4 hours ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

Visit old Florida fish camps and rent cabins and camp out more with my boys while fishing in remote places.

 

That sounds fun!

 

My 2026 goals:

 

Catch 1,800 bass. I think I'll do this even though I couldn't reach 1,500 last year because I struck a deal with my spouse to fish three mornings a week in May and June and then only one morning a week in July and August as opposed to two mornings a week through the fishing season. So, I'll be fishing more when the fishing is hot.

 

Use a baitcasting outfit. Not exclusively, but alongside my spinning outfits.

 

My anemia improved recently, so if it stays improved, fish the bogs more to give myself a chance at some six, seven, or even eight-pounders. I wanted to bog fish more in 2025, but I was just too tired to load, unload, load, and unload the canoe for each trip, as well as lugging it over hill and dale. 

 

Catch multiple 19-inchers at my pond. I caught my first three at the end of 2025 and I'm hoping many more await me as the bass have become bigger.

 

Weigh more bass.

 

I bought a fishing kayak, so I want to develop skill with it. I have kayaked a closed hull kayak for thousands of miles, but a fishing kayak is different and I look forward to learning its nuances. I also bought some YakAttack accessories and will install those in the spring. I'll keep this boat year-round at my pal's pond.

 

Guide The Kid to multiple 19-inch-plus bass.

 

 

2 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

also bought some YakAttack accessories and will install those in the spring.

 

If that includes an anchor trolly, that'll be a huge quality of life improvement. Had one recommended on here by some folks. Installed it and it was a vastly more pleasant fishing experience. 

4 minutes ago, Rucksack said:

 

If that includes an anchor trolly, that'll be a huge quality of life improvement.

 

Nope. A three-rod holder, a paddle holder, and two trolling rod holders. I prefer to fish on the move. 

14 minutes ago, Rucksack said:

Installed it and it was a vastly more pleasant fishing experience. 

I had one on my old canoe - really made life better.

My 25 resolution was to get in better shape in the gym to try and regain some of the strength and balance one loses as they age, especially noticeable in a canoe. Well I kept up the 3 times a week workout, but afib kicked up big time and I missed the 2nd half of the season, so it’s unknown how much the gym has helped.

 

My goal for 26 is to stay out of the hospital and fish. I’m excited to see if the exercise has made a difference.

I’d like for all of us be here and have this discussion in at the end of 2026.

I still want a DD, and fish more of course.

 

1 minute ago, MN Fisher said:

I had one on my old canoe - really made life better.

 

No, thank you. Using a baitcasting outfit more is change enough. 

 

3 minutes ago, GRiver said:

I’d like for all of us be here and have this discussion in at the end of 2026.

 

Yes, please.

14 minutes ago, GRiver said:

I’d like for all of us be here and have this discussion in at the end of 2026.

 

10 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

Yes, please.

All depends on how far they can kick that can down the road....

Goals for 2026:

Spend more time panfishing and catfishing--really wanna target some yellow perch and yellow bass as I don't get the chance often

Get out with my dad more often

Try and see if I can get my lady back into fishing ....she is my preferred fishing buddy

I'd like to catch at least 1 largemouth 5+lbs did not accomplish that this year

 

3 hours ago, gim said:

Minnesota is lifting the fully closed bass season next spring.  So I am hoping to begin legally targeting bass before the usual mid May opener.  Mother Nature needs to cooperate for that to happen.

Oh Man - @gim you are going to have a time.

Here's some top secret early season tips - 

Be on your best big fish spot 7 -10 days after the ice goes out. 

42-44 degree water with a decent SW wind is magic.

Good Luck and don't forget to put new batteries in your scale.

You're gonna need it.

A-Jay

My main goal is to get my boat straightened out and then fish from it, beginning to learn how to fish from a boat.

 

Boat or otherwise, I want to check out at least 1 new place. Probably Rough River lake. Figuring out where shore access is though is difficult and I don't know where to start.

 

Lure wise, I want to continue to refine the techniques I have been working on.

 

Probably drop shot and shaky head would be the ones I want to work on. But the one I really want to figure out is boottail swimbaits. I've only caught a handful of fish on those.

 

I would like to make some friends to go fishing with. I have a couple, but we rarely go fishing together.

My goal is to qualify for the Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship. There are a number of avenues to get there including through Bass Nation.

 

But this past year I only fished one Bassmaster tournament and zero Bass Nation tournaments. The plan in 2026 is three Bassmaster events and four Bass Nation events.

  My goal for 26 is to help my 86 year fishing bud catch a DD LM. I'm gonna drive him to every private pond I have access to. The man fished shiners in Florida for decades and was a fishing guide for many years and has yet to do it. He's caught 17 over 9 but never a 10. It would make my year if we could pull that off.

A new PB largemouth is always a goal. It’s been 9 years since my last PB. 

 

Exploring new lakes and rivers, as well as a new depth finder are something’s I’d like to be able to check off the 2026 fishing bingo card as well. 

Mine are continue to keep working on being healthy. Continuing to learn more about deep structure fishing, and spend some more time focusing on beating my PB with a big fish.

Not sure if it's appropriate to post our - my son and mine - fishing goal, because this isn't bass fishing related goal. But here it goes:

 

We are constantly researching habitats for a new species to target. Last year we wanted to target Little Skate:

 

We know the spot but 2 things worked against us.

  *  1: I lost all of August because my daughter needed help. I'll always help family when I can.

  *  2: We need the sea conditions to be just right. We never made it. We had a couple of days but I            needed to help my parents.

Well last year I qualified for the local tri city lakes big bass bash on Christmas Eve with a 7.3 on a jig and managed to not even finish last place out of the 12 qualifiers managing a 4.3 on tournament day on a jerkbait in the first 20 minutes.

 

This year I qualified nice and early with an 8.5 also on the jig and I’m hoping that I can finish better this spring than 7th place and I’d love to requalify as early as January or February as long as our water is soft!

 

Managed to finally get that YouTube channel up and running at the very end of the year with a lot of help from my incredibly talented wife!

 

Next year I’d love to post more on YouTube and educate and entertain more folks while preserving memories and fun!

 

I’d be tickled pink if I could manage another double digit bass.

 

I’d really like my first pond double digit and I’d be tickled absolutely purple if it was on a frog!

 

I’d be absolutely smashed if I could manage a new PB (>11.3) this coming year!

 

If I could manage a lake record at one of my local spots I’d eat my hat!

 

This past year I used what I had to great effect and learned more of the arcane arts of tackle prep and rod repair and reel maintenance and bait modification and was able to eek a lot out of what I had laying around (hoarded 🤣🤣🤣👍👍👍) 

 

Next year I want to continue the trend of using what works and not messing with what doesn’t in my endless quest to simplify and refine my bass fishing tactics and gear selection.

 

Have fun - make memories.

 

Putting Meagan and Jake on new PBs would be amazing!

 

Continue to learn and grow and expand my knowledge of bass and how they relate to baitfish and panfish and crawfish and weather and conditions so that I can stinking catch one every now and again with all the stinking hammers on every lake now!  🤣👍❤️

8 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

I want to continue the trend of using what works and not messing with what doesn’t in my endless quest to simplify and refine my bass fishing tactics and gear selection.

 

This is my trend too. I fish fewer lures than I once did, but I did add a buzzbait to my rotation in 2025 and intend to fish jerkbaits more in 2026.

20 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

 

intend to fish jerkbaits more in 2026.

same.  Both the hard and the soft ones.  

1. Go more often.  Last year I was dealing with some issues that made spending hours in my truck and boat alone with my thoughts quite difficult.  Hopefully, all of that will be behind me next year.  

2. Continue to study and improve.  We have access to so much information.  I want to be more of a student of bass fishing.  Bass University is great as are so many videos on Youtube.  I want to absorb and apply all the lessons I learn from the pros.

3. Experiment with new baits.  This was something I got away from last year.  A free rig, finesse underspins, poop baits, dice baits, and hair jigs were all baits I wanted to focus on last year but only had limited success with.  I will change that this year.  

4. Take the Neko rig and spybaits to the next level.  I had good success with those last year and they are quickly becoming confidence baits for me.  

5. Organization- Since I am getting a new boat, I’m going to gut all my trays and spend time analyzing what I actually use and what I should not carry.  I’m going to replace my oldest trays with new, fancy premium trays and have my confidence presentations in prominent places in my boat.  I have trays of crankbaits, jerkbaits, topwater, jigs, and plastics that I don’t use nearly as much as I used to.  My Nekos, Neds, Dropshot, CCCChatterbaittttss, swimbaits, and Sleeper boxes need to be better organized so I am not searching for baits when I want to make changes.

6. Force myself to immerse myself in my FFS.  I’ll be upgrading to a LVS34 so there is no excuse.  The videos and resources are out there.  I need to devote myself to becoming much more proficient with my Livescope.  I have gotten better but I want to make it a strength.

7. Take my 11 year-old more often.  He says he wants to go but he's just saying what I want to hear.  Maybe get a guide while on vacation so that we’re guaranteed a lot of fish.  I need him to catch some easy smallies;  like 2-3 lbers on a swimbait to get him hooked.

 

13 hours ago, king fisher said:

Why do people always set the bar so high with unreasonable goals?

Because if you set them low, you'll hit them with amazing accuracy......

I try to set my goals high and work to surpass them........

It’s very simple.  Have fun.  That’s it.  

1) Switching from primarily fishing baitcasters when jerkbait fishing to primarily fishing spinning rods. 

 

2) Fish more "new" places, but also focus more on truly learning the finite details of my locals. 

 

3) Just focus more on unwinding my internal rubber band.

 

4) Help people in need more, maybe spread the love of fishing to someone that has never done it. There is a guy in Florida that takes kids with no Father's, fishing. I would love to do something similar someday. 

Go fishing when I'm able.

Fish some lakes.

Fish some rivers.

Catch some green bass.

Catch some brown bass.

Don't break anything or drown.

Go way More. Not getting any younger