Fishing Plan This Year

[Vollmer]

I think I ask this most years, but not all. What is it you would like to focus on this year? It could be something you hope to improve upon, it can be a new tactic altogether, perhaps a new species, or even new bodies of water, among other things.

This year I planned on pitching or cranking for the vast majority of the summer. My tennis elbow might slow down my pitching a bit, unless I can do alright left handed.

 

[risingsun]

I guess I have never put too much thought into that. I do have certain locations, lure types for early spring, mid summer and late fall tactics. As things can change day to day. I kinda just let the fish tell me what they want.. Weather, including fronts and wind, water elevation, water clarity, depth of the fish, fishing pressure etc can certainly change what I want to use and where I want to use it.

 

[svnmag]

I think a "doable/semi-realistic goal" would be besting the state record smallmouth and getting it viable/alive to the hatchery with intent to eventually live out it's life in a Cabella's aquarium: Like Bass Pro's "Ethel" LM which died at 26lbs. Have a cooler, aerator(s) and possibly ice at the ready with G/F on speed dial.

I also hope Catdaddy and Capt Brad validate my posts about Texas rigged worms for catfish. If you have them located; it works. I've done fine in ponds with Culprits but y'all may find Berkely Power
Worms provide more confidence. It's clean and effective; don't set the hook prematurely.

Also; Dorito/beer doughballs...

 

[Davey Crockett]

I'm going to take a step back and try more shore fishing this summer. I honestly belive that a good shore fisherman can keep up to boat fishermen when it comes down to fillets of fish in the freezer.

 

[svnmag]

I'm going to take a step back and try more shore fishing this summer. I honestly belive that a good shore fisherman can keep up to boat fishermen when it comes down to fillets of fish in the freezer.

Access and contour is the problem. An inflated nightcrawler on a Carolina rig is your friend. The downside is it catches everything.

For more success; make sure the crawler floats horizontally; not like a "Y". A "jet" of air on either side of the hook and total submersion will ensure this: A floating crawler doesn't tell shit.

 

[svnmag]

Also and again: MANY THANKS to whomever taught me how to break my "Tailrace Cherry" via FBO. Nightcrawler success lead me to future confidence in additional waters. Once you know fish can be caught; techniques can be extrapolated.

 

[ndfinfan]

Picked up a new graph for the console - HDS Live...so gotta get that installed this weekend. This winter watched quite a few vids on jigging even trolling with hair jigs. I have a few in the jig box, but rarely have used them - want to see if I can't figure them out some - especially early in the year.

 

[Auggie]

This summer will be the least amount of fishing on Devil's Lake I have done since 1990. We drew a seasonal spot on McKenzie Bay so this summer will be me learning the area.

 

[honkerslayer]

Picked up a new graph for the console - HDS Live...so gotta get that installed this weekend. This winter watched quite a few vids on jigging even trolling with hair jigs. I have a few in the jig box, but rarely have used them - want to see if I can't figure them out some - especially early in the year.

I’ve had great success using hair jigs early the last few years on Sak. I tie up my own patterns but a 1/8 oz hair jig pitched up shallow can really work well . Better than plastics most days for me. I just lift and let swim back down on a tight line. Slow and smooth until the water gets a little warmer. Then a more aggressive pop and swim seems to work best.

 

[BRK]

I'm going to focus on pitching plastics shallow as soon as the ice is off after last years late fall expedition of doing a similar tactic. Next is working jiggin' raps and learning the shadow rap. After that it's do what the fish want. Two years ago I cranked like a maniac and had giant successes. Last year it seemed BB/worms were the far better bet. Similar to @Vollmer, I will only pitch as long as my wrist allows me to.

 

[Weekender]

I'd like to get more experience cranking this summer. Picked up a bunch more cranks and some planer boards, just need to get dialed in now.

 

[LBrandt]

Hopefully health issues will let me fish this year. Have not got the boat wet the last two years. LB

 

[shorthairsrus]

Eyeballs - same old what works works i dont see that changing in dakota

Sota - i want to get a handle on punchin i got me a new daiwa with a tfo heavy rod - rod was 1/2 off at midway usa

 

[Captainbrad]

I won't have time for anything but catfishing for the most part so my goal is to learn to use MEGA LIVE to pinpoint catfish patterns.

 

[scrotcaster]

I want to catch a Lake Trout!, My one singular fishing goal this year. Headed to Fort Peck in June to try to catch one Excited

 

[Shockwave]

My hope is to catch more walleye than catfish. Oahe was not good last year unless you wanted to catch boatloads of catfish. I wonder how many they transferred from Oahe to Sweet Briar, hopefully hundreds.

 

[guywhofishes]

My hope is to catch more walleye than catfish. Oahe was not good last year unless you wanted to catch boatloads of catfish. I wonder how many they transferred from Oahe to Sweet Briar, hopefully hundreds.

That would irk me to no end.

 

[Shockwave]

That would irk me to no end.

You have no idea. We anchored one day and pulled them out like bluegill. As soon as the line got down, another one on. The kids had fun, but after about 15, I was done.

 

[espringers]

i am looking to spend a bit more time back on the red this year. i miss that place.

 

[bravo]

My hope is to catch more walleye than catfish. Oahe was not good last year unless you wanted to catch boatloads of catfish. I wonder how many they transferred from Oahe to Sweet Briar, hopefully hundreds.

They put cats in sweet briar? I could never catch anything but bullheads there anyway.