2018 Fishing Goals Met

My goal was to catch at least 1,000 largemouths in 2018. On August 5th I caught my 1,000th one.

The smallmouth front is looking pretty pathic this year.  I haven't caught one yet.

I also surpassed my goal of 500 pikes for the year sometime late in July.

Steve Got His First Ever MN State Fish Tonight

18" on an Ultimate Jerk Shad (Crackle)

4.78lbs Jerk Shad (Crackle)

Goal Achieved on 5-18-18

 The wind was supposed to blow out of the SE this evening instead it diminished and was out of the South, bummer.  But with the way the weather was, I thought the eyes would really be snapping anyway.  I don't think 4 eyes between the two of us counts as snapping, but I'll take it.  Steve might have had a couple of hits in a Rippin' Rap as well.  We would have undoubtedly caught more, but that stupid 10PM night ban cut us off as they started to bite and Steve figured out what they wanted.  No bugs at all.  Such a pity we couldn't fish until 11 or midnight.  Too bad, I didn't suggest stopping at the Grumpy Old Man Hole before I took him home as there was practically nobody there when I went to check it on my way home.  I didn't fish it either, doh.

Good job, Steve!   

My Tackle Warehouse Opener & GOMH Open

Today was the Offical Tackle Warehouse Opener, even though I did go in there briefly yesterday morning.  Both GOMH Bays are now open.  Loons were calling, swans were trumpeting, frogs were making a racket, saw a great blue heron and a white heron.  A bald eagle was at the dead deer and a deer ran in front of me on 8 on my way to the GOMH.  Didn't get a bite again tonight and I'm now down to two of Pete's minnows left.

Winner Winner a Lew's Combo for Dinner

Lew's Tournament MB

I am in a B.A.S.S. Fantasy Bass Fishing league associated with the Bass Boat Central message board.  Sportsman's Outfitters is a BBC sponsor that is donating prizes for each event.  It must be a random draw to win the Sportsman Warehouse prize because there was nothing distinguishing about my Classic line up which finished in the bottom 25% of the league.  I don't know what speed the reel will be or anything about the rod I will be getting.  I haven't used a Lew's reel in years, but I really liked the one I had back in the 90's.

Update: Sportsman's Outfitters gave me my choice of reel speed and rod.  I chose the 6.8:1 reel and the 6'9" M Trap Special Lew's Custom Speed Stick.

Fishing Goals For 2018

New for 2018: My brother Steve moved into the family's lake place on Platte late last fall after living out of state in the very early 2000's.  He was so busy remodeling the place we didn't have time to fish before the lakes froze up.  I hope to be able to fish with him and his daughter Devin quite a bit this year.

Fishing Buddies:  Last year the fishing buddies category was almost a universal flop as far as goals being achieved, only 1.20 achieved out of 12 goals.  That rate of failure simply isn't acceptable to me in a category that should be in the 80% achieved rate minimum.  I will do much better this year!

1. Fish with Dad multiple times.
2. Take Mike Thompson out frog fishing
3. Fish with Jim Bonin
4. Fish with  Mike "Spike" Miller
5. Fish with Jeff and Renee at least once
6. Fish with Todd, Isabelle, and Mallory multiple times
7. Take Peter W. out of the Trophy at least once.
8. Take Matt W. out of the Trophy at least once.
9. Fish with Dave Lindmark
10. Fish with Steve and Devin multiple times.
11. Take Corey Hicks frog fishing.
Dream Fishing Buddies:
1. Fish with Josh Douglas
2. Fish with Al Lindner

Bass Snatcher Goals:
1.  Get "Wood" in at least one tournament. (1st-3rd Place Finish or Lunker)
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, but it doesn't look like we have a lot of big bass lakes on the schedule this year.)
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.  (Something I haven't done since 2011)
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.

Technique & Tackle Goals:
0. Blog about the November and December Lucky Tackle Box's
1. Win something in Fantasy Fishing or Facebook giveaways/contests.
Lew's Tournament MB Speed Spool
Lew's Custom Speed Stick
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
   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. Get my brother Steve and niece Devin properly outfitted.
6.  Officially Open the Tackle Warehouse this year. (4/26)
7. Catch a fish on the Sprinker Frog
8. Experiment with the Neko rig to see if it something for me.
9. Experiment with the Ned Rig to see if it's something for me.

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. Get Devin and Steve into some bullheads
2. Average 5 fish caught per hour. (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. Catch* 3,000 Fish
4. Put together a small monetary incentive deal with the nieces this summer.

Crappie:
1. Catch a new personal best. (Currently 14.25")
2. Catch* over 300 this year. (Caught 515 in 2017)
3. Get Steve into some silver bullheads.
4. Get Devin into some silver bullheads.

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 500 this year. (Caught 798 in 2017)
2. Catch a 38" or over/personal best.
3. Get Steve into some toothy bullheads
4. Get Devin into some toothy bullheads

Bass: 
1. Catch a 21plus inch or 6lb Largemouth
2. Catch a 21plus inch or 6lb Smallmouth
3. Catch* over 1,000 bass this year. (Caught 1,238 in 2017)
4. Catch* at least 25 smallies.  (I caught 26 last year)
5. Catch a 25lb 6 Fish Bag
6. Get Steve into some jumpin' bullheads.
7. Get Devin into some jumpin' bullheads.

Walleye:
1. Catch at least 30. (Caught 40 in 2017)
2. Catch 30" or new personal best. (28.5 is current PB)
3. Get Steve into his first ever MN state fish.

* 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.

A goal that I reached is in bold.

200 Plus Crappies And Counting

10.5" VMC Fly/maggots

5:00-7:30PM Bulldog
Conditions: 23 degrees, Cloudy, Light S wind
Depth: 27'

I finally felt good enough to go out and do some fishing.  There are fewer houses on Bulldog now.  I was able to keep my bearings.  There were two other guys out fishing.  I drilled three sets of holes and never left the first set.  I was in a little shallower water than I had been fishing. I was really on my game and didn't miss a whole lot of bites.  They mostly wanted the VMC Fly/maggots.  Action finally slowed down around 7:10PM.  I brought home 9 fish to give to Jan.  Fish ran about the same size as always except for that one mini.

26 VMC Fly/maggots
8 Glow Demon/minnow
34 Crappies

203 Crappies For the Winter (Goal of 200 Achieved)