In The Mail Today From All-Terrain Tackle

All-Terrain Tackle sent me a jig assortment for my fantasy team coming in first in their group for the Elite Angler Of Year tournament.

Thank You All-Terrain

So Close!

I didn't really follow the Elite Series or any form of Professional Fishing this year.  Thankfully I managed to put together two pretty good line ups for fantasy fishing this year.  The one for Elite Series AOY tournament was probably my best ever.

I picked Seth because it's a smallmouth fishery, duh!  The same goes for Gussy.  I didn't even realize Wendlandt was fishing the Elite Series until I saw his name at the penultimate event, so I picked him for that one.  He didn't do great, but I decided to stick with him.  Jamie Hartman is just a solid angler and always worthy of being picked.

"Big money, small town boy makes sense
So I'm pushin' all my chips on my man Cliff Prince"

Jamie Hartman caught a monster bag on Day 2.  Unfortunately, he was unable to do the same on Day 3 and so my line-up was unable to take the top spot.

I reached My Goal of 1,500 Bass Caught For the Year

If the weather is good I have an outside shot at getting to 2,000 for the year. 

I don't think I'm going to make it to a 1,000 Pike which was my goal for them.

Goal Reached: Fishing With Thompson

Got out fishing with Cyb Saturday Night and Sunday Morning

BOOM! Had a 100 Fish Day

19" at the Dam in the morning

19" at the GOMH in the Evening

13-inch Crappie on the Junebug Craw Tube

No giants, but a solid 6 fish bag

Morning Trip in the Trophy:
56 Bass (Meeting my 50 bass in a day goal) 
9 Pike
10.8 Fish Caught Per Hour

Evening at the GOMH:
35 Bass
3 Pike
1 Crappie
13 Fish Caught Per Hour

104 Fish Caught for the Day
91 Bass Caught for the Day

One of the crazy things.  3 guys from Arizona were there most of the afternoon busting them there as well.  If it wasn't for the rain I would have been at the GOMH earlier.  This day is what can happen when the lake is really on pre-spawn.  Just didn't get any giants.  I think the big ones I got in the evening were males.

Winner! Winner! Finally In 2019 I'm A Winner!

The month of April had come and gone and I hadn't won anything yet.  No giveaway's, no Fantasy Fishing prizes, nothing.  My luck changed this week when I won the Bass Boat Central opt-in Fantasy League for the Elite Series at Lake Fork.  So basically I think I'm a few bucks up on what I paid out while participating in this league for the past 3 years or so.

Fishing Goal Reached! 

Fishing Goals for 2019

Fishing Buddies:  Once again last year the fishing buddies category was pretty much a flop as far as goals being achieved.  Seeing that I suck at inviting people to go fishing maybe expanding the list of people I want to fish with in 2019 isn't the smartest goal making strategy, but that is what I am doing.   I've got to do better this year!

1. Fish with Dad
2. Fish with Mike Thompson
3. Fish with Jim Bonin
4. Fish with  Mike "Spike" Miller
5. Fish with Jeff and Renee
6. Fish with Todd, Isabelle, and Mallory
7. Fish with Peter W.
8. Fish with Matt W.
9. Fish with Dave Lindmark
10. Fish with Steve and Devin
11. Take Corey Hicks frog fishing.
12. Fish with Kane Phongsavat
13. Fish with Rick Nichols
14. Fish with Pete
Dream Fishing Buddies:
1. Fish with Josh Douglas
2. Fish with Al Lindner
3. Fish With Nattie Up North

Bass Snatcher Goals: New for 2019 Goals is the Co-Angler Challenge, which was something the club started at the 3rd Tournament of 2018.

Bass Snatcher Goals:
1.  Get "Wood" in at least one tournament. (1st-3rd Place Finish or Lunker or Co-Angler Challenge)
2. Win my 1st tournament. (My best finish to date is 2nd Place.)
3. Get "Lunker" in a tournament.   (Preferably one over 5-8 to win the revolving big bass pot.)
4. Get paired with Chuck Fields.  (He usually only fishes a couple of tournaments a year so chances of it ever happening are not very good.  I may look into bribing Dennis)
5. Finish in the Top 10 at the end of the year.  
6. Catch a limit at every tournament of the year.  (I've done this twice, but in 2012 I only fished 4 out of the 6 tournaments due to a bad back.)
7. Pre-fish with at least 3 boaters.
8. List the Rods I'm bringing for each tournament before the tournament.
9.  Win the Co-Angler Challenge at least twice
10. Make the Challenge Cup Team

Technique & Tackle Goals:
1. Win something in Fantasy Fishing or Facebook giveaways/contests. (BBC Fantasy in May)
2. Catch a fish on % of Mystery Tackle Box Lures (Hold over from 2017)
    2a. 1st Box 100% (5 Lures, 2 Lures to go)
    2b. 2nd Box 60% (3 out of 5, only more lure and I've got this one)
3. Catch a fish on % of Lucky Tackle Box Lures (Hold over from 2017/18)
   3a. 1st Box 100%  (6 Lures, 3 Lures left to go.)
   3b. 2nd Box 100% (6 Lures)
   3c.  3rd Box 75% (4 Lures)
4. Catch a bass on the Salmo Bass Bug (Hold over from 2017)
5.  Officially Open the Tackle Warehouse this year.
6. Experiment with the Neko rig to see if it something for me.
7. Experiment with the Ned Rig to see if it's something for me. (Hold over from 2018)
8. Get the trolling motor fixed or replaced

Blogging:
1. Blog about anytime I reach a goal.
2. Record all fishing trips at Fish Swami
3. Fish at least 150 days and blog about them

Fish Goals:
1. Catch* 3,000 Fish (3,021 caught in 2018)
2. Average 5 fish caught per hour. (4.07 in 2018, 3.99 in 2017, 4.08 in 2016, 3.62 in 2015, 3.55 in 2014, 4.41 in 2013, 4.31 in 2012, 2.77 in 2011)
3. Have a 100 fish day.

Crappie:
1. Catch a new personal best. (Currently 14.25")
2. Catch* over 100 this year. (Caught 306 in 2018) (I almost put the goal down to 50 crappies due to the fact that I'm not getting out ice fishing anytime soon and the uncertainty of when the ice will get off the lakes.  I could see a situation developing where I catch very few this year.)

Dogfish:
1. Win my 3rd Minnesota Bowfin Club Grand Championship
2. Catch a MN State Record fish. (11-4  or 35" x 20")
3. Catch a new personal best.

Pike:
1. Catch* over 1,000 this year. (Caught 804 in 2018)
2. Catch a 38" or over/personal best.

Bass: 
1. Catch a 21plus inch or 6lb Largemouth
2. Catch a 21plus inch or 6lb Smallmouth
3. Catch* over 1,500 bass this year. (Caught 1,281 in 2018)
4. Catch* at least 25 smallies.  (I caught 0 last year)
5. Catch a 25lb 6 Fish Bag
6. Have a 50 bass day

Walleye:
1. Catch at least 50. (Caught 279 in 2018)
2. Catch 30" or new personal best. (28.5 is current PB)

* Catch is anything I deem it to be including follows by pike or smallmouth (while pre-fishing), a pike missing my lure, fish viewed on the Aqua View, and fish that get off before I have them in hand that I can positively identify.  And fish caught by people I am guiding or boater during pre-fish.

A goal that I reached is in bold.