Goals for 2008

[musky_tail05]

Just wondering what everyone's goals are for this year. Do you want to do more of something? Less? Something new? Something you haven't done in years?

I'll start with mine:

1.) I will fish atleast two new lakes this year. Ok, I love the Cass chain, but I think I'm missing out on too many great oppurtunities up here. That needs to change.

2.) I will use more dive-and-rise jerkbaits. I don't know why, but I rarely (if ever) reach for my suicks. I think I used mine twice last year. I need to work on that.

3.) I will record my results of the day. Where I fished, what happened, conditions, lures/presentations used, sucess/faliure. I think taking a few minutes to record this info could help in the long run. Could make for some fun reading in the off-season, too.

4.) I will fish more mornings/sunrise period. Ok, I'm NOT a morning person, but I know I'm missing out on some excellent action. What little I did fish in the morning last year, provided decent action. Time to start stocking up on energy drinks....

5.) I will do more trolling. I will take casting any day over trolling. Not as boring in my opinion. But, I've had success the few times I've trolled. I think I need to give it some more attention.

6.) I will fish with more people.

-or-

7.) I will introduce someone new to muskie fishing. I think this one would be pretty cool.

8.) Catch more muskies! Duh!

[Esox_Magnum]

Fish new waters ( got 2 in the plans already)

Beat my PB

Make the 50 club

[b1gf1sh1]

1. fish brand new areas on my favorite waters.

2. get to know my new downrigger and get to know it good.

3. actually enter my trophies in the dnr master angler program and assorted other master angler programs. had the dnr's grand master several times, whatever the second level is several, and master several, several times. this year i am entering them. in C&R of course.

4. catch a state record something. or world record.(every years goal, keeps my interest up) release it, and lie like heck about where i caught it.

5. learn how to post some goll darn pics all by myself with no help on here. being 'puter challenged is so frustrating.

6. donate lures, and money to the dnr kids' program. (done)

7. try some old tactics and bend new ones... er... something like that.

[Rebel9921]

My Goals:

1. Get my boat out of storage, and get all the work she needs done before June 7th!!!

2. Throw more plastics and topwaters... I need to diverse myself since I threw DCG's 90% of the time in 2007... Yes, there are fishing without DCGs!

3. Hit more lakes... Now I have a boat... I'll definitely do that... There are several sweet Metro lakes... and maybe catch a Tiger in the process...

4. I will fish more during the peak times... and will do night-fishing more...

5. I will be more patient with my presentation... if SLOW works then I'll go SLOW... if FAST works, then I'll go FAST

6. I'll average more hours on the water this year than I ever did in my life...

7. I hope to help my son land his first muskie in 2008... if thats not the case then I hope he'll see me catch one... Nothing beats that in getting a kid motivated about Muskies...

8. Getting most of my lures barbless... and keeping all of them SHARPENED...

9. Break the 50" club... Beat my brother's PB if possible...

[fishcast]

Catch my first muskie ever, and do it with a fly rod. And hopefully after that stumble across a bunch of money so I can buy conventional muskie tackle and try that too.

[PDXFisher]

1. Learn one lake really well instead of being such a vagabond. I think I've fished more lakes than many of you, and I only come out twice a year. The first couple weeks I'm out I will likely go all over, but the last two I will have to focus.

2. Troll more. I need to pace the destruction of my body over a month this time, not nine days.

3. Commit to the Bulldawg. I like what the OP said about Suicks and their ilk, too.

4. Learn how to fish more areas than just weed/shore lines.

5. Capture as much as I can on video without getting in the way of the fishing. Memories captured forever are priceless. It's as much about the company as it is about the fish.

6. Learn how to launch/operate all aspects of boating on my own.

7. Learn how to hook a fish on topwaters, resist the urge (or fight/flight reaction, it seems) to scream like a girl and yank it out of their mouth.

[Rebel9921]

PDX... I'll make you a deal... if you fail to succeed with the #7 goal... you're gonna dress in a FRILLY PINK DRESS in 2009 EVERYTIME you go fishing in MN... deal??? The dress would go great with that girly scream of yours!!!!

[PDXFisher]

 Originally Posted By: Rebel9921

PDX... I'll make you a deal... if you fail to succeed with the #7 goal... you're gonna dress in a FRILLY PINK DRESS in 2009 EVERYTIME you go fishing in MN... deal??? The dress would go great with that girly scream of yours!!!!

Obviously you didn't ever share the lake with me or you would have already spotted me in the dress!!!

Though I'm not sure you're the one who should be throwing the stones about the color pink...

[Rebel9921]

Hey hey hey... Im not throwing stones about the color Pink... Im advocating it... which is why I chose a pink dress for you...

I havent seen anybody go fish in a dress in 2007... All that might will change in 2009 if you dont meet your #7 goal!!! Then again... I've seen several girls in bikinis... and yes they were HOT... probably bit too young for me...

[setterguy]

1.) Be better about figure 8ing with a purpose every cast.

2.) Make every cast count (spot on spot casting)

3.) Stay focused on every cast

4.) Try and fish open water, I know they are there but for me the structure just looks so much more appealing.

5.) Try like heck to make sure every fish swims away.

6.) Catch a fish on a home made lure.

7.) Catch a fish in a tournament.

8.) After #7, catch another one.

[Tippman]

Get out much more and boat at least 10 fish.

[ole matty]

1) learn more about my lake as structues, weedlines weed bed, pockets, rocks, and dropoff/breaklines.et cetera et cetera

2) catch 5 muskie on rise n fall jerkbait *all must be on REEF HAWG!* had my goal to catch 15 muskie this season. size doesnt matter to me...as long my presentation is workin

3) fish more deeper "10-15 fow"

4) use more crankbait and jerkbait..

5) meetin other people

6) havin fun

[HugoBox]

1) - Improve my figure 8

2) - Fish a "Big Muskie" lake instead of always WB and BE

3) - Troll more and be effective at it

4) - Fish with someone who knows more about muskies than me - not to steal spots but the only things I know are what I've picked up myself on the water or learned here.

5) - Help my wife catch her first.

6) - Be able to still find fish during non-peak activity times (I've done really well when the gettin's good but I'm not sure how I do when the gettin's not so good).

[krats]

Fish more than last year and introduce my wife and 9 year old daughter to muskie fishing.

Take my 3 younger children out more also for panfish or what ever.

[Lund 95]

Only fish for walleyes before June 7th. Concentrate on muskies for most of the season. Get a picture of my second legal fish!Most importantly not freak out when my prosthetic breaks and slime the new rig!

[MuskieSlayer]

• Spend more time on the water.
• Hopefully redeem myself from a dismal '07 season by boating at least one .

[Lals]

Great question. I must say for me it is all about having fun with peeps and catching more fish. The fun part is easy. Given that I would like to catch 25+ fish and one over 50" - I will have to get smarter and get out my ruts.....

[evinrude19]

my goal is to catch at least 10+ fish and one over 50" also get better at using baits that go past 10ft. of water

[cjac]

Good stuff so far!

Few goals for me:

* Get off the 49.5 inch fence I'm stuck on, not a big deal but a 50 would make me happy, I'll be honest!

* 45' tiger, had one hooked last Fall that was an easy mid 40s fish.....still bums me out.

* Get better at the Jig 'n' Pig, there's a reason it's regarded as one of the best bass prenentations ever! Same goes for spinnerbaits, don't throw 'em enough.

* More on the 8, watching one eat right there at your feet is a rush! Blew one last year that should've been a done deal.

* Downsize sometimes, the smaller lures will keep me a little less tired. Plus, the "speed" illusion of smaller lures will produce.

* Learn the lakes I frequent even more, and hit other lakes too.

* Fish with a few more people, I've said it before, but it's a great way to learn. I could get used to Lals being my net man!

* Figure out why I own a few hundred lures but feel the need for more.....when I know I don't need any more!

[mroyten]

Goals include:

- Catch 20 muskys (which means alot more time on the water, more effecentcy on the water, and fishing during those prime times on those hot spots to increase the odds of getting that bite.)

- Keep a better log of each day on the water (water temp, barometer, wind direction, weather conditions, air temp, moonrise/fall/sunrise/fall, etc). Keeping track of all of those little things are a necessity to consistantly put fish in the boat.

- Understand forage movements better. The more you know where the meal is the easy it will be to locate and hunt the beast.

- Be more aware of lure selection. To get better at choosing a lure because it is the best tool for the situation- time of year, time of day, location, cover, mood, etc. and seeing it produce successfully. Not to mention, to log this information too.

- And getting to know my waters more personally. Instead of just keep on doing what I've been doing, I would like be more attentive and to make note of those inside turns, subtle points, and small weed patches that are very attactive to me and most likely hold a fish (to find those milk run spots). And pound those areas throughly with multiple presentations. And again, documentation.

- Other than that, meet new musky fishing passionate types- to share the boat with, tell fish tales, and to push each other to landing that trophy.

[b1gf1sh1]

 Quote:

Understand forage movements better

thanks for the insperation. .

[Lals]

Chris, I am your man. I will net for you anytime!