What are your goals for the year.

[knurren]

I want to get better at fly fishing and fly tying.  There are a few decent streams and sections of river that give up brookies, browns, and bows.  Evenings after work I'll focus on those with either Ultralite spinning gear or the fly rod.  What ever happens to be in my truck.

I want to spend Friday evenings and nights bass fishing.  Some of those warm summer nights when the bass turn on and the top water bite is good are just phenominal.  It's enjoyable being in a small boat, listening to bass smash frogs and bait fish, have a couple beers, and just fish.  It can be pretty productive if you find the right night too.

Weekends will be mixed.  Mostly I want to learn a few sections of rivers and get good at consistantly landing trout on a fly rod.  A few weekends will be spent disappearing into the woods for a few days at a time.  I'll spend a good deal of time trolling for trout and salmon as I did last year... maybe add a few more ponds to the list.  And I'll offset it by doing some bass fishing on the weekends; just as a fun break from trout fishing.

[mhofferman]

Want to catch that first gill of 10+". Had 3 over 9.5" through the ice, but want to get a nice bull. Also, want to get my wife out on som good water so she can catch some quality fish that we can eat....everything in Arizona we fished was man-made and was EXTREMELY unsafe to eat! Other than that try new places in Indy as much as possible.....gonna try the public access right by Broad Ripple Park if the water keeps going down and clearing up a little but, and find some of these crappie that this one guy has been toting as the best ever after iceout 

[Boomer]

I want to take a trip to a "new" lake - one I have never fished before. Hope to go and get a striper from Hardy Lake; catch some walleye from Brookville; catch some white bass in the jumps at Brookville with a fly rod; do a little river fishing. Mainly have fun fishing with my wife and son (he's age 11). First on the list is some coho and browns from Michigan City area this spring.

[Rairdog]

Want to catch that first gill of 10+". Had 3 over 9.5" through the ice, but want to get a nice bull. Also, want to get my wife out on som good water so she can catch some quality fish that we can eat....everything in Arizona we fished was man-made and was EXTREMELY unsafe to eat! Other than that try new places in Indy as much as possible.....gonna try the public access right by Broad Ripple Park if the water keeps going down and clearing up a little but, and find some of these crappie that this one guy has been toting as the best ever after iceout 

Wont be long.  3/11 last year.  It's pretty muddy right now.  I am planning on hitting it Thur or Fri depending on the wind and rain forecasted. 

[Rairdog]

    Just fish alot with my son, he will be 12 on the  9th.  I am also gonna try and get my dad on the Hudson for some Stripers....

I here ya.  I have no kids but I did put my nephew on his first smalley last year.  Also his biggest channel but it was to dark to get a good pic.


And I have one in training.  GF's grand daughter.

[mhofferman]

Wont be long.  3/11 last year.  It's pretty muddy right now.  I am planning on hitting it Thur or Fri depending on the wind and rain forecasted. 
[/quote]

I should be around give me a holler if its looking good! I purchased one of them new-fangled one of those ice fishing poles with a reel on it. For $6 I figured I couldn't go wrong!

[daffydone]

my goal for this years is to catch a walleye, I have never really fished for them. also I think I will get my flyrod out and learn how to use it, and maybe even catch my first eye with it, but I think I am asking too much.

[lpv89]

ehh goal is to buy a 3# and catch my first brookie

im only 18 but ive been dreaming about it for about 4 years now its the one fish i want to catch.


ive all ready got a sturgeon out of the Mighty Niagara river were there threatend so that was my first catch of a life time!

[SmuckBuck]

Rairdog......... I am very familiar with your hole under the dam. I know right were you are at! Nice cats, smallies and even crappies. I had a real nice largemouth on last year as well. Crawdads on a float really produce nice smallies here. Not eatn any fish out of this spot. Is this where you caught your 6 pounder?? Anyway I figure we fish the same areas year round maybe I will catch you out there. Oh almost forgot......40 plus pound Flathead, you may want to try Logansport.

[Rairdog]

Thanks for all the replies thus far.  We need to keep this forum hopping.  Ice Shanty dies off after ice.  Other forums seem to be species targeted and not for all around sportsman.  Post your pics, ask your questions and tell your stories. 


SB I have yet to catch a 6 lb Indiana smalley.  It is a goal I have had... going on 5 years now.   It's hard for me to justify traveling for flathead.  I can get them here.  May not be monsters but it's still a challenge.  When I travel I go for species that aren't local.  Like perch, salmon, steelhead, trout and walleye.

[SmuckBuck]

Rairdog....Are you familiar with fall creek east of Geist? If so you just may catch that 6 pound Indiana Smally. Problem is they move in there in late October through November. I have some friends who live on there and catch 5 to 6 pound smallmouth this time of the year. My problem is that I have buck fever this time of year.

[Piggyn]

• Take my canoe out and explore some smaller, hard to get to waters... and find at least a couple gems
• Catch some trout and walleye
• Whack the gills and crappie

[KingPerch]

FIsh, Fish, Fish, Fish,and do more fishing. --KingPerch

[bigr]

Catch  more than32 species of fish in state of indiana. THINK ABOUT IT, very few fishermen can do that, caught 31 last year. It,s not easy, for most its hard to know 32 species let alone catch with rod and real.

[backus]

catch a muskie    catch a 2lb crappie  catch a 5lb. bass          outfish bigr again