks and rivers. i am definitely missing that, and i would rather catch a keeper smallie if at all.

I need to start fishing JPP i guess. Only fished it once and it was near the dam last saturday.

[txnative]

Blink,

Don't discount creeks, there are nice smallies in some of our small waters. I've shown my daughter how to fish in them, and she has some nice ones on her record.

Forgot another 2014 goal, I want to get my daughter hooked into a striper that's over 5 lbs. I'd like to aim higher, but I'll let her start smaller...I don't want to risk her losing one if my rods, lol.


Chris Bryant

[tacklemake]

Travis if you want a big striper paint your yak to look like a shad but beware of the monster striper................woody

[Travis C.]

Bonus: Help TravisC catch a striper over 20 lbs from his kayak,

Chris Bryant

Whoo hoo.... I got a good feeling about this one! ;)

By the way, I reached out to another source about our toothy ventures upcoming this year. Feeling confident about our catch to cast ratio.

In the words of Kelly Galloup from Fly Fish TV, "Larry, what's up with that. Fish of a thousand casts....that was five." :D

[Alphahawk]

Catch a striper over 40 lbs.

Catch my first blue cat.

Catch a brown over 27"

Catch a rainbow over 22"

Catch my first TN Muskie.

Help Jimmy catch his first hybrid :D

Catch my first OH tilapia

Catch a crappie over 16"

Catch a fish in one of Jeremy's events! Haha

Get those stupid Caney fork browns more patterned!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can help you out with the crappie part of that list.



Regards

[blink]

Blink,

Don't discount creeks, there are nice smallies in some of our small waters. I've shown my daughter how to fish in them, and she has some nice ones on her record.


Chris Bryant

Thats a nice fish! yeah i would like to catch some like that.

[nomad60]

My goals aren't as lofty as MNfisher's;

Catch A striper.

The end :D

Seriously, I want to keep doing what I have been doing, which is to learn the local waters (The Cumberland). God willing, I have plenty of time to do so. I *may* join my coworker's bass club; he and a couple other guys have been trying to talk me into it since I got here but I don't know...I enjoy fishing in solitude without any pressure where I can float along and solve the world's problems while taking in some scenery and catching the occasional fish.

[TNtransplant08]

Blink,

If you hit Percy Priest in search of smallmouth, while there is probably better areas that I haven't tried, I've had pretty good luck finding them in the wildlife refuge area in front of the Poole Knobs campground in the spring. Especially during the post spawn period with topwater baits during early morning hours before the sun breaks the horizon.

[TNtransplant08]

Since I didn't get to fish as much this past year, my goals are pretty much the same.

1. Learn how to find and catch smallies year round by learning their movements and habits.

2. Stick with a few baits while on the water. I find myself getting frustrated and switching baits too early and often. I think if I stick with a bait long enough, I'll eventually get a pattern going. At the same time, I keep going back to baits that I'm confident in, which are bottom related baits (football jigs, shakey heads, etc). So I'm missing out on fish in the rest of the water column. Need to gain confidence in those baits.

3. Learn to find and fish offshore.

4. Catch my first 5# plus bass (brown or green). I've gotten some 4 pounders, but I just can't seem to get over the hump.

5. Catch my first JPP Hybrid.

6. Continue to enjoy the solitude of being on the water. I love being on the water when the sun is rising, no other boats in sight, and the water is calm. Moments like this makes life worthwhile!

7. Meet and fish with some forum members!

[XxthejuicexX]

Since I didn't get to fish as much this past year, my goals are pretty much the same.

1. Learn how to find and catch smallies year round by learning their movements and habits.

2. Stick with a few baits while on the water. I find myself getting frustrated and switching baits too early and often. I think if I stick with a bait long enough, I'll eventually get a pattern going. At the same time, I keep going back to baits that I'm confident in, which are bottom related baits (football jigs, shakey heads, etc). So I'm missing out on fish in the rest of the water column. Need to gain confidence in those baits.

3. Learn to find and fish offshore.

4. Catch my first 5# plus bass (brown or green). I've gotten some 4 pounders, but I just can't seem to get over the hump.

5. Catch my first JPP Hybrid.

6. Continue to enjoy the solitude of being on the water. I love being on the water when the sun is rising, no other boats in sight, and the water is calm. Moments like this makes life worthwhile!

7. Meet and fish with some forum members!

I can assist with 3&4 on priest and sometimes in the fall even with 5.

[TNtransplant08]

I can assist with 3&4 on priest and sometimes in the fall even with 5.

That'd be awesome and greatly appreciated. Just let me know when you'd like a partner in your boat and I'll be happy to contribute to gas or anything else. Will also help accomplish goal #7!

[jad2t]

Looks like exactly what I wanted to happen is happening. Not only are we coming up with goals for the 2014 year but we are offering to help each other out with reaching those goals. It's going to be a fun fishing year for us!

Blink - the parts of JPP that I've found the most Smallies in are around Hamilton Springs and Smith Springs areas. There's a flat that I'd fish in the morning in the summer, which is dry land now, that usually produced one for me by sunup. In the Springtime I definitely will fish it again so we should paddle out there one time and you'll get one!

[XxthejuicexX]

That'd be awesome and greatly appreciated. Just let me know when you'd like a partner in your boat and I'll be happy to contribute to gas or anything else. Will also help accomplish goal #7!

My offshore will start once it gets a warmer, but I will start fishing priest around march or so for bass.

[creekcrappie]

Learn to crappie fish in deep brushpiles

Catch a JPP hybrid greater that 15 inches (got an inch away last year)

Catch a smallmouth greater than 18 inches. (Got close last year)

Catch a full limit of crappie

Learn to use electronics better

Catch a personal best largemouth, greater that 7 pounds

Have fun and meet fishing tn members

[txnative]

TNtransplant and creekcrappie,

Hit priest in spring when the water hits 55 degrees. Lower end of the lake near roadbeds. Use topwaters and jig/fluke combos. If you see people fishing off the bank on the lake side of the dam, the bite is on. Use nothing lighter than med rods and 10 lb line or a striper may spool you. I put TravisC on his first ever hybrid during this bite this past spring, and he did it on a fly rod. One if the fish from that trip is in the pic below.

If you can't wait till spring, fish around Hong King Island by drifting shiners around shad schools, or chase seagulls that are diving on bait. With the gulls, if you a "tornado" of birds, you're in a great spot. Good luck.


Chris Bryant

[blink]

Looks like exactly what I wanted to happen is happening. Not only are we coming up with goals for the 2014 year but we are offering to help each other out with reaching those goals. It's going to be a fun fishing year for us!

Blink - the parts of JPP that I've found the most Smallies in are around Hamilton Springs and Smith Springs areas. There's a flat that I'd fish in the morning in the summer, which is dry land now, that usually produced one for me by sunup. In the Springtime I definitely will fish it again so we should paddle out there one time and you'll get one!

sounds good man lets do it.
Those spots are only 10-15 minutes from my work so once it gets DST again i can hit it after work til dark on weekdays.

[Transplanted Sportsman]

Man I'm joining this post a little late but for 2014 I would like to fish with as many members of this forum as I can from which I have learned a lot, fish small creeks and for different species, fish from the yak a lot more and make some new friends and fishing buddies, mainly take my daughter out to fish as much as we can, (this time is gold y'all) can't tell you enough take your kids fishing as much as you can, the bigun can wait for another day!, we only have so much time with them when they are little and they want to do this, with that said if any of you guys ever needs a fishing buddy give me a shout, I'm not so close as many of you are but I think something can be arranged every now and then to meet new people and enjoy this sport that so many of us cherish! happy new year folks!!!

[TNBronzeback]

along with building on what i already know, i would like to go fishing with some of you guys on here, either your boat or mine or even from the shore if thats what the situation calls for, and i can bring my own blindfold if need be! HA!
My main target species for 2014 are going to be-in no particular order:
1) Walleye/Sauger
2) Crappie
3) Stripers
4) Hybrids
5) Cats

just by chance i did pretty good on cats this summer fishing for crappie, but i wanna hit the river and target them 20's, 30's and bigger if possible, if they can tow my boat up river, i wanna chase em!
Here's to a successful 2014!

[TNtransplant08]

TNtransplant and creekcrappie,

Hit priest in spring when the water hits 55 degrees. Lower end of the lake near roadbeds. Use topwaters and jig/fluke combos. If you see people fishing off the bank on the lake side of the dam, the bite is on. Use nothing lighter than med rods and 10 lb line or a striper may spool you. I put TravisC on his first ever hybrid during this bite this past spring, and he did it on a fly rod. One if the fish from that trip is in the pic below.

If you can't wait till spring, fish around Hong King Island by drifting shiners around shad schools, or chase seagulls that are diving on bait. With the gulls, if you a "tornado" of birds, you're in a great spot. Good luck.


Chris Bryant

Thanks for the tips to get me started Chris! How do you rig the rod for drifting shiners? like a dropshot, 3 way, Carolina rig? Circle hook or mosquito hook, size hook without killing the shiner?

My new fish finder came in the mail today. It will give me a chance to play around with it and learn how to use it. How fun!

[txnative]

Thanks for the tips to get me started Chris! How do you rig the rod for drifting shiners? like a dropshot, 3 way, Carolina rig? Circle hook or mosquito hook, size hook without killing the shiner?

My new fish finder came in the mail today. It will give me a chance to play around with it and learn how to use it. How fun!

Carolina rig. I use a size 2 Owner Mutu Light circle hook.


Chris Bryant

[TNtransplant08]

Carolina rig. I use a size 2 Owner Mutu Light circle hook.


Chris Bryant

Thanks. I appreciate the info. Let me know if there's anything I can do for ya in return.

[Heiny57]

I hope to meet and fish with some of you guys.

[Hammy]

My goal is to just get out more. Sure it would great to catch some fish, but just being out there is great.

Transplanted Sportsman, We are relatively close, we need to try and get out some. I'm wanting to float the Duck but dont want to do it alone. I'm blessed with a flotilla, just need to use it. But I'm the rookie on the know how.

Hammy

[Hammy]

Chris, was that a 2 or 2.0 (aught)?

Hammy

[txnative]

Chris, was that a 2 or 2.0 (aught)?

Hammy

2


Chris Bryant

[Transplanted Sportsman]

My goal is to just get out more. Sure it would great to catch some fish, but just being out there is great.

Transplanted Sportsman, We are relatively close, we need to try and get out some. I'm wanting to float the Duck but dont want to do it alone. I'm blessed with a flotilla, just need to use it. But I'm the rookie on the know how.

Hammy

Hammy, yes we are close, I live in Shelbyville, lets get togheter one of these days to float the duck, I would like to float down from the second bridge to Cortner mill dam, I think our crew is going to duck hunt this weekend but holler at me before next weekend we get togheter, I have to warn you though, I'm also a rookie so it will be a blind leading the blind

[Hammy]

I'm also a rookie so it will be a blind leading the blind TS Not so worried about blind leading the blind but just having some one within shouting distance is nice.

I'll pm you my phone number.

Hammy

[olddognewtrick]

My goals are tied together I guess.

- Fish more from the kayak!
- Meet more people from this forum and TKA.
- Fish more tournaments in Tn and Ky.
- Fish more from the kayak!

I have to push myself to get to the nashville area events and gatherings. It looks like the northern mid tn people have fallen away since last spring.

[jad2t]

Let's see some updates. Here's from my original post:


1] Get the kayak in some new water. I primarily fish JPP (almost every weekend) and do pretty well in there. I have had it on Old Hickory once, Caney twice, and Williamsport twice. I'm planning on more than one trip to Chickamagua and maybe a weekend spent up at Dale Hollow. Every lake has something different to offer and I don't want to limit my experiences.

I did get the yak in some water other than JPP this year. Matter of fact, until Crappie in the Spring starts, I have no desire to fish JPP. I fished Old Hickory a few times and even took first in a TKA tournament there. I've been fishing for Rockfish at the steam plant a couple times and had success. I fished a CBY tournament on Chickamauga and made several trips to Williamsport. I also have a pond in Franklin I fish and have always caught good numbers with a 3-5 pounder thrown in almost every trip.

2] Land a rockfish from the yak and catch my first hybrid (preferably from the yak)

You remember my last thread, right? Haha. The most fun I've had fishing since I was chasing redfish on the flats in the Florida Bay. I hope to get one more outing after them before the year ends.

3] Learn how to fish for other species. I mentioned above all I do is fish JPP and all I do is bass fish. I sometimes try for crappie or deep water for hybrids/rockfish and when that doesn't work after 30 minutes I say "screw these fish, I'm going back to bass." I need to be more patient and put in the time. Crappie and Walleye fishing are tactics I definitely want to put some time into.

I did my homework and learned a lot about how to catch Rockfish and it paid off nicely a couple weeks ago. I caught a lot of Hybrids and Crappie in the Spring which was also new to me. No effort put into Walleye, I might make this a 2015 goal.

4] Catch a TARP qualifying largemouth bass (which is why I want to hit Chickamagua more than once this coming year) and at least one other TARP qualifier.

I did catch some pigs this year. Several over 20 inches including my biggest being 21.25" in the above mentioned pond in Franklin. I still need to break the 22" mark for a TARP certificate.

5] Resume fly fishing. I have a good quality 6wt flyrod and I'd use it from time to time but I'm a novice and want to step my game up. I haven't used it in a couple years so it needs some maintenance. I plan to use it heavily this Spring when the bass are shallow and active. I bet it would be fun in a school of busting white bass as well!

Tried it once and got too frustrated as the line caught on everything possible in my kayak.

6] Qualify for the championship event in the 2014 Kayak Bass Fishing TN tournament series!

Missed this one. Work got in the way of fishing these. I was only able to make it out to a few events. Hopefully I'll be able to fish more of them in 2015 and fish good when it counts!

[riverhawkluke]

My goals:

1) Finish getting high school sponsors. (as an update our club is now sponsored by Hoppy's lures, and the reel grip) We are taliking with Lew's and Duckett as well.
2) Take out my riverhawk as much as possible.
3) catch redfish in south carolina (I fish in Pawley's Island South carolina and have never fished for reds in the the tidal creek, but i catch a lot of flounder).
4) place in the top 10 in the high school state tournament this year.
5) catch a double digit largemouth, my best this year was a 7lb 4oz hog.
6) Teach as many people as possible to have fun fishing.
7) meet more people from the forum!