2020 Fishing Goals

[GaryDroze]

Ah, you're safe, Dave. I'll just post obliquely about bomb crater ponds I access after anchoring on East River banks. Anybody willing to hump through klicks of feral hog-laden marsh flats is welcome to my finds.

[silverking]

It's not the one or two other crazies who might want to tempt fate with wild hogs and gators slogging through the marsh like the Adventure Guide. Why didn't you share specific details with him? Afraid he'd beat you to that spot the next time? I'm sure he's already read your post and figured it out by now.

Exchanging techniques and conditions for success are what I thought these type of forums were about. Yet, as of 11:23 am 2/1/2020, there are 4,288 registered users on this site and 53 "guests." I know some have the sense to keep things on the QT. But there are thousands of pot-lickers who lack the initiative to get out and learn on their own. They want to be spoon-fed without doing any work. That isn't teaching. It isn't sport-fishing, either. It's cramming for an exam and the grades are based on how many 15-inch trout you can stuff into a cooler, how quickly a flat or creek can be vacuumed free of slot redfish or how much gas you can save by running directly to Spot X and throwing out a popping cork.

Might as well anchor a pontoon boat in Spanish Hole and sell bait and hot dogs, like they do over at Crab Island in Destin. Because yet another off-the-radar spot will soon have more boat traffic than I-10.

Time to take a real hiatus of my own.

[big bend gyrene]

Ok, moving things along from the "Let's argue with Gary" thread (honestly sympathize with BOTH sides), here's my list...
1) Quit catching so many cobia (said tongue in cheek since only thing I've targeted for about 12 years now)
2) Arguing with my own self (see item 1 above), catch a cobia on fly gear
3) Catch a tripletail
3) Learn more about / work harder on pond management
4) Pull a double digit bass out of my pond (and then release it). Have caught / helped others catch a number of 5 to 8 lb'ers but a double digit fish has proved elusive.
5) Not exactly fishing goal, but paddle well beyond Blue Hole on Wacissa. Live so close I have no good excuse to not having already done it... and not getting any younger I'm afraid.
6) Make friends with a reliable fishing bud or two... Ontilttttt's a good one but no telling if he'll be around with residency match coming up, BADLY miss Rhettley (RIP ) as he was sure a great one, and sadly while Bman is mighty fun company (when he's not jostling folks into the water / making them fall out of his boat) it can get painful when you repeatedly turn into Charlie Brown having him yank the football away after HE is the one who kicks off the excitement saying he's itching to play... . His priorities just don't seem to be quite in the right place. Bats about 50 / 50 on everything but duck hunting, yet it comes to those little flying birds he miraculously never seems to have a conflict pressing enough to change his game plans. And yes, Bman, if you see this you DO 100% deserve it.

[DixieReb]

Now, fellers, let's be friends! Posts on this forum are useful to guys like me that don't get down there as much as we'd like to. Most of us want to know if fish are biting, and if it's worth trying to go at a certain time. A slow report might convince you to wait a few days before going, just like a hot one lets you know you better get down there and try 'em. Most of us have our own favorite spots we like to fish anyway.

[CalGarretson]

Up my sight fishing game, specifically:
Cobia in the spring on the flats
Tripletail, would love to catch some big enough to enjoy some "cheek meat"

Admittedly, I love to cook em and eat em. Fried is great, but finding new ways to make them taste great is something I really enjoy. The older I have gotten, the greater emphasis I have learned to put on eating right and eating protein the way the Lord created it.

[Srbenda]

Up my sight fishing game, specifically:
Cobia in the spring on the flats
Tripletail, would love to catch some big enough to enjoy some "cheek meat"

Admittedly, I love to cook em and eat em. Fried is great, but finding new ways to make them taste great is something I really enjoy. The older I have gotten, the greater emphasis I have learned to put on eating right and eating protein the way the Lord created it.

There are SO MANY ways to cook fish, and frying them should be the last choice, it is delicious, but unhealthy, and you certainly lose the nuance of the fish.

[Blue spinner]

mine is to take anybody fishing that shows up at the ramp
most of the time i fish by myself but i do fish a lot

[jss12121]

1. No matter what get on the water more than last year.
2. Catch a tarpon in our area (keys, Pine Island Sound excluded)
3. Find bait better than I have in the past


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[BloodyChamp]

Perfect dead time idea for a thread. Mine will revolve around the weather. If the Aucilla is flooded then forget it. Same goes for the St Marks. My ongoing goal is still to see every inch of those rivers before I die, and not get to upset if I do so minus the sinkholes on private land at the end of the Aucilla.

That leaves the Pinhook Trail on foot that I’ve posted about many times. If I’m out fishing in cooperative weather then this won’t happen. This being Florida though...yeah

I also want to take my niece fishing.

[Srbenda]

Amberjack!

[SCALAWAG]

Legal grouper, Hogfish and triple tail

[onefishtwofish]

2. Catch a B. Drum

Seriously, hit me up in the summer. I can't promise you will catch a big one, but you will see a mess of them and get some chances. Kayak would be best as it can be skinny and we can get in tight. And I have a spare. If you want to do it with a fly, I will let you use the one that is better for flycasting. If you are successful though, we may swap kayaks!

My main goals?
Fish more
Kayak more
Redfish on a fly.

[CSMarine]

Having fished the Big Bend for over 65 years I've got few fishing goals not already achieved by this point. I lived in St. Mark's, at Nut All Rise, and Spring Warrior as a young man. As an old man I've been living near Yates Creek since retiring now for past fifteen years. I fish at least four days a week weather permitting.
So, I guess my goals for 2020 is to stay above ground and able to still climb into one of my boats.

[ropeman]

I thought I already posted here, but I guess not.

My 2020 goals are pretty simple, fish more and learn how to catch more. The best part is that my girlfriend doesn't care if we catch fish or not, she just wants to enjoy the day on the water!

[BloodyChamp]

Covering the Aucilla is my main goal now that it’s in danger to the toll road. I’m going to start at 90 and get it done!