I'm pretty envious of the guys that never have to stop for winter. Technically I can fish year round here but I generally don't cause it can be pretty miserable some years. We have some good fishing left though.

My goal for next year is to fish more than I have this year.

Learn to fish those deep summer fish better

Also I need to learn to neatly put my tackle back in the correct boxes when I am done using a certain lure.. I have no patience. Tackle is so unorganized at end of three fishing season for me lol..

I'm in California so I'm just hoping we get a lot of rain so there's water to fish in next year.

Here's hoping that you guys get some major relief soon.

2016 Goal: Fish More

^^^^^^^

This, fish more!

Tom

Also I need to learn to neatly put my tackle back in the correct boxes when I am done using a certain lure.. I have no patience. Tackle is so unorganized at end of three fishing season for me lol..

Start fishing at night you will have a neat tackle box with everything in its place in no time.

Still have some excellent fishing ahead til about Christmas, but.......

Gonna hit alotta lakes in and around my area beginning early March, Rhodhiss, Kerr Scott, Badin, Tillery, even High Rock, Hickory and Wylie (although those three get beat to death). Lucky to have some great lakes within an hours drive from the house. I'll still have Lakes Norman and Davidson in my backyard too.

Those Norman spots should eat all winter 

i need to fish other lakes instead of just the one i'm on, also looking to put a deck on my aluminum boat so i can at least feel like i have a bass boat and make fishing more comfortable.

 

other than that i need to go diving for a couple lures that have recently been lost  

My season doesn't end until the temps drop below 50 degree's.  Last year I fished til Christmas day. 

 Next year - stick with my spinning reels and don't touch my baitcaster.  Focus on making long casts in the clear water strip pits I fish at.  Also slow way way down when using my favorite lure - the Texas rig.  One of my Homer Circle books says the number one problem people have is fishing too fast and that you want to fish like you have all week to sit there and let your lure sit.  I'll admit I've not let my Texas rigs or split shot rigs sit still very long.  

 

 Also in 2016, I need to get back to six pound line.  I sort of got hooked on my one baitcaster with twelve pound line throwing crankbaits at the expense of throwing my Texas rigs on six pound line.  Sufix six pound Elite mono is awesome stuff that I should not neglect.  

Last year I was fishing right before thanksgiving... Ice fishing....

This last year I had some good luck during the prespawn/spawn with Zoom Brush Hog's fished on my homemade Jika rigs. I am going to expand on that and include some of Zoom's 8inch lizards too. Got a feeling that I will crush them on the large lizards.  

 Next year - stick with my spinning reels and don't touch my baitcaster.  Focus on making long casts in the clear water strip pits I fish at.  Also slow way way down when using my favorite lure - the Texas rig.  One of my Homer Circle books says the number one problem people have is fishing too fast and that you want to fish like you have all week to sit there and let your lure sit.  I'll admit I've not let my Texas rigs or split shot rigs sit still very long.  

 

 Also in 2016, I need to get back to six pound line.  I sort of got hooked on my one baitcaster with twelve pound line throwing crankbaits at the expense of throwing my Texas rigs on six pound line.  Sufix six pound Elite mono is awesome stuff that I should not neglect.  

 

Best thing I ever learned. If anything, now I fish too slowly, too often, and don't catch many fish per hour. Still better than getting skunked, though.

 

And I may do the opposite of you: I might buy my first baitcaster next year and spend the summer learning it.

Next year I need to fish more. I spent so much money getting ready for my first season of actually knowing how to fish. I couldn't even get out once a week because work was so crazy. Next year I'm taking a week off and going fishing. I'm gonna try big swimbaits next year that's one thing I know.

I'm probably purchasing my last new rods and reels.

I have enough tackle to last me another lifetime.

2 powerplant lakes within an hours drive.

 

There is no such thing as a "Fishing Season" in my world. 

Sunday the boat is going in storage... I might cry a little but nothing a huge order of tackle and rods can't fix!

Pick up a Jig more.

Break my PB

I've noticed that the word "jig" made a strong appearance, but what exactly is a JIG?

From a mechanical perspective, a "jig" is nothing more than a unitized sinker and hook...period.

Put differently, the word 'jig' describes your weighting system better than it describes your lure.

Of course, there are skirted jigs and unskirted jigs, so if you happen to be using a skirted jig,

the only "lure" in play is the silicone skirt. In addition to a jig skirt however, there's an endless selection of trailers

that may be added to the jig hook (live & artificial). Oddly enough, the lure attached to the jig is frequently unspecified.

SO....if you're ever reluctant to divulge your most fruitful lure, simply say that you were using a "jig".

It's the easiest and most credible way to say nothing....and get away with it  

 

Roger

I started using a skirted flipping jig with a plastic craw type trailer (thats for you Roger) this year. I said for 2 years that I was going to learn how to fish a flipping jig and I finally did it this year. So next year I'll be leaning hard on that presentation since I'm now addicted to using it. I also had a ton of success with a swim jig after watching Tom Monsoor's video last winter on YouTube. So I'll probably attempt to continue the success I had this year with those two techniques.

Pimp my yak With electronics so I can find the big girls in the deeper waters, get a HMF cranking rod for deep cranking to get the said big girls, get deep diving cranks for the big girls, and order some more jigs from Sieberts just in case the big girls don't want the crank.

Hopefully keep fishing right through on any nice days, The small mouth fishing is still good here on lake cumberland, There is a local tournament here on thanksgiving day that draws quite a few boats.

I bought all kinds of gear to keep going out on my kayak for as long as I can tolerate it.  I will be back to this post when I am forced off the water.